1. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco is mainly talked about for their Kyle Shanahan scheme, or their electric play makers like Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk. But one of the big reasons they have made it back to the Super Bowl is the star studded defense.

A group led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner has measured at the top of the league in nearly every important defensive statistic. With 48 sacks last year ranking 7th this group also has multiple playmakers in the secondary like Talanoa Hufanga. The combination of amazing scheme and even better talent makes this group the best in the league.

2. New York Jets

The Jets have had a good group for years but this one in particular could be great. Losing Bryce Huff hurts the pass rush but with Jermaine Johnson’s improvement and the secondary being at the top of the league, I  wouldn’t be too worried. The main guys leading this defensive squad is cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner. 

3. Kansas City Chiefs

The reigning Super Bowl champions are once again projected to have an elite defense. Losing L’Jarius Sneed is a blow, but Trent McDuffie and company is more than enough to handle it. Not to mention Chris Jones was resigned and is more ready than ever to get to work.

This unit was dominant last year, losing Willie Gay Jr. and Sneed might lead to some growing pains. As long as Chris Jones and Trent Mcduffie remain on the field, this unit should be fine.

The post The Top 3 Defenses in the NFL Today appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

San Francisco 49ers -2 vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday 6:30 PM EST on CBS)

I wouldn’t be surprised if Super Bowl LVIII went to overtime. That’s how close these two teams are to each other. On the one side, you have the dynamic 49ers offense led by Christian McCaffrey and on the other, you have the great Patrick Mahomes. These two stars are the headline but both of these teams are much more than that.

This is perhaps the best defense the Chiefs have had under Mahomes and Andy Reid. They finished 2nd in the league allowing just 17.3 points per game. The Chiefs also finished 2nd in total yards per game at 289.8 right behind the Baltimore Ravens. DC Steve Spagnuolo deserves his flowers as he has become one of the best defensive minds in the NFL today.

Speaking of defense the 49ers are right behind the Chiefs in terms of defensive rankings. They have studs all across their d-line but the heart of this defense is the linebackers. Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner are two of the best in the business at their position and they will have their hands full with Mahomes on Sunday. In order to win, the 49ers will need to force some mistakes from Mahomes which seems almost impossible at this point.

It may seem cliche but this game will be won in the trenches. Specifically the 49ers o-line vs. the Chiefs d-line. The Chiefs line is of course anchored by Chris Jones but the rest of the unit is underrated. As a unit, the Chiefs defense was 2nd in pressures at 27.8% and 2nd in sacks at 57. The Chiefs however will be without Charles Omenihu who recently went on IR. Omenihu is a rising star who will be missed.

The 49ers 0-line is led by future Hall of Famer Trent Williams. Williams and company will need to be at the top of their game to limit the pressures on quarterback Brock Purdy. This is where the mastery of Kyle Shanahan’s run game comes into play. There is no one better in the NFL at scheming the run and l expect them to stick to it all game long.

As stated earlier this is one of the toughest Super Bowls to predict. These two teams are about as close as you can get. I believe in the end the 49ers will narrowly escape with a close win and give Shanahan his first Lombardi trophy.

Game Pick: 49ers 24- Chiefs 21

The post Super Bowl LVIII Prediction appeared first on Pro Football Mania.