On Sunday, Super Bowl LVIII will pit the San Francisco 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV.
In the big game four years ago, San Francisco led by a score of 20-10 early in the fourth quarter and seemed to be cruising to victory, only to come apart at the seams and lose, 31-20, to Patrick Mahomes and crew.
There has been some talk about 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looking to avenge not only that loss but also the loss he suffered in Super Bowl LI when he was the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator.
But there is another streak he’s looking to end — his winless streak against Chiefs head coach Andy Reid as the Niners’ head coach, per FOX Sports: NFL.
Will Sunday be the day? 👀#SuperBowlLVIII pic.twitter.com/Jl5Wz01ZMA
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 9, 2024
The first time the two men faced off as head coaches of their current teams was in Week 3 of the 2018 season, when Kansas City won fairly easily, 38-27.
After Super Bowl LIV, the third such contest came last season in Week 7 when Reid’s squad won by 21 points.
One thing that has to concern Reid and his men is the fact that San Francisco is a different team than it was in Week 7 of last season.
That was star running back Christian McCaffrey’s first game with San Francisco after he had arrived in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers, and he had just 38 rushing yards on eight carries.
McCaffrey is much more ingrained into the team’s fabric now, and he was just named Offensive Player of the Year after posting 1,459 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Of course, the biggest change for the 49ers is that Brock Purdy replaced Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, and he has an enhanced set of skills and abilities that Garoppolo could only dream of having.
Garoppolo was under center for them during Super Bowl LIV, and he threw two interceptions in that game while failing to produce in the fourth period.
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