In Super Bowl 58, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan aims to reverse his Super Bowl fortunes as his team faces the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Shanahan, 44, remains winless in two prior Super Bowl appearances – once as the offensive coordinator for the Falcons in 2016 and the second as the head coach of the 49ers four years ago.
Notably, he has been associated with calling plays for the largest and second-largest blown leads in Super Bowl history: Atlanta infamously led 28-3, while San Francisco led 20-10. Shanahan will be matched against Andy Reid, who has secured two Super Bowl victories.
The Super Bowl is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM ET on CBS and Paramount+, with San Francisco holding a 2-point favorite status in the latest odds against the Chiefs, and an over/under of 47.5 for total points scored.
For insights and predictions on Chiefs vs. 49ers, turn to NFL expert Jason La Canfora, who enters Super Bowl LVIII on a hot streak, boasting a 52-27 record (+2202) on his last 79 NFL picks.
La Canfora, an NFL insider with over two decades of coverage for CBS Sports, The Washington Post, and the NFL Network, among others, is now a regular contributor to SportsLine, where he provides picks and predictions on various NFL matchups, including the upcoming Super Bowl.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice has emerged as a dependable pass-catching asset for Kansas City. Drafted in the second round last year, Rice led all Chiefs receivers with 79 receptions, 938 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns. His 223 receiving yards in the playoffs rank as the fourth-highest by a rookie in NFL history.
Rice and the rest of the Kansas City offense are set to confront a San Francisco defense that has faced challenges in recent games. Since All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a torn ACL in Week 11, the 49ers have allowed an average of 21.4 points per game and 5.3 yards per play. Prior to the injury, their defensive performance was more formidable, conceding an average of 15.7 points and 4.9 yards per play.
When encountering five or more rushers this season, quarterback Brock Purdy excelled, leading the league in yards per attempt (10.5), tying for the NFL lead in passing touchdowns (15), and ranking second in passing yards (1,488). This proficiency bodes well against a Kansas City defense that blitzed at the fourth-highest rate in the league (37%).
Furthermore, the 49ers boast a defense capable of slowing down Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. In the current season, San Francisco allowed just 3.9 yards after catch per reception to tight ends, ranking second in the league. They also limited tight ends to an average of 9.4 yards per reception, securing the seventh-best ranking in the league.