Super Bowl 2024 Gameday Guide: Steve Spagnuolo vs Kyle Shanahan, Patrick Mahomes’ pursuit of greatness, Taylor Swift, Usher, Steven Frayne and Super Bowl predictions | NFL News

It is Super Bowl 58 on Sunday. In Las Vegas. With the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes will likely be there. So will Brock Purdy. Taylor Swift ought to be there. Usher will certainly be there. Probably value a watch. If you are into that sort of factor…

Editor’s observe…

If Brock Purdy is to realize the unthinkable as a Mr Irrelevant-turned-Super Bowl champion, Steve Spagnuolo goes to make him work more durable, play smarter, learn the sector clearer and be higher than ever earlier than in his younger, staggering, growing NFL profession.

Chiefs gamers of late have sported ‘In Spags We Trust’ t-shirts in reference to their beloved defensive coordinator, who has been as a lot a face of Kansas City’s path again to the Super Bowl as Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid or any member of the defending champions. Without Spagnuolo and his protection, their Super Bowl defence could be lengthy over.

Come Sunday night time, it may be as a lot a case of Kyle Shanahan vs Steve Spagnuolo as it’s Shanahan vs Reid or Mahomes vs Brock Purdy. It was Spagnuolo who referred to as the pictures to nullify Tyreek Hill and Mike McDaniel, it was Spagnuolo who referred to as the pictures to nullify Josh Allen, it was Spagnuolo who referred to as the pictures to close down Lamar Jackson. What can he do towards Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle?

“We love playing for Coach Spags, we absolutely love him, couldn’t be more proud to play for him,” Chiefs edge rusher George Karlaftis advised Sky Sports NFL.

For so lengthy the norm has been Mahomes mastery inciting offensive supremacy because the Chiefs steamroll their solution to postseason rivalry. The norm modified in 2023, Spagnuolo’s unit shouldering accountability within the face of a hobbling assault because the shape-shifting concoction of confusion baiting quarterbacks into errors and irritating probably the most proficient of weapons.

Sky Sports have spent the week with magician Steven Frayne, previously generally known as Dynamo, as he boggles the minds of gamers and celebrities amid the enchantment of Las Vegas and its adoration for phantasm. Spagnuolo guarantees his personal clinic in sleight-of-hand perplexion.

His Chiefs ranked second within the league in complete yards allowed and factors allowed, whereas rating fourth towards the move because the staff’s driving power. He would meddle with the looks of his defensive entrance by way of personnel adjustments to supply various weight and skillset challenges for offensive lineman to cope with, he would rotate his coverages pre and post-snap with yo-yoing safeties to muddy the quarterback’s discipline analysis as successfully as any defensive director within the league, he would disguise blitzes to create strain from his defensive backs, he would license L’Jarius Sneed with press freedom to wrestle and jam the league’s greatest receivers on the line of scrimmage.

Asked what makes Spagnuolo so vital, Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones joked: “He’s Italian. He’s amazing. His resume speaks for itself, I think he’s the only (defensive coordinator) who was able to go to the championship with two different teams. He’s been very successful in the scheme of defense that he’s ran over his span in the NFL. It’s Spags, man. What can you say?”

Spagnuolo’s Chiefs have blitzed quarterbacks on the fourth-highest fee within the league this season, however will come up towards a participant in Purdy who has flourished towards 5 or extra move rushers such has been his stage of anticipation and the velocity at which he will get the ball out. It beckons as a recreation of transferring components between Spagnuolo’s fidgeting protection and a 49ers offense that dialled up a shift or movement on the second-highest fee within the league this season. Makes for fairly the chess match.

Victory would mark the most recent instalment of an interesting profession for Spagnuolo, who hopped between school teaching roles and spells in Europe with the Barcelona Dragons and Frankfurt Galaxy within the 90s earlier than heading to the NFL. He has since turn into the one coordinator in historical past to win a Super Bowl with two separate franchises, having lifted the Lombardi throughout his time with the New York Giants.

Somehow he has floated undetected and neglected throughout annual teaching cycles since arriving in Arrowhead in 2019; the Chiefs will not thoughts. Reid would don’t have any different man beside him on Sunday.

Spagnuolo is an ideal match for Vegas trickery, some of which the 49ers may need already skilled after their lodge hearth alarm mysteriously went off at 6am on Thursday morning. Welcome to Super Bowl week.

“You don’t want to wake the sleeping bear. But Christian (McCaffrey) was not happy too,” stated 49ers tight finish George Kittle.

The written-off Chiefs and the nearly-team 49ers, primed to fulfill once more in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV. The season comes all the way down to this.

Who to look at…

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs: His working fashion is as animated, as pound-the-ground, as watchable as any again within the NFL, however behind the jokes of Isiah Pacheco’s on-field aesthetics is strong manufacturing as one of probably the most instrumental figures to the Chiefs playoff run in 2023. He has confirmed a worthy executioner of Reid’s hole scheme runs, punching lanes with conviction and carrying our bodies in tow to the tune of 254 yards and three touchdowns within the postseason. The 49ers had been torched on the bottom throughout their playoff wins over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Will Pacheco and the Chiefs take pleasure in comparable success on the bottom?

