Here we have the end of the NFL season, the playoffs coming to a close and the Conference Championships over. We have arrived at the apex of the year for two teams: Super Bowl LVIII. This is going to be an interesting game, as it may be pretty close. Here is my attempt to predict what will come from the big game this year and why.

Now, I believe that it is important to look back on the past, and I mean not just the rest of this season, but the previous ones too. So, what have we learned from the NFL, and how can it apply to the Super Bowl? 

First of all, I must address issues that have plagued many teams and whether they will appear in the Super Bowl. There is definitely going to be at least one fumble out of the end zone. This will then lead to the rule being changed this offseason because of the fan outcry.

One thing that we have to consider is how dominant the Chiefs have been the past couple years, especially in the playoffs. They seem to do particularly well when under pressure, and there is never more pressure on them than now. Here is their opportunity to prove that they are a team on the same level as superteams of years past. Will this be a repeat of Super Bowl LIV and a third ring for Mahomes, or a success story for Mr. Irrelevant and his 49ers?

No matter the outcome of this game, I believe that there is no way that the Chiefs with Mahomes can transform into a team like the Patriots with Tom Brady. They do not have many of the qualities that are needed for such a superteam. This is mainly because the Chiefs have three overpaid good players and a bunch of other guys. As good as Tom Brady was, he always had receivers to pass to, partly because he made around $235 million over his twenty years at the Pats, while Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million contract in 2020. [Ed. Note—To be fair, a decent amount of Brady’s $235M were made when the dollar was worth something.] I also wonder if Mahomes and the Chiefs will be able to weather the bad years, as everyone seems to forget that Brady did not win a Super Bowl between 2005 and 2015. Ten years is a long time to go in a slump, especially in the mercurial modern NFL. 

Try to think what you would say if you learned a year ago that the Bills lose in the divisional round (again), the Chiefs go to the Super Bowl despite what anyone expected (also again), and Taylor Swift would be a major storyline (which thankfully has never happened in football before). This has been a crazy year, and the playoffs show as much. The Chiefs shocked most people by beating the Ravens, holding them to ten points.

This matchup is going to be even more difficult to predict when you consider that both teams have struggled with consistency throughout the regular season. When it comes to playing style, you could not have two more different teams. The 49ers are the comeback kings, unlike the Chiefs, who generally get a lead in the first half and just try to hold onto it. If the game starts off like the NFC Championship this year, then there is no way the Chiefs will fold like the Lions and allow for the 49ers to come back and win.

Without further ado, here is my prediction for the final score:

31-25 Chiefs over 49ers.

I believe that it will be a close game, with both offenses having great drives and major blunders. However, it will come down to the last play of the game.

The 49ers will have the ball on their own side, down six. Purdy will throw an insane pass all the way down field, which will be caught. Then, it will be run in for a touchdown, tying up the game and giving the 49ers the opportunity to win on the extra point. However, the play will get called back for some penalty because Andy Reid is paying the refs. After that, Taylor Swift will run onto the field and celebrate with the Chiefs.

Obviously this is a joke and for entertainment purposes only. The refs would never let the 49ers get within 20 points of the Chiefs.