Before we make our Super Bowl LVIII pick later this week let’s first preview the game.

Early Line

As of today, the early line for Super Bowl LVIII is the 49ers -2. This is pretty much where I expect it to be although it could get down to San Francisco -1 by game time. I am expecting a close game and it looks like the sharks are expecting the same.

The current over/under is at 47.5 but I could see this number also dropping before game time. This should be a relatively low-scoring game with two stellar defenses going at it. I don’t expect a shootout like we saw last year with the Chiefs winning 38-35 over the Eagles.

Brock Purdy vs. Patrick Mahomes

The quarterback matchup in this game will be fascinating to watch. Patrick Mahomes is once again playing excellent playoff football. His numbers haven’t been off the charts but he has played turnover-free football thus far and is using his legs for timely runs. This 49ers defense will present another test for Mahomes and the Chiefs but they have proved they are up for the challenge.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco all eyes will be on Brock Purdy. Purdy has been the hot topic of discussion this past week with some calling him just a game manager. Purdy is much more than that if you dive more into his game. He led the league in quarterback rating in the regular season at 113.0 and also was a league leader in yards per attempt at 9.6. Sure this 49ers offense is loaded with talent but Purdy has shown he can carry this team if needed.

Andy Reid vs. Kyle Shanahan

On the coaching side of things, this could very well be the last game that Andy Reid coaches. Reid flirted with retiring after last season but ultimately decided to return. If the Chiefs win again I wouldn’t be shocked if Reid decides to hang it up ending his Hall of Fame coaching career.

Kyle Shanahan however, is just getting started in his coaching career. At 44, this will be Shanahan’s 3rd appearance in a Super Bowl and second as a head coach. We all remember the 28-3 meltdown in Atlanta when Shanahan was OC but don’t forget the 49ers were up 20-10 in Super Bowl LIV before collapsing in the 4th quarter. If Shanahan can finally seal the deal and win his first Lombardi it will be the first of many.

Key Injuries to Watch

For the most part, both the Chiefs and the 49ers are coming into Super Bowl LVIII fairly healthy but there are some injuries to monitor. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with toe and ankle injuries but the good news is he is off the injury report. Star Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones is dealing with a quad injury that has him limited on the practice reports. Jones also has no game status this week which is huge for the Chiefs as they will need him.

In San Francisco, tight end George Kittle is dealing with a toe injury that had him listed as DNP this past week. It looks like Kittle will go but it’s worth monitoring his status this week. 49ers DE Arik Armstead also showed up on the injury report last week with knee and foot injuries. It looks as if these injuries are not serious and he should also be good to go as well.

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Why in the world are the 49ers favorites against a very good Eagles team at home?

This a question I think a lot of folks are asking themselves as we get ready for a doozy of a game on Sunday. Look, the 49ers are good on both sides of the ball, but Philadelphia is a very tough place to play with relentless and loud fans. To me the location of this game means a lot. You put this game in San Fran and I like San Fran, but in Philly, I like the Eagles to win in a close one.

The Eagles have shown that they do have weaknesses, but they seem to find a way to win each and every week. There is no giving up with this team, as they always feel like they have a chance even if their down. The challenge for the 49ers on defense is how do you defend the Eagles. You can try and load the box to stop D’Andre Swift and Jalen Hurts but when you do that it opens up holes on the pass defense. Or do you play the pass and let them run a little bit. Do you blitz against Hurts? That’s fine but he can escape most pass rushers and run for 5-10 yards. He is a very smart and athletic quarterback.

When I look at the coaches I like Kyle Shanahan, but don’t sleep on Nick Sirianni. I don’t think there’s a coincidence between the Eagles being 10-1 and Sirianni coaching at a every high level. He also has a top notch coaching staff with a winning culture. This game will be close with the home team pulling it out. I think the Eagles will put pressure on Brock Purdy and make it difficult on him to pass the ball. In addition, they will have a game plan for Christian McCaffrey and try to contain him as much as they can.

