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The Super Bowl LVIII matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers is not necessarily fresh. Of course, we saw these two teams square off in the Super Bowl just four years ago. But this time around, there are certainly different things at stake for each team. For the San Francisco 49ers, they are hoping to officially start a new legacy after being close to doing that in recent years. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have a rare chance at securing a true dynasty in the modern NFL landscape.
Both teams obviously have stars in various points on their rosters. The Chiefs and the 49ers would not be in this position without the help of those top pieces. But even for the players on each side, the chance at cementing their legacies means the opposite for top weapons on either team.
What are the San Francisco 49ers looking to accomplish to start a new legacy? Plus, how can the Kansas City Chiefs officially establish themselves further and secure a true dynasty? Let’s kick it off.
29-Year Drought
The San Francisco 49ers are one of the NFL’s most historic franchises. Legendary players have donned the 49ers’ red and gold. Some of the NFL’s best head coaches have led San Francisco squads to immense heights. But even with their rich history, the 49ers have not been able to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in nearly three decades. The last time San Francisco did so was 29 years ago.
Joe Montana led the 49ers to four Super Bowl wins in the 1980s. And eventually, Steve Young and the 1994 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX. That was the final time in which San Francisco was atop the NFL mountain. Overall, the 49ers have had their fair share of peaks and valleys since that Super Bowl win in the mid-1990s.
Getting Over The Hump
Starting a new legacy is not just crucial for the 49ers as a franchise. For the last six or seven years, this current San Francisco core has been looking to get over the hump. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been so close to accomplishing what his father, Mike Shanahan, did as an NFL head coach. Winning the big one has been elusive for Kyle in different ways over parts of the last decade.
On the player side of things, homegrown pieces like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and others have tasted bits and pieces of playoff success. Outside of their one Super Bowl appearance four years ago, those players have helped lead San Francisco to NFC Championship Game appearances in three consecutive seasons. After back-to-back conference championship losses, the 49ers finally won the NFC again this year. For those homegrown names and complementary pieces, they have already dealt with many heartbreaks and close calls. Is this finally the time that they can get over the hump and start a new legacy on their own?
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Focused On Back-To-Back Titles
For the Kansas City Chiefs, they have been hyper-focused on attempting to win back-to-back Super Bowls. It has not been the prettiest Chiefs season in recent memory, as has been well-documented. Yet, Kansas City has continued to show up in the biggest of moments in the playoffs. Their top stars continued to turn it up a notch when the calendar flipped to January. And finally, even the best Chiefs players have been vocal about what back-to-back Super Bowl wins would mean to them.
This Kansas City group is tight-knit. And in many ways, that has fueled them plenty of times in this current playoff run. There was a lot more doubt about the Chiefs this year. For the first time in the last six years, Kansas City was forced to respond to a challenge on the road in the postseason. And now, the focus and intensity on attempting to win back-to-back titles can be felt easily.
Rarefied Air
What would it mean for the Chiefs to accomplish winning Super Bowls in back-to-back years? For starters, Kansas City would be the first NFL team to do that in 19 years. The New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004 were the last franchise to win Super Bowls in back-to-back seasons. To boot, the Chiefs would become just the second team to have done that in this century with a win on Sunday.
All-time, there have been eight instances of NFL teams winning back-to-back Super Bowls in consecutive seasons. Granted, the Chiefs nearly did this a few years ago. After winning Super Bowl LIV, KC was right back in the big game for Super Bowl LV. Yet, it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers emerging victorious there, and it came in dominant fashion. Here is a list of the eight times in which NFL teams have won back-to-back Super Bowls:
- Green Bay Packers (1966, 1967)
- Miami Dolphins (1972, 1973)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1974, 1975)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1978, 1979)
- San Francisco 49ers (1988, 1989)
- Dallas Cowboys (1992, 1993)
- Denver Broncos (1997, 1998)
- New England Patriots (2003, 2004)
Can Kansas City successfully become the ninth NFL team to win the big game in back-to-back years? If so, the word dynasty can officially be accepted surrounding the recent run of the Chiefs. Having that rare back-to-back accomplishment is a major boost to securing a new dynasty. Winning on Sunday would also give Kansas City their third Super Bowl win in the last five years. Achieving that is simply otherworldly.
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– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.