Nazim Trammell-Wells | Staff Writer
The Super Bowl is almost upon us. If your team is watching on a couch like you are, it can be a bummer; but it’s still a fun time of the year. Fans are set up for quite a show with the super-loaded Chiefs offense vs. the shutdown defense from the 49ers.
This past Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cinderella squad Tennessee Titans 35-24. Later on in the evening, the San Francisco 49ers beat the GreenBay Packers 37-20.
Super Bowl 54 has a lot of marquee matchups. The most prominent will be the duel of two young quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo. Both QBs will be making their Super Bowl debuts. There’ll also be a battle between two of the league’s best tight ends, KC’s Travis Kelce and SF’s George Kittle. Where Kelce has proven that he is an elite pass-catcher, George Kittle has been more physical and dominant in both blocking and run after the catch.
Kansas City coach Andy Reid hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in 15 years, back when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles and lost to the Patriots. Reid has been known to be an offensive genius, and historically he loves to throw the football with a mobile quarterback, which makes having Mahomes almost a match made in heaven.
On the other sideline will be Kyle Shanahan, a young coach who is known to be offensive-minded also, but his team’s personnel take on another identity which is their defense. Many believe the game is ultimately going to come down to the defense.
“I want the Chiefs to win, but I really don’t see that happening,” Hampton University senior Tony Wright said. “San Francisco’s defense has had an answer for almost everyone in the league.”
The 49ers defense, who is led by future Hall of Fame cornerback Richard Sherman and former top draft pick defensive end Nick Bosa, have taken down many big offensive talents this year. They include top-tier quarterbacks Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers (twice).
The 49ers having someone like Sherman is a huge bonus. He’s been to two Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks and knows what it takes to win. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are young, and they often struggle defensively, allowing opponents more than 20 points per game. Ultimately, Kansas City wins games by simply scoring at a ridiculous rate, averaging close to 30 points per game.
“If you had to ask me, I’m taking the 49ers,” Hampton Senior Justin Whitner said. They’ve been the more consistent team on both ends. The Chiefs defense just doesn’t have enough for me.”
The game appears as if it will be a matter of which defense can slow down the opposing team’s high-powered offense.
The Hampton Script 