Prediction: Eagles 34 49ers 30

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Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles. Purdy coincidentally suffered a significant shoulder injury in that game. Is Purdy back to full health and ready to lead San Francisco on a title run? Find out below as we offer a preview and record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.

The Good

For a handful of years, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers deployed a running-back-by-committee approach. Shanahan’s zone-running style offense relies heavily on the play-action game to be successful. While it worked for the most part San Francisco never had a game-breaker in the backfield. That all changed last year when the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey. The trade signified a change in philosophy for Shanahan and it showed the front office was all in on winning a Super Bowl.

While it didn’t quite go as planned it was still a major success bringing in McCaffrey. There are now no limitations with what this offense can run thanks to McCaffrey’s versatility. The 49ers have an upper-echelon offensive line anchored by Trent Williams and weapons on the outside. I see no reason why this can’t be one of the best offenses in the league this season.

The Bad

One of the main storylines heading into this season is the absence of Nick Bosa. Bosa wants a new contract but so far the 49ers front office hasn’t budged. This is the type of off-the-field issue that could linger and needs to be resolved for the 49ers to have success. Bosa is way too valuable to this defense and without him, they will start to show cracks. My hope is that the two sides reach a last minute deal and Bosa is ready week 1.

The Prediction

Despite the ongoing Bosa issue I still expect the 49ers to win the NFC West. There is just too much talent on this roster and I expect Bosa will eventually return in the near future.

2023 Record: (12-5 1st in the Division)

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This past offseason the top 3 running backs available were all franchise tagged. In addition, Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is also not happy about his current contract situation. If it wasn’t for a recent boost in incentives, Ekeler may have been traded. It’s important to point out these details as the real value of running backs has been debated in recent years. One thing you can’t debate is that the players below all play a critical role in their teams’ success. Let’s now look closer at the top 10 running backs in the NFL today.

10. Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara had a bit of a down year that we weren’t accustomed to seeing in 2022. In fact, the entire Saints offense took a step back last year and struggled to find an identity. New Orleans hopes the new addition of Derek Carr will help solve their offensive woes and help them take a step forward. Carr will open up the field again for Kamara and the running back should bounce back. Health and off-the-field issues will be a concern for Kamara but as of now, it looks like he won’t be suspended.

2022 Stats: 1,387 all purpose yards | 4 total touchdowns

9. Joe Mixon

When healthy, Joe Mixon has put up consistent numbers throughout his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Mixon is a true three-down back in one of the league’s best offenses. In 2023, he will have the backfield all to himself as Samaje Perine is now with the Broncos. You can expect another Pro Bowl caliber year from Mixon and plenty of opportunities to score.

2022 Stats: 1,255 all purpose yards | 9 total touchdowns

8. Tony Pollard

When the Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott this offseason it signaled a changing of the guard. They were now confident enough to let Tony Pollard be the feature back. Pollard has all the tools of a modern NFL running back. He will now get the chance to showcase those skills for Dallas. The only concern with Pollard is durability. Can he handle the full-time workload?

2022 Stats: 1,378 all purpose yards | 12 total touchdowns

7. Aaron Jones

For most of his career in Green Bay, Aaron Jones has had competition in the Packers backfield. That really hasn’t mattered as Jones has put up numbers regardless. Jones has always been a threat in the receiving game and in 2022 had 5 receiving touchdowns. Now with Aaron Rodgers out of the picture, Jones will be relied on more than ever.

2022 Stats: 1,516 all purpose yards | 7 total touchdowns

6. Saquon Barkley

The aforementioned Saquon Barkley will be playing with a chip on his shoulder next season. For what it’s worth, the Giants should’ve franchise tagged Daniel Jones and paid Barkley his due. It’s now unlikely that the two sides will agree on a new deal before the start of the season. The off-the-field noise won’t slow down Barkley’s production in 2023.

