The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here. On Sunday, February 11, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will battle it out for the ultimate glory at Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Needless to say, not only America, but the world is talking about this game. As the culmination of the football season, the Super Bowl always brings together the best teams in the league for an epic showdown. As usual, it will attract millions of viewers with its trademark halftime show, already a cultural phenomenon in its own right.
But this Super Bowl has even more reasons to be special, as there are a number of intriguing storylines surrounding this matchup that appeared scripted in nature. Let’s take a look at some of them.
3. Rematch
For only the eighth time in Super Bowl history, the participant teams have already met on the big stage before. Curiously, it wasn’t that long ago that the Chiefs and 49ers fought for the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida.
Kansas City and San Francisco met in Super Bowl LIV, played on February 2, 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Many of those players will face each other again this year, though some of them will do so in the other uniform.
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2. Familiar Faces
Not only did destiny want these teams to compete for the ultimate prize for the second time in four years, but it also wanted to those who switched cities to face their former franchise.
49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward may be the most notable example, as he was on the winning side in Super Bowl LIV for Kansas City. But San Francisco has other former Chiefs players in Chris Conley and Terrance Mitchell.
Chiefs wide receiver and kick returner Richie James Jr., on the other hand, was at the 49ers in the 2020 Super Bowl, while now is chasing his first ring against his former team. Tight end Blake Bell also has a history with San Francisco, who drafted him 117th overall in 2015.
1. The quarterbacks’ stories
Quarterbacks often take much of the attention in any NFL game, let alone in a Super Bowl. But this time is even more special due to the impact this game could have on each of their legacies.
Patrick Mahomes (left) and Brock Purdy.
Mahomes: The unstoppable QB pursuing Brady
For Patrick Mahomes, it means a fourth appearance on the big game in five years. It gives him the possibility not only to secure back-to-back championships, but also to put himself in a position to potentially defy Tom Brady’s record of seven rings.
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The fact that Mahomes made it all the way here even in a tough year for the Chiefs’ offense speaks volumes about his talent, and the way he did it seems out of a script. Kansas City went from being at risk of losing the division to retaining the AFC West while winning the final regular season game with an alternative squad.
Come playoff time, they beat the high-ranked Dolphins offense before Mahomes won his first road playoff games in Buffalo and Baltimore, who were the top seed in the conference. The Chiefs’ road to Super Bowl LVIII has been just magical, and it seems to be part of a natural script where Mahomes is just destined to succeed.
Brock Purdy’s unlikely path to Super Bowl LVIII
But on the other side we have Brock Purdy, the guy who entered the league as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ and is now on the verge of winning a highly unlikely ring as the starting quarterback of the emblematic 49ers.
Selected with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy ended up going from third-string to starter in his very first year due to season-ending injuries on both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
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The rookie defied all the odds by leading the team to a deep playoff run, but a shoulder injury ruled him out in the conference title game. Nonetheless, he came back and only a year later, he managed to make the Super Bowl. Regardless of how things unfold on Sunday, his story is already worthy of fiction.
