10 burning questions we’re asking ahead of Super Bowl LVIII

Super Bowl LVIII is upon us, and with the big game comes plenty of big questions about how this rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is going to play out in Vegas.

The usual pre-game musings take centre stage, of course: Who will win the Super Bowl? Who will be crowned the game’s MVP? But within those are a series of queries we’re asking ahead of kick-off, the answers to which might just tell the story of this game.

From the last pick in the draft to the Super Bowl less than two years later, Brock Purdy’s rise at the helm of the 49ers feels straight out of Hollywood. And yet when we look past the story and roll to the credits… the QB himself is getting very little of it. Instead, the narrative of so much of San Francisco’s success is centred around head coach Kyle Shanahan writing up a masterful playbook and a star-studded supporting cast executing it to near perfection, no matter who’s under centre.

We’ve seen Purdy’s poise and precision when marching his team down the field in crunch time, and we’ve also seen what happens when he falls out of sync with his receivers. If Purdy can guide his side to victory, will he finally get the praise he’s due?

The idea of what it means to be a “game manager” has been a topic of much debate this Super Bowl cycle, with this year’s QB matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Purdy feeling like a referendum on a term that comes off as a dig but really should be an acceptable word used to describe any good quarterback. Just ask Joe Burrow:

The oddsmakers are expecting a close game in Vegas while giving a slight edge to San Francisco. But bet against Mahomes at your own peril — the young GOAT hasn’t given football fans any reason to doubt his credentials on the biggest stage.

Mahomes has lost just three playoff games in his career, two of which were against the great Tom Brady. In his 14 post-season wins, five saw Mahomes orchestrate a game-winning drive. He’s thrown for 738 yards in three Super Bowl starts, scoring five TDs through the air between his two wins.

We’re used to talking about Tom Brady come Super Bowl season — he played in 10 of them, after all, and won seven — and despite the fact that we’re approaching the conclusion of the first season since the turn of the century that didn’t see Brady suit up, his presence will still be felt at the big game. His legacy looms large on both sides of this matchup.

The comparisons to Mahomes are obvious: At 28 years old and six years into his career as a starter, the Chiefs QB has already taken his team to four Super Bowls (including Sunday’s game). A third Vince Lombardi Trophy win on Sunday would put him well on pace to catch Brady’s total.

A win in Super Bowl LVIII would make his Chiefs the first team to win back-to-back championships since Brady’s Patriots in 2003 and 2004. A win would also mean Brady would remain the only QB to defeat Mahomes in a Super Bowl (2020, vs. Brady’s Buccaneers).

For that matter, get ready to hear the Bill Belichick comparisons, too, should Kansas City come out on top — another title for Andy Reid gets him in on the coaching GOAT conversation (if he’s not there already, that is).

The Brady comparisons will be alive and well with a 49ers victory, too. While the letters G-O-A-T won’t be thrown around in the direction of Purdy just yet, there’s an obvious storyline connection at play. Brady was famously drafted 199^th overall by New England in 2000 while Purdy was drafted even later — No. 262, the very last pick of the 2022 class, giving him the moniker “Mr. Irrelevant.” He’s relevant now, and his performance on Sunday brings to life another quarterback underdog story we haven’t seen since Brady emerged in 2001.

In one corner, you’ve got the newly crowned Offensive Player of the Year in Christian McCaffrey, who’s already got four touchdowns through two playoff games this winter. In the other, you’ve got Isiah Pacheco, the guy whose every rushing attempt — a whopping 63, to be exact — evokes references to Kyle Brandt’s Angry Runs segment (so much so, the producers should consider naming the Good Morning Football award after No. 10 himself.)

And standing between the two? Well, as strong as both defences in this matchup are, neither excels against the run. San Francisco’s allowed an average of 159 yards per game through two playoff wins, the lone weak spot on their D unit. The Chiefs have fared slightly better through their three victories, buoyed by a strong performance limiting the Ravens to just 81 rushing yards after allowing the Bills to run for 182 a week earlier.

Heralded as one of the brightest offensive minds in the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has yet to win the big one. He was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons during the infamous 28-3 comeback by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2017 and three years later took the 49ers to the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. Both were losses. A win on Sunday would go a long way in releasing the buildup of those negative narratives and locking in his legacy.

In back-to-back playoff games, we’ve seen the 49ers in a position we’re not used to: Playing from behind. After a regular season that saw San Francisco rarely play without the lead, the team has twice been forced to pull off the comeback to advance — most notably, they fell into a 24-7 deficit against the Lions in the NFC Championship before surging back in the second half to steal the win. While that’s made for some thrilling, down-to-the-wire football games — and more than a few broken hearts in Detroit — it might not be a great recipe for success against Kansas City.

Sure, the Chiefs’ lack of second-half offence has been an ongoing theme for Mahomes & Co., but the strength of Kansas City’s defence has made it nearly impossible for opponents to gain any kind of momentum. Dig another hole, and they might not find themselves with enough time or firepower to get out of it this time.

The youngest defence in the league is already proving itself to be one of the very best after shutting down Baltimore’s dynamic scoring attack two weeks ago. While Mahomes is the face of this franchise, this year’s Super Bowl berth comes courtesy of Steve Spagnuolo’s squad of defenders — and in Vegas against the 49ers, they’ve got their toughest task yet.

Will L’Jarius Sneed get the Deebo Samuel assignment? Can Chris Jones break the brick wall that is Brock Purdy’s offensive line and pressure the young QB? How will the safety duo of Justin Reid and Mike Edwards be used? And with so many pending free agents, is this the last we’ll see of this dynamic unit all together?

We’re about to see two of the game’s best tight ends square off in Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Both TEs are do-it-all athletes and will factor into their respective squads’ game plans heavily considering the connection they each share with their QB.

But there’s a clear favourite here. Kelce’s playoff stat line is the stuff of legend — 1,810 receiving yards for 19 touchdowns in 21 games — and he’s known for stepping up in the Super Bowl. He’s scored a TD in both of Kansas City’s wins in the Mahomes era and has 257 receiving yards in three games (headlined by a 133-yard game against the Buccaneers in his lone Super Bowl loss).

At 34, there’s more than a little speculation that this could be the final time we see the all-time great tight end suit up in a Super Bowl. Let’s all enjoy the show.

The Chiefs’ passing game starts with the duo of Mahomes and Kelce — and for much of the season, that’s where it’s ended, too, as Kansas City’s group of receivers has underperformed all year.

But the group has shown signs of heating up in the playoffs, with Marques Valdes-Scantling putting up solid numbers through January while rookie Rashee Rice has played a more prominent role, too. The two combined for 109 yards on six catches against Buffalo and Rice was busy against Baltimore with eight catches while Valdes-Scantling’s pair of receptions for 38 yards saw him come up clutch for some big plays.

After a season of letdowns at the position, it would be a fitting end for the Chiefs’ fate to be decided based on the performance of this group of receivers.