2022 Stats: 1,650 all purpose yards | 10 total touchdowns

5. Nick Chubb

Since his rookie season, Nick Chubb has rushed for 1000+ yards each year he has been in the league. Chubb has always been an old school type of running back who can carry the heavy load. He had 302 rushing attempts last season and is showing no signs of slowing down.

2002 Stats: 1,764 all purpose yards | 13 total touchdowns

4. Derrick Henry

Like Chubb, Derrick Henry is a between the tackles type of runner with breakaway speed. There were rumors this offseason that the Titans might try and trade Henry. Those rumors turned out to be false as Henry looks poised for another big year. No matter who the quarterback is for the Titans, Henry will be the focal point of this offense for the foreseeable future.

2022 Stats: 1,936 all purpose yards | 13 total touchdowns

3. Austin Ekeler

Austin Ekeler is one of the most versatile running backs in the NFL today. Line him up anywhere on the field and Ekeler will deliver. As we mentioned before this is likely Ekeler’s last season for the Chargers due to the contract situation. If he hits free agency expect a big payday for Ekeler.

2022 Stats: 1,637 all purpose yards | 18 total touchdowns

2. Josh Jacobs

Despite being franchise tagged this offseason, Josh Jacobs has been business as usual. Jacobs is a true professional who lets his game speak for itself. In 2022, Jacobs led the league in rushing yards, all purpose yards, yards per game and total touches. Even with a change at quarterback for the Raiders you can expect the gameplan to be the same. Keep feeding Jacobs.

2022 Stats: 2,053 all purpose yards | 12 total touchdowns

1. Christian McCaffrey

When Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers this past season it was a bit surprising. Kyle Shanahan has always deployed a running back by committee offensive system. By bringing in McCaffrey he knew he would have to rely heavily on his new star. The trade paid off as the 49ers were just 1 game away from the Super Bowl despite questions at quarterback. Now with a full offseason under his belt, McCaffrey is set for a monster year in San Francisco.

2022 Stats: 1,880 all purpose yards | 13 total touchdowns

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Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs (-9)

I for one did not pick the Jaguars to win last week. And for the most part I was almost right seeing that they were down 27-0. But the Jaguars led by Doug Pederson found a way to win in front of their home crowd. The Jaguars are playing with house money in this game but I think the Chiefs at home, led by Patrick Mahomes will be too much for the surging Jaguars. This game may be close for awhile before the Chiefs step on the gas peddle. For the Jaguars, a very successful season with their bright young stars

Chiefs 37 Jaguars 21

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-7.5)

I really want to pick the Giants in this one, they have all the momentum and they are also playing with house money. Jalen Hurts isn’t 100% and the Eagles are not riding tons of momentum. Giants would need a few turnovers on defense to win this game, but I don’t think they do. This game will be close but the Eagles at home with a great regular season will find a way to win. For the Eagles it’s simple, stop Barkley and force Daniel Jones to step back and pass against a undermanned receiver corps. On offense, the Eagles need to do what they’ve done all year. Miles Sanders and AJ Brown will have big games in this one.

Eagles 28 Giants 23

Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills (-5.5)

The Bills are riding a high right now of adversity, playing good football and playing at home. The Ravens easily could’ve beat the Bengals last week if it wasn’t for some timely errors. Playing in Buffalo is not easy, and Cincinnati will keep it close but I got the Bills by 10 in this one. Look for Josh Allen to throw 4 TD’s in the game.

Bills 34 Bengals 28

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (-4)

Can Brock Purdy win again? There’s no reason to believe he can’t, Kyle Shanahan calls the perfect game for him to succeed. Their defense is unstoppable, and they have multiple weapons on offense. Dallas got over the hump last week and won a playoff game led by Dak Prescott. I know the 49ers is the team to beat, there playing at home, and Dallas is on a short week. I believe Dallas finds a way to win on a last second field goal by Brett Maher. Yes Brett Maher, the guy that missed 4 extra points, will kick a field goal with no time on the clock to give the Cowboys an upset win. Dallas when playing well can be very tough to beat. Let’s not forget about Micah Parsons in this game. He will wreck havoc on the San Fran offensive line, and Brock Purdy. Let’s also not forget Purdy has been playing amazing, but he’s still a rookie. Does the pressure get to him in a tough test? We shall see!

