The Game Plans That Could Decide the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl
Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan are both excellent play callers with a lot of experience in big games. So how will they come out of the gate? Which team will counter better defensively? And who’ll ultimately win?
Welcome to Chalk Wars! The premise is simple: Steven Ruiz and Ben Solak are cosplaying as the two coaching staffs for the 2024 Super Bowl, predicting and illustrating how they’ll scheme up the big game. Ruiz has the Kansas City Chiefs; Solak has the San Francisco 49ers.
Each section will start with a key question that will define the game, asked by the offense. For example: How do you stop Christian McCaffrey? Who is the bigger threat: Travis Kelce or Rashee Rice? After the question is posed, the defense will have a chance to respond, detailing how that unit will try to account for those offensive challenges. These conversations should mirror the interplay we see on Sunday: the schemes, the adjustments, and the counterpunches.
We’ll start with Solak and the 49ers offense.
The 49ers’ Offensive Scheme Question: Can Kansas City Account for All of San Francisco’s Looks?
Solak: Let’s discuss the simple, fundamental issue of the 49ers offense: It is too good to stop, so San Francisco will win, and the opposing team will lose.
Ruiz: Well … crap.
Solak: The 49ers probably have the best collection of offensive players infootball. McCaffrey is the league’s best running back. George Kittle is one of the four or five best tight ends. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are both top-15 receivers, and I’d personally argue that Deebo belongs in the top 10. What other team has that level of premier talent at every position—even before Trent Williams is added to the equation? This year, with McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Deebo, Kittle, and Williams all on the field—491 of San Francisco’s 1,154 plays—the Niners are averaging 7.2 yards per play. They have a success rate of 51.7 percent and an expected points added per play of 0.21.
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