5 reasons the Kansas City Chiefs will win Super Bowl 54

1. Patrick Mahomes vs. Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers’ investment of premium draft picks (Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas) the defensive line has paid off handsomely, and they also acquired Dee Ford from the Chiefs last offseason. But they have not faced a challenge like Mahomes.

Ankle and knee issues from earlier in the season are clearly behind the 2018 league MVP, and he’s the Chiefs leading rusher this postseason. Apart from what he can offer in terms of extra rushing production, Mahomes’ general mobility and improvisation ability will go a long way toward neutralizing the impact of San Francisco’s pass rush.

The 49ers simply have not needed anything from Jimmy Garoppolo to this point in the playoffs, as he has attempted a total of just 27 passes while they rolled up 471 rushing yards in the two games. He’ll surely have to throw a lot more against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, and there are natural questions if he’ll be up to the task.

Based purely on talent, the Chiefs obviously have the better quarterback in Super Bowl 54 (as they would in most games, if not every game, to be frank). But in terms of which signal caller to trust most in a critical moment on a big stage or to just generally not make momentum-tilting mistakes, Mahomes clearly gives Kansas City an extra and intangible advantage over San Francisco at the most important position on the field looking to Sunday. And that’s the primary reason the Chiefs will win the game.