Cowboys 27 49ers 24

Last Week’s Record 4-2

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The San Francisco 49ers have an authentic face at head coach named Kyle Shanahan. His creative play designs on offense and ability to create elite players at the WR spot, TE position, and even QB have been unparallel. However, Shanny has failed to win a Super Bowl and taste the glory of being a world champion as an OC or as an HC. With that said, I honestly believe that the son of Mike Shanahan is a tad overrated.

It’s tragic that the 42-year-old Kyle Shanahan has reached the big dance twice, yet he came out on the losing side in each Super Bowl face-off. Of course, in Super Bowl LI, his offense failed to be a slight threat to Bill Belichick’s defense in the second half. It was a Cinderella story for Shanny and his offense in Super Bowl LIV — as his team only registered 20 points in the game (including zero points in the fourth quarter).

The cherry on top of criticisms against the 49ers ring leader is that he has blatantly struggled to create a consistently successful team. He has only had a mere two winning seasons in his 49ers tenure. Even if the 49ers were like the walking dead with their massive injury report in 2020, he failed to dig up motivation and juice from the squad. The 49ers were 6-10 in 2020. It should be noted that the New Orleans Saints set an NFL record of 57 different starters last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Nonetheless, Sean Payton was able to muster out a winning record (9-8) with his squad, which even leaned on QB3 Trevor Sieman for four games.

The NFC West is gutsier than any John Wayne movie & Shanahan can’t afford to oust a losing season with the savvy veteran Jimmy Garapollo in 2022. Furthermore, he doesn’t deserve to be recognized as a mystical HC if the 49ers crumble in an NFC West division that showcases a surprising 2-2 Seattle Seahawks team. Shanahan has gifts and he has the potential to be a Super Bowl-winning coach in his lifetime, but he needs to take a page out of the ole Belichick playbook on being a persistent, dangerous NFL club.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Seattle Seahawks slayed their Goliath-like foe in the Denver Broncos last week. The Hawks will square off against their archnemesis in the San Francisco 49ers tomorrow. Well, I’ll take a fun, critical angle by untwining whether Pete Carroll or Kyle Shanahan is the more dangerous ring leader in the showdown tomorrow.

Pete Carroll:

• 153 career victories
• 104 career losses
• Super Bowl Champion in 2013
• NFC Champion in 2014

Besides being a dominant face in the league for a long-time, Carroll is coming off a victory that really showcased his insane level of grit and preparation. The Bobby Wagner-less defense in the rainy city limited the Broncos offense to 16 points (which included a mere one TD from Russell Wilson).

The 71-year-old HC for the Hawks will face off against Kyle Shanahan, also known as Shanny, for the 12th occasion tomorrow.

Kyle Shanahan:

• 39 career wins
• 43 career losses
• NFC Champion in 2019

Shanny has been a methodical genius for SF over the past five seasons, to say the least. George Kittle & Deebo Samuel have risen to become All-Pro profiles under the 49ers HC. Although, it’s unclear if Shanny can ignite Trey Lance to have a performance similar to the 2016 MVP season by Matt Ryan. Lance was undoubtedly one of the biggest duds last week: 164 passing yards, 0 passing touchdowns, 46.6 completion percentage, 1 interception, and 54 rushing yards.

I actually love Carroll’s success from his defensive unit that wasn’t led by Bobby Wagner and didn’t have Jamal Adams for nearly three quarters in the contest yesterday. The Hawks were able to bottle up their old friend, Russell Wilson, and they should be able to contain the dual-threat signal-caller for SF. Shanny has swag and talent on his roster, but I believe the experienced face in Seattle deserves more props than Shanny right now.

