49ers win, to meet Chiefs in Super Bowl
SANTA CLARA >> Mismatches in the championship game have meant Lombardi Trophies for the 49ers.
Is there any one who doubts the 49ers aren’t capable of beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV after the way they took apart the Green Bay Packers 37-20 Sunday at Levi’s Stadium?
Three times the 49ers have won convincingly in the NFC Championship Game, and three times they won Super Bowls.
The Green Bay Packers proved to be the least competitive of all, trailing 27-0 at halftime with the look of a team that knew immediately it had no business being on the same field. Their late flurry of points came with the 49ers sitting on their lead and playing the clock.
The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be a much more explosive test for the 49ers. They score touchdowns when the mood suits them and aren’t fazed in the least by a deficit, but the 49ers may be too well-rounded to conquer.
Forty-Niners players wore hats and shirts that proclaimed “NFC Champions” but it was clear they’re seeking a wardrobe change on Feb. 2 in Mi
ami. Safety Jimmie Ward, rather than enjoy the evening in celebration, had other plans after he left the winning locker room. Like watching the Chiefs beat the Tennessee Titans 35-24 in the AFC Championship game.
“I’ll watch their game tonight, as soon as it’s uploaded,” Ward said .”I’ll try and get as much of a head start as I can.”
Cornerback Richard Sherman, who won a Super Bowl and lost one in Seattle, was of the same mind.
“Guys aren’t just happy to be here,” Sherman said. “Guys are playing to win . . . I’m not just sitting here like, ‘Hey, my God, let’s celebrate. we’re in the Super Bowl.’ Why go if you’re not trying to win?’
“They have a prolific offense, a great quarterback,
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers in action during the preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on in Kansas City, Missouri.
a great trio of receivers, a good O-line,. We have a huge challenge and we’re looking forward to that. You would have it no other way.”
The 49ers flicked the Packers aside as if they were a flea. Just like they did in 1984, beating the Chicago Bears 23-0 in Candlestick Park. The next game was a 38-16 win over the Miami Dolphins at Stanford Stadium.
The Bears were again the victims in 1988, beaten 28-3 in Soldier Field in 29 miles per hour winds and 2 degree wind chill. That preceded a 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Miami in Bill Walsh’s final game.
The Los Angeles Rams were so confused in the 1989 championship game Jim Everett sacked himself as the 49ers won 30-3
at Candlestick Park. Next up was a 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos in New Orleans.
This 49ers team, under Kyle Shanahan, was buttoned up and infinitely superior against Green Bay, just like those vintage 49ers teams. Raheem Mostert rushed for a franchise record 220 yards and four touchdowns to lead a 42-carry, 285-yard running game. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball only eight times.
And while Green
Bay put up some cosmetic stats as the 49ers played soft defense and let Aaron Rodgers (31 of 39, 326 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) pile up the completions, they dominated in every phase.
But make no mistake, the Chiefs and Mahomes will be a more challenging game than either Minnesota or Green Bay. Coach Andy Reid is one of the NFL’s most creative play designers.