With the conclusion of the AFC and NFC divisional playoffs, the last teams standing in the conference championship games prior to Super Bowl 58 are revealed.
Detroit, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Baltimore deserve congratulations for making it this far. The 49ers and Chiefs played here in Super Bowl 57 the previous year, with one team winning and the other losing. When compared to other teams in either conference, the Ravens and Lions are a little surprising to be in this spot, but their excellent coaching and talent have shown them to be playoff contenders.
1. It’s all about the offensive. George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey have been Brock Purdy’s most healthy offensive skill star backup. When Purdy is sure and precise in his passing to those weapons all over the field, the 49ers are almost unbeatable. This is especially true if Purdy can heal Deebo Samuel’s shoulder ailment, which kept him out of the divisional playoffs.
When the matchup demands it, the 49ers can easily switch to rushing McCaffrey heavily to relieve pressure on Purdy. Sometimes it seems like the 49ers almost stop themselves, either by becoming overly cute or by Purdy making mistakes when a pass rush does manage to get to him.
2. Defensive front seven. The 49ers’ ideal scenario is getting to the quarterback with a front-four pass rush, led by Nick Bosa off the edge. That allows them to keep seven back in coverage, including rangy linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
If they dictate the terms against any offensive line, running game, and short passing game, they can take over a game. When they eat up the run with their healthy beef inside and lick their chops in pursuit of quarterbacks, it’s difficult to break that up.
3. Their previous playoff setback. Given how successful the Kyle Shanahan era has been both offensively and defensively, the 49ers are aware that their sole recent Super Bowl appearance—a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54—is disheartening. There’s a feeling that after 28 years without a championship, they should finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy with this team. After the injury debacle against the Eagles the previous season, the 49ers were motivated and determined to make it back to the title game. They still have a few games left to accomplish their goal.
Why Super Bowl 58 will not be won by the 49ers
1. The secondary pass coverage. Although the 49ers have the reliable Charvarius Ward at cornerback, when the pass rush isn’t getting home, there may be some downfield errors involving Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas that result in big touchdowns. They are lucky that youngster Ji’Ayir Brown and journeyman Tashaun Gipson are playing well at safety and don’t miss injured safety Talanoa Hufanga (knee) as much as was anticipated.
2. Brock Purdy has left once more. Midway in the season, Purdy experienced a couple tough games that resulted in a three-game losing streak. There’s no reason why he should pass poorly when he still has Trent Williams, his left tackle, and his other important offensive skill players. He was a little nervous when he threw the ball against the Packers, but McCaffrey’s late-game comfort helped him get away with it. With the stakes higher, the 49ers won’t experience this good fortune twice.
3. Accidents. With no healthy quarterback, the 49ers had no chance after losing Purdy to the Eagles in the previous season. The 49ers are currently coping with Samuel’s return to the sidelines. They suffered a setback when Williams was injured and had to sit out important parts of several games. Against more formidable opponents, they cannot afford to lose any more of their key players on either side of the ball.