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By: Cayden Bernal

When the 49ers drafted Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 draft, it was no secret he wasn’t going to be the day one starter in San Fransisco. The year has gone by, and Lance is now being set up to start for the Niners in this upcoming season. In dynasty startup drafts, Lance should be seen as the 11th QB off the board, but why?

The Good

Trey Lance has one of the highest ceilings in fantasy football, which alone, can make him worthy of a low second-round or a high third-round pick in your startup drafts. Dual-threat QBs have been taking over fantasy football and Lance is certainly a dual-threat QB. When you pair his size with the speed that he has, you get a high-end dual-threat QB.

When drafting your QB1, you want to get as much upside as possible. Trey’s unlimited arm strength puts no limit on his upside. Lance will bring high scoring plays to your fantasy team week-in and week-out. Once you get past the top 10 quarterbacks, Lance easily has the most upside out of everyone who’s left.

Trey has been set up with superstars all around him. Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk are going to be one of the best three-headed dragons in this upcoming season. Aiyuk has been the wide receiver that Lance has worked with the most, since his arrival. Not to mention that Lance has one of the best offensive-minded coaches in Kyle Shanahan.

Lance has looked good in the minimal time he’s gotten to prove himself on the field physically. In just one-half of the game against Seattle, Lance scored 20.38 points. giving him QB13 status with just one-half of football. In his second NFL start, Trey looked like he has the potential to be your fantasy team’s weekly QB of choice.

The Bad

Trey Lance has had a repetitive issue of making some passes harder to catch than expected. It feels with every throw he gives out; you just expect it to be a little wobbly. During Pre-season, the Niners receivers had been struggling to catch the lightning-fast passes from Lance as well. It should be noted that more consistency would make the jobs of his receivers easier.

In Lance’s first NFL start he struggled to score fantasy points, with his week ending at 15.58. It wasn’t necessarily a bad debut for real life but if you started him, you probably regretted it that week. He showed that his game is still raw, which isn’t a bad thing, just shows he was mostly thought of as potential when he was picked.

The offensive line for the Forty-Niners certainly doesn’t make you feel confident that Lance will play 17 games a year, every season. However, a bad offensive line does open the door for more improvisation scrambles, that will bring in tons of fantasy points.

The 49ers top receiver has asked for a trade. If Deebo were to be moved from the Niners, it would have quite a negative impact on the first year of full-time Trey. The assets gained in a Deebo trade could bring a better longer-term result of Lance’s career.

Realistic Expectations

An owner could reasonably expect lance to finish in around the QB12-14 range. He undeniably has the upside to finish as a top-10 quarterback, but it remains to be a question if he will achieve that upside in his first year. Moving forwards past this year I’d fully expect him to start consecutively finishing in that top-10 range.

What to do

Buy. Buy. Buy. There is a good reason why John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan mortgaged that much value to go out and get him. Lance is a stud in one of the best situations the league has to offer. Now is the time to reach for him in drafts, or to “overpay” in a trade to get him. His value may skyrocket to a late first-early second-round pick next year and you won’t want to miss out.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Jimmy Garoppolo-led San Francisco 49ers clawed their way to a playoff berth last season. Kyle Shanahan will hand the keys to a different, younger QB in Trey Lance and aspire to return to the Super Bowl in Lance’s second NFL season. With that said, I’m going to simply outline the three biggest obstacles for the 49ers in 2022.

• The growth of the “middle of the pack NFC teams”

The 49ers edged out the decimated New Orleans Saints for a playoff berth last season, but I really expect NO to be a wild-card team next season at least. Jameis Winston was 5-2 without his insane WR trio (Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave) and the Saints also added the Honey Badger to their defense.

