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The San Francisco 49ers will square off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 in less than two weeks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both teams have had their struggles in the regular season, though, when it mattered in the playoffs, they both showed up.
These two teams have been dominant over the past couple of years and just met in Super Bowl 54. Both teams look different this time around compared to when they first met four years ago on this exact stage. In 2020, the 49ers finished the regular season at 13-3 and were the top seed in the NFC, while the Chiefs finished with a 12-4 record and were the second seed in the AFC.
But when these two teams faced off four years ago, who won? Was the game close? How different was each team's roster? Let's dive in and recap Super Bowl 54 ahead of the Chiefs and 49ers Super Bowl 58 rematch.
Super Bowl LIV Rosters: San Francisco 49ers
A lot can change in four years, and that's certainly the case for both rosters, especially the 49ers. When San Francisco was prepping to battle the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54, they had an impressive coaching staff working together. Some names included DeMeco Ryans (inside linebacker coach), Mike McDaniel (run game coordinator), and Bobby Slowik (offensive assistant).
On top of that coaching staff, they had a talented group on both sides. Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, and Dre Greenlaw, all of whom are key players heading into Super Bowl 58, were all rookies. Linebacker Fred Warner was just in his season second, and tight end George Kittle was in his third year.
At quarterback, the 49ers were led by Jimmy Garoppolo, who threw for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first full year as the team's starter. His wide receivers that season were Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders, and Kendrick Bourne, while his running backs were Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert.
Super Bowl LIV Rosters: Kansas City Chiefs
Like the 49ers, a lot has changed for this Chiefs' roster since that 2020 Super Bowl visit. But they still had many of their stars, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and defensive lineman Chris Jones. Even defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was still leading the charge on that side of the ball.
Of course, though, this Chiefs Super Bowl roster featured Tyreek Hill, who is now on the Miami Dolphins. Opposite Hill were Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman Jr., and Demarcus Robinson as Kansas City's wide receiver core. At running back, they had a pair of veterans in Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy.
On the defensive side, Jones is the only starter from that Super Bowl 54 roster who is still with the team. The secondary featured Charvarius Ward (who is now on the 49ers), All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, and a rookie safety in Juan Thornhill. Frank Clark was also a key contributor to the Chiefs' defensive line in 2020.
Super Bowl LIV Recap
Super Bowl 54 was the start of the Chiefs dynasty. This was Mahomes' first appearance on the big stage and happened to be the most exciting Super Bowl he has been a part of so far in his career (Super Bowl 55 against the Buccaneers and Super Bowl 57 against the Eagles).
The first half between the Chiefs and the 49ers was back and forth. San Francisco scored first on a 38-yard field goal from Robbie Gould, and Mahomes eventually answered by running in a one-yard score on an option play to end the first quarter. Then, the two teams flipped in the second quarter with Harrison Butker nailing a 31-yard field goal and Garoppolo hooking up with fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 15-yard touchdown to even the score at 10.
That score stayed even at the break as both teams headed into the locker room tied at 10-10. While both teams were getting ready for the most important second half of their lives, the duo of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez took the stage to perform a spectacular halftime show.
After the break, it was evident that San Francisco made some real changes on both sides of the ball. They started the half with a 42-yard field goal, and then Warner intercepted Mahomes on the ensuing drive. The 49ers didn't waste that opportunity and marched down the field, which led to a Mostert touchdown to take a 20-10 lead with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter.
At that point, the 49ers had over an 86% chance to win Super Bowl 54. And that eventually rose to 91% when Mahomes threw his second interception with 11:57 remaining in the game.
But, it was at this moment that we all witnessed what type of quarterback Mahomes was going to be in his career. He eventually erased a 10-point deficit in the final 6:13 to beat the 49ers by a score of 31-20.
Mahomes led Kansas City down the field for a 10-play, 83-yard drive in just under three minutes by connecting with Kelce for a touchdown to cut the lead to three. Then, he threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Williams to take the lead with 2:44 remaining before Williams scored again, breaking a 38-yard touchdown to seal the game with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter.
Super Bowl LIV MVP
Many thought Williams, who had a phenomenal game, should have won MVP. He rushed 17 times for 104 yards and one touchdown while also catching four passes for 29 yards and one touchdown. The Chiefs running back caught the go-ahead touchdown and also sealed the victory with his long run in the final minute.
But, the MVP award was given to Mahomes, who certainly deserved it. While he did have two interceptions in the contest, he led the Chiefs down the field twice to mount a comeback. He threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions while also running nine times for 29 yards and one touchdown. Hill was Mahomes' favorite weapon in this game, catching nine passes for 105 yards.
On the other side, Garoppolo didn't have his best game, throwing for 219 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Mostert led the 49ers' backfield with 12 carries for 58 yards and one touchdown, but Samuel was more impactful as a runner, totaling 53 yards on three carries.
Super Bowl 54 was back and forth and featured a late comeback from Mahomes and the Chiefs. Since then, Kansas City has appeared in two other Super Bowls, losing to the Buccaneers and beating the Eagles last year. As for the 49ers, they will make the Super Bowl for the first time since losing four years ago.
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