Super Bowl 58 Preview: Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, and Taylor Swift?

Justin Lotito
Staff Writer

For the first time, the Super Bowl will take place in Las Vegas, as the Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) take on the San Francisco 49ers (12-5).
San Francisco opens Super Bowl 58 as a slight favorite, being projected to win by 1.5 points. This projection can be explained by multiple factors, one being 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy is a finalist for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. According to ESPN, Purdy finished the regular season ranked first in total QBR, at 72.7.

On offense, Purdy is helped by offensive player of the year candidate, running back Christian McCaffery. Throughout his career, McCaffery has cemented himself as a superstar weapon. This season, he led the league in rushing yards, and non-quarterback total touchdowns.
But, San Francisco is not the only Super Bowl team with explosive weapons on offense.

 

The Chiefs are led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. To start his career, Mahomes has failed to miss a single AFC Championship game., And iand in those games, he has only lost two. Super Bowl 58 marks his fourth Super Bowl appearance. According to CBS Sports, the only quarterbacks to start more Super Bowl games than him are John Elway (5) and Tom Brady (10). With his four starts, he is tied with hall of famers Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Terry Bradshaw, Jim Kelly, and Roger Staubach.

According to Statmuse, in Mahomes’ previous three Super Bowl starts he has thrown for 738 yards and five touchdowns.

Mahomes’ unprecedented postseason success can partially be attributed to tight end Travis Kelce. According to reporter Field Yates, in 21 playoff games, Kelce has the most receptions ever, second most receiving yards ever, and fourth most touchdowns in history.

Statically, during the regular season Kelce had a down-year for his standards, failing to reach 1,000 receiving yards. However, the future hall of famer remained in his fair share of headlines.

In September, rumors began swirling that Kelce was dating 2023 Time’s Person of the Year Taylor Swift. The rumors were confirmed when Swift was spotted cheering on Kelce and the Chiefs, on October 1st.

Soon after, the celebrity relationship went viral. News outlets of all entertainment fields began covering the couple, to the dismay of some fans.
Before the Chiefs victory over the Baltimore Ravens, a faithful Ravens fan yelled at Swift, “You’re ruining football!”
While Swift may not be welcomed by all fans, it does not appear her Super Bowl presence will cause fans to skip the game. According to the Seton Hall Sports Poll, 72-percent of the general population’s viewing will not be influenced by the music star. Polling of NFL fans reflects a similar number, as 68-percent of fans will not be influenced by Swift.

Perhaps the biggest storyline of Super Bowl 58 is the two teams competing. In Super Bowl 54, the 49ers were defeated by the Chiefs. While San Francisco is seeking to avenge their loss, America is not rooting for a revenge story.

According to the Seton Hall Sports Poll, America is rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Sports Poll’s polling reports 28-percent of the general population are cheering for the Chiefs, compared to 23-percent of the population rooting for the 49ers. The same finding is reflected in NFL fans. According to the Seton Hall Sports Poll, 38-percent of NFL fans will cheer for the Chiefs, compared to 31-percent in favor of the 49ers.

These numbers can reflect a multitude of factors. One of them being the Chiefs recent postseason success. Kansas City has a chance to become a dynasty , by clinching their third Super Bowl victory since 2020. Another factor could be Taylor Swift. While Swift is unrelated to football, her power and influence on society cannot be ignored.

With unique storylines, star players, and celebrities on the sidelines; Super Bowl 58 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable Super Bowl’s in recent memory.

Contact Justin at justin.lotito@student.shu.edu