The San Francisco 49ers are headed back to the Super Bowl after their comeback win over the Detroit Lions this past weekend in the NFC Championship game, and will beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.

The 49ers lost the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in 2020, but the matchup has changed, and will  avenge that loss on Sunday

At the time, Jimmy Garopolo, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, was the quarterback in San Francisco. Now, Brock Purdy leads head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Purdy was the ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ pick in the 2022 NFL draft meaning he was the very last pick.He earned his way onto the 52 man roster last season and was the third string behind Garoppolo and then-promising prospect Trey Lance. Lance was hurt early in the season, Garoppolo later, allowing  Purdy to take the reins. Since then the 49ers are 17-2 in the regular season. A trip to the NFC Championship last year was spoiled by injuries, but San Francisco picked up this season right where they left off.

Purdy was in MVP contention for much of this season. He threw for 4,280 yards in  the 2023 regular season, throwing 31 touchdowns  and 11 interceptions He was fifth in yards across the league and third in touchdowns, Purdy settled in well to Shanahan’s system during his first full year as the starter in San Francisco. He also posted the highest QBR among regular starting QBs this year. 

Running back Christian McCaffrey, too, made an MVP campaign this season. His 1459 rushing yards led the league by almost 300. He ranked fourth for rushing touchdowns with 14 and was top five in almost every measured category for running backs including rushes over 20 yards, rushed over 40 yards, longest play, and attempts. 

Finishing 12-5 in the regular season, San Francisco put themselves atop a competitive NFC West and secured a first round bye. Their 6,773 total yards of offense in 2023 ranked 2nd league-wide behind only the Miami Dolphins and the 49ers’s 28.9 points per game ranked third behind Miami and Dallas. Their defense also held strong during the regular season, particularly their run defense. San Francisco allowed only 1,525 rushing yards this year, which made their ground prevention third best in the league. They struggled at times when teams took to the air but allowed just 298 points total, third best in the league.

The 49ers hit a few roadblocks during this postseason, but were able to overcome and advance twice. Their NFC-best record and performance during the regular season secured them a home game in the divisional round, but they had some rust to work out after a bye week. The Packers came out firing, giving the 49ers a scare that subsided only after a Packers missed field goal and a game sealing interception late in the the fourth by linebacker Dre Greenlaw of San Francisco. Last weekend, the 49ers dug themselves into a 17-point hole at half time. Eight minutes into the 3rd quarter, the Lion’s lead was gone and the Super Bowl bound 49ers snuffed out any additional offensive attack from Detroit.

Thanks to their win last weekend, the San Francisco 49ers now stare down an opportunity to avenge 2020’s Super Bowl loss against the Chiefs, a chance to cradle Lombardi for the sixth time.

The Super Bowl is slated for Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.