Trent McDuffie, CB, Chiefs: Something tells you Spagnuolo has had bundles of enjoyable working with Trent McDuffie because the 2022 first-round decide’s arrival. He has turn into an ideal cog inside his defensive coordinator’s rolling protection system, rising as one of the league’s most impactful nickel corners towards the run recreation and thereby positioning himself as one of the keys to containing a McCaffrey-led floor assault. The first-team All-Pro nook recorded 5 pressured fumbles this season as one of the chief contributors to Kansas City’s hard-nosed blitz-heavy protection, his late bursts from the second stage fuelling Spagnuolo’s artwork of disguise.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers: The 49ers won’t be right here had been it not for Brandon Aiyuk’s beautiful catch off the helmet of Detroit Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor, setting his aspect up on the five-yard line earlier than his landing seize three performs later to cut back the deficit to 24-17 within the NFC Championship Game. It was a stroke of fortune and a defining second within the Niners’ season, throughout which Aiyuk has starred as maybe the league’s most unsung lead receiver. The 2020 first-round decide loved a profession yr with 1,342 receiving yards at 17.9 yards per catch and seven touchdowns, and will now be tasked as the person to check the downfield protection abilities of the Chiefs’ acclaimed defensive backs.

Dre Greenlaw, LB, 49ers: You can’t speak in regards to the affect of Fred Warner with out too shining a lightweight on the worth of Dre Greenlaw in Steve Wilks’ 49ers protection. His velocity, vary and means to learn ideas has been among the many greatest in his place this season, pitting him alongside Warner as two of the defining blockades to Mahomes’ efforts to search out Travis Kelce. He will likely be central to bottling a Chiefs offense that may dare him to maraud downhill in help of stuffing Isiah Pacheco, whereas additionally dragging him east-to-west in accordance to Mahomes’ play-extension and difficult him to cowl the league’s greatest pass-catching tight finish.

Rashee Rice, WR, Chiefs: Mahomes lied in look forward to any person to come up from his under-staffed, error-ridden core of younger extensive receivers this season; Rashee Rice answered the decision. The second-round rookie has turn into his quarterback’s favorite and most-trusted goal not named Travis Kelce, ending the common season with 938 receiving yards and seven touchdowns earlier than spring-boarding the Chiefs’ playoff marketing campaign with 130 yards and a rating of their Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins. Rice completed the season ranked third in yards-after-catch (653) behind solely Amon-Ra St. Brown and CeeDee Lamb, changing into Mahomes’ go-to zone-coverage-beater.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers: Don’t be shocked to see an outright speeding raid from the 49ers in a bid to unlock the Chiefs protection within the early exchanges of Sunday’s Super Bowl. The Bills threatened ominous indicators with their working recreation solely to return unstuck towards the champions within the Divisional Round, earlier than the Ravens bizarrely uncared for their very own floor risk amid a Spagnuolo masterclass on the AFC Championship Game. In Christian McCaffrey the 49ers boast the NFL’s most influential two-way working again, whose slide-and-cut explosion in Shanahan’s zone assault presents the best of lateral checks for Kansas City up entrance. The league chief in scrimmage yards has all of the makings of a Super Bowl MVP as a dream cushion to Purdy.

The magic of Las Vegas…

World well-known magician Steven Frayne – previously generally known as Dynamo – has been spending the week with the Sky Sports NFL staff out in Nevada as a beacon of Las Vegas and its wealthy historical past of magic.

From Gary Neville to JJ Watt, he has been dazzling the streets of Sin City as we construct as much as Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday night time…

Super Bowl harm information

• Chiefs head coach Andy Reid performed down Joe Thuney’s probabilities of that includes in Sunday’s Super Bowl amid his restoration from a pectoral harm, with Nick Allegretti anticipated to start out at left guard.
• The Chiefs positioned defensive finish Charles Omenihu on injured reserve attributable to a knee harm, whereas activating extensive receiver Skyy Moore following his knee subject.
• Chiefs nook L’Jarius Sneed missed follow earlier within the week as a result of start of his daughter.
• 49ers tight finish George Kittle (toe) and defensive deal with Arik Armstead (knee and foot) have each been restricted throughout follow this week, however there are not any considerations over their availability on Sunday.

Elsewhere across the league…

• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell opened Super Bowl week by telling Sky Sports NFL’s Neil Reynolds that the Philadelphia Eagles will host the first-ever common season recreation in Brazil within the Friday of kickoff weekend in 2024.
• The NFL later confirmed that it’ll additionally start enjoying video games in Madrid, Spain from 2025 as the most recent addition to its worldwide schedule.
• NFL Network reported Friday that British coach Aden Durde is being employed as the brand new Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator following three seasons as line of defense coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
• Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was named league MVP for the second time in his profession on the NFL Honors awards night time on Thursday; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco beat Damar Hamlin to Comeback Player of the Year, whereas his head coach Kevin Stefanski gained Coach of the Year.

