This year’s Bowl has very close ties to Philadelphia, because former Eagles coach Andy Reid is putting his Chiefs up against the San Francisco 49ers — a matchup WIP’s and NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ray Didinger loves.
"If the NFL played best-of-seven like other sports, ... I think this would be a seven-game series,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame writer said.
Didinger added, "If you’re into storylines, there are a million storylines going into this game."
Reid’s legacy
Fair or not, a big part of Reid’s legacy can be determined Sunday night if he wins. The 61-year-old has the most combined regular and postseason wins (221) without winning a Super Bowl or NFL Title.
"A lot of people, a lot of the debate has been about 'Does he need to win this to get into the Hall of Fame?'" Didinger said. "That answers the only last possible question there could be, but I personally think he’s in already."
You can’t be a head coach 21 consecutive seasons in the NFL by accident. Reid has been exceptional there. His problem has been clearing the hurdle in big games. Before beating the Titans in the AFC Title Game, his was 1-5 in conference champions. It has been 15 years since he took the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX.
That’s why most of Philadelphia, where Reid had high and low moments from 1999 to 2012, is pulling for him.
"I loved my time at Philadelphia, as my family did," Reid said this week. "We have great memories of Philadelphia. It’s almost a badge of honor when you get booed there, so I understand how that works. If you can withstand the pressure of Philadelphia, then you become a Philadelphian, so I take a lot of pride in that."
Reid is humbled by the support, but emphasizes this weekend isn’t about him — it’s about his Chiefs.
But the simple truth is Monday morning we’ll be talking either about Reid’s crown achievement in professional football or another instance where Big Red came up short, however that may be.
Quite the turnaround
Super Bowl LIV is a prime example as to why the NFL is the best major professional sports product in America: the parity.
In 2019, the 49ers went 13-3 to capture the all-important top seed in the NFC. In 2018, they were 4-12, which gave them the second overall pick in the 2019 Draft — used on 22-year-old stud defensive end Nick Bosa. It’s likely you’ll hear his name a lot Sunday night.
Prior to this month, the 49ers went five straight seasons without a playoff appearance — with win totals of 4, 6, 2, 5 and 8. Their extreme turnaround shows it’s not impossible to essentially go from the bottom of the standings to the top in the snap of a finger.
Sunday is guaranteed to end a long Super Bowl Championship drought for one of these teams. The last time San Francisco won it all was Super Bowl XXIX in the 1994-95 season. The Chiefs haven’t won since Super IV in the 1969-70 season.
Powerhouse offense vs. dominating defense
The reason Didinger is so intrigued by this matchup is because the Chiefs feature an offense of extremely fast athletes, led by 24-year-old quarterback Patrick Mahomes, while the 49ers are defined by their defense, which has held their postseason opponents to 15 points a game in the divisional and conference championship rounds.
Didinger believes this game will come down the trenches — the Chiefs offensive line versus the 49ers defensive front. While Kansas City is fast on offense, San Francisco is on defense as well.
"When you look at them up front, their defensive line is loaded with first-round draft picks, and they all play like it," Didinger said. "They're strong at the point of attack, but they can all run. And they can do a lot of different things on defense. And I think they’re going to be able to get pressure on Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs offensive line is good, but not great.”
While Mahomes is certainly talented enough to counter San Francisco’s excellent D, Didinger doesn’t think it will be enough to win the game — which he predicts will go to the 49ers 30-27.
If the Chiefs do lose, Reid’s Super Bowl drought will continue. However, because Kansas City has Mahomes, as well as young talent on offense under Reid’s guidance, Didinger doesn’t think his only chance is this season.
"I’ve said to a number of people: This is the kid that’s going to finally win it for Andy. He’s finally got the quarterback that can win him a Super Bowl. And if it isn’t this year, it won’t be long."