Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will do battle with Jimmy Garoppolo’s San Francisco 49ers ... [+]
The San Francisco 49ers (15-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (14-4) will do battle Feb. 2 in Super Bowl LIV in Miami to decide this year’s NFL champion.
For Kansas City, a trip to the big game was expected after the team nearly earned a Super Bowl appearance last season before falling to the eventual champion New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
The same thing can’t be said about a San Francisco squad that won a combined 10 games in Kyle Shanahan’s first two seasons as head coach before a dominating regular-season run and equally impressive playoff run.
There’s going to be a lot made of this game in the coming days. For now, let’s go ahead and look at some surprising numbers for the biggest game on the NFL calendar.
Average Ticket Cost
Ticket prices for Super Bowl LIV in Miami are through the roof. (Photo by EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP ... [+]
According to Ticket IQ, the average ticket cost for Super Bowl LIV in Miami currently sits at $8,477. The cheapest ticket is just under $4,400 while the most-expensive single ticket comes in at $21,577.
Needless to say, the annual Super Bowl is as much a financial event as it is a sporting event. These prices are a prime example of that. Ticket IQ noted that prices increased 14% from right after the NFC Championship Game to early Monday morning.
It will be interesting to see if the tickets go down in price. However, a Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl matchup was most attractive of any of the options once the Baltimore Ravens went down in the divisional round.
The Finances
Patrick Mahomes being under his rookie contract has helped the Chiefs’ finances. (Sportswire via ... [+]
These two squads went about roster building in a much different way. For Kansas City, the ability to have a league MVP in Patrick Mahomes playing under a rookie contract helped the team out big time this season. Mahomes is counting just $4.48 million against the salary cap.
On the other hand, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is playing under what was a then-record five-year, $137.5 million contract he signed back in Feb. 2018. Garoppolo’s $20 million cap hit for the 2019 season sits middle of the pack at 15th among quarterbacks. That’s obviously due to the NFL’s quarterback market resetting itself on a near never-ending basis.
According to Spotrac, San Francisco’s total cap spending allocation for 2019 stood at $221 million. That’s the most in the NFL. On the other hand, Kansas City’s spending was the smallest in the NFL at $167 million.
The 49ers rank in the top 10 in positional spending at quarterback, running back, a long the defensive line and on special teams. The team is in the bottom 10 at tight end and wide receiver.
On the other hand, Kansas City ranks in the top 10 at wide receiver, tight end and a long the offensive line. Andy Reid’s squad ranks in the bottom 10 in positional spending at quarterback and linebacker. Again, two completely different ways to a build team.
The Quarterbacks
Jimmy Garoppolo’s success as the 49ers’ starter is just stunning. (Photo by Thearon W. ... [+]
Garoppolo’s record as a starting quarterback in the NFL is by now well known. Including his 2-0 mark in this year’s playoffs, the veteran is 23-5 as a starter. That includes a 21-5 mark in San Francisco.
Interestingly enough, Mahomes has not simply been about highlight-reel plays and fantasy-like numbers. The reigning NFL MVP is now 27-8 as a starter since taking over that role in Kansas City Week 1 of last season.
That’s a combined 50-13 mark for the two quarterbacks. In terms of career winning percentage, it’s the best combined mark for two opposing quarterbacks in the Super Bowl since Tom Brady and Kurt Warner did battle back in Feb. 2002.
Garoppolo’s 21-5 mark is absolutely shocking in that other 49ers quarterbacks have posted a combined 4-20 record as a starter since his debut season with San Francisco back in 2017. Remember, the Chiefs went 10-6 under former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith the season prior to Mahomes taking over.
High-Flying Offenses
Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan know how to call a game. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco ... [+]
Both Kansas City and San Francisco averaged north of four touchdowns per game during the regular season. The 49ers ranked second in the NFL at 29.9 points per while the Chiefs came in fifth (28.2).
Thus far in the playoffs, San Francisco is averaging a robust 32 points and is winning by an average of 17 points per outing. Kansas City? Well, Mahomes and Co. are averaging an absurd 43 points in two playoff games and are winning by an average of 15.5 points. No wonder the over/under in this one currently sits at 54.5. That’s the highest for any 49ers game this season.
Two Vastly Different Offenses
Raheem Mostert’s domination in the NFC Championship Game was eye-opening. (Photo by Thearon W. ... [+]
San Francisco heads into Super Bowl LIV having put up 471 rushing yards in two playoff games. That’s the most during a two-game span in NFL Playoff history. The previously unknown Raheem Mostert went for 220 rushing yards in the NFC title game, the second-highest total in postseason history behind Eric Dickerson. Those 220 yards also represented a single-game high in 49ers franchise history, regular season or postseason.
Mostert was tremendous in scoring four touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game. But it’s Kyle Shanahan’s ability to scheme open rushing lanes that has San Francisco confident heading into the Super Bowl against a Chiefs squad that ranked in the bottom seven stopping the run during the regular year.
On the other hand, Mahomes was Kansas City’s leading rusher against the Titans in the AFC Championship Game with 53 yards. He’s also gained north of 600 passing yards with eight touchdowns through the air in two playoff games.
That number eight might sound familiar. It was the number of pass attempts for Jimmy Garoppolo against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game. These contrasting styles are certainly something to keep an eye on leading up to the Super Bowl.