Outside of Who Dat Nation, the NFC East could have three potential playoff teams next season. The Washington Commanders will a QB upgrade in Carson Wentz from Taylor Heinicke, while the Philadelphia Eagles offense will aim to make a lot of noise with A.J. Brown. The 49ers battle the Saints and Commanders this season, so it will be vital that Shanny finds a way to squash the fellow NFC squads.

• The health of star players

It will be a challenge for Lance to help the 49ers return to the playoffs in the gritty NFC in his first season. If the 49ers suffer from the injury bug, it will be a mountain for the complex 49ers team to earn a golden ticket to the NFC playoffs in 2022-2023.

George Kittle, Dee Ford, Deebo Samuel, and Nick Bosa have both missed a lot of games in their 49ers tenure. In particular, Kittle’s injury history is a noticeable concern (13 missed games over the past three seasons).

• The production from young offensive players

The 49ers desperately need Brandon Aiyuk and Trey Sermon to be superb contributors in 2022. Aiyuk was a modest sophomore WR, but he wasn’t able to have a coming-out party last season. Although, he can be a star WR2 with 1,000+ receiving yds with his new big-arm QB moving forward. I’m sure that the 49ers faithful would love to see the 2021 third-round pick Sermon (167 rushing yds in 2021) ascend into a quality RB behind Elijah Mitchell, as well. The 49ers could win competitive match-ups off the backs of x-factor profiles like Aiyuk and Sermon.

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The Los Angeles Rams were Super Bowl LVI champions, but it wasn’t an easy victory and journey for Sean McVay’s dream team. The Rams weren’t the first seed in the NFC and they were even swept by their divisional foe (San Francisco 49ers) in the 2021 regular season.

Matthew Stafford and his squad had to claw their way to the Super Bowl and edge out the explosive Cincinnati Bengals on the grand stage. As the Super Bowl celebration has eclipsed and the 2022 offseason is in motion, the focus will switch to retaining the elite roster and making another push for a Super Bowl berth in 2022. The question is: what should scare the Rams and keep McVay up at night the most next season? Well, I’m going to untwine the biggest challenges for the LA Rams in 2022.

• Kyle Shanahan

The secret is out: The 49ers have edged out the Rams in 6 of the last 7 matchups. The Rams won the pivotal matchup against SF in the NFC Championship, but Kyle Shanahan will surely upgrade his squad at key positions in 2022. I expect the 49ers to improve the CB spot, which felt like dropping interceptions in the championship game. They could bring in Stephon Gilmore, as the former 49er stud Richard Sherman pointed out.

Shanny’s team will theoretically have an upgrade at the QB position, as the very athletic Trey Lance will replace Jimmy Garopplo. A lot of fans might speculate how Jimmy G was just a step above the 2015 Peyton Manning, who won a Super Bowl off the back of his defense.

• Odell Beckham Jr.

The Rams will have Robert Woods healthy, but they might not have their playoff weapon Odell Beckham Jr. to kick things off in 2022. OBJ could be on a different roster, but McVay does OBJ back in 2022. If the former NYG WR returns to the dreamy city, he will miss the first 5-7 games likely.

The Rams play in a brutal conference and they will need all the firepower they can get. Matthew Stafford will have the 2021 Offensive Player of The Year in Cooper Kupp, but he most likely won’t have two Pro Bowl WRs at his disposal early in the 2022 season.

• LT position

The LA Rams “currently” feature an all-star LT that is somewhat in the shadow of Donald, McVay, OBJ, Stafford, Kupp, and Miller. Their reliable LT that won Walter Payton Man of The Year, Andrew Whitworth, is 40 years old and pondering retirement.

If the Rams lose Whitworth, they will need to find a quality LT to protect Stafford’s blindside. It’s vital that the Rams find a way to fill in the shoes of Whitworth if hangs up his cleats. Nick Bosa had a whopping 0.5 sacks in two games against the Rams in the 2021 regular season. Bosa, J.J. Watt, and Carlos Dunlap will be licking their chops if the Rams don’t adequately replace the large, generous OT that looks like Thanos in 2022.

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