• 49ers working again Christian McCaffrey was awarded Offensive Player of the Year, with Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett the Defensive Player of the Year.
• The Los Angeles Chargers employed Greg Roman, previously of the Baltimore Ravens, as their new offensive coordinator, whereas additionally appointing Jesse Minter, previously of Michigan, as their new defensive coordinator.
• The Miami Dolphins introduced they’re hiring former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry as a defensive assistant.
• Former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys for his or her vacant defensive coordinator position following Dan Quinn’s appointment as Washington Commanders head coach.

Best quotes

Chiefs security Trent McDuffie on what has given his aspect the sting within the postseason: “Playoff Patrick is a different Patrick Mahomes, I love to watch it because that man is a magician.”

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Brock Purdy: “This is not a quarterback that is managing and all of those tags they put on him. He’s for real. He makes all the throws and is really, really smart. And then what I didn’t know, because I hadn’t seen enough of it, is how athletic he is.”

49ers working again Christian McCaffrey on the lodge hearth alarm going off at 6am: “I think there’s no way it’s random. It’s part of it. It’s just more wood thrown on the fire.”

49ers offensive deal with Trent Williams on the prospect of profitable the Super Bowl after his most cancers scare in 2019: “It would be like one of those fairy tales. It’s like something you can only dream about. It’s hard to even describe what that feeling would be like because I’ve never felt that feeling before. But I imagine it would be a memory that we would remember for life.”

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes: “I think I just like winning. If you win a lot and that causes you to be a villain, then I’m OK with it. But at the end of the day, I’m going to enjoy playing the game and try to win as much as possible.”

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy: “The keys weren’t just given to me or anything, it had to be earned. Coming in Day One, just trying to learn Kyle’s system, his playbook, and earn the respect of my teammates. over time I’ve been able to step into that role and be ready for my opportunity. At the same time, I have a lot of help around me, and it’s allowed me to develop, and I’m going to continue to develop with the help and the cast I have around me.”

Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby on his hopes for the Super Bowl: “Selfishly, I want the Chiefs to win so we can be the ones to take them down and take them off that pedestal.”

Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule: “I think Brock Purdy is an amazing player, played against him at Iowa State,” Rhule stated. “When I was in the draft room at Carolina, I brought his name up. I said he should be on the Draft board. I got vetoed on that one.”

The recreation stats

• Brock Purdy’s wage in 2023 was $870,000 – the bottom amongst all QBs to have began in Week One, compared to Patrick Mahomes who earned $59.4m in 2023
• A 30-second Super Bowl industrial will value a record-high common of $7m, in response to Forbes
• Purdy will likely be simply the eighth quarterback to start out within the Super Bowl in his first or second season
• As of Friday February 9, the most cost effective Super Bowl recreation ticket accessible on StubHub is priced at £4,979
• VIP suites at Allegiant Stadium will reportedly value between $1.4m to $2.5m – greater than Purdy’s annual wage!

• Chiefs nook L’Jarius Sneed has coated an opponent’s No. 1 extensive receiver in seven video games this season, main the NFL. He has additionally allowed the bottom completion share of any defender when focused on throws of 10-plus air yards, having additionally not allowed a single landing in protection through the common season
• Patrick Mahomes led all QBs with 44 deep landing passes from 2018-2021, however has thrown simply two since 2022
• Should Taylor Swift be in attendance, it’ll mark the thirteenth Chiefs recreation she has seen this season – the 13-time Grammy winner’s favorite quantity occurs to be 13… make of that what you’ll

Super Bowl historical past

Essential studying:

From Mr Irrelevant to the Super Bowl: Purdy seeks fairy-tale second

The NFL didn’t see Brock Purdy coming. Not even the San Francisco 49ers noticed him coming.

He shouldn’t be right here, probably not. The final decide of the NFL Draft? Pulling the strings to the NFL’s greatest offense? Fulfilling the masterplan of a generational offensive architect? Going face to face with the best quarterback of his technology? In the Super Bowl? He could not. He would not. He is. He may.

The 49ers don’t make it this far with out Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly system or their envied entourage of famous person weapons, however nor do they make it this far with out Purdy. He just isn’t a famous person, however his means to intensify his strengths has turned him into the participant Shanahan wanted.

Purdy will look to crown one of the NFL’s nice underdog tales as ‘Mr Irrelevant’ leads the 49ers out at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Sunday…

Mahomes’ quest to beat Brady’s seven | ‘He’s already in GOAT-ville’

When Tom Brady lastly bowed out of the NFL final February on the age of 45, he did in order the undisputed GOAT. But, only one yr on, his legacy of a document seven Super Bowl titles is already beneath risk: and he goes by the title of Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes, aged 28, already has two Super Bowl rings to his title and, on Sunday, has the prospect to make that three with victory over the exact same San Francisco 49ers towards whom he secured his first 4 years in the past.

Read extra on the Chiefs quarterback and his march in direction of greatness forward of Sunday’s season finale…

Super Bowl LVIII knowledgeable predictions

“They have got Patrick Mahomes, they may not have the best team but they have the best player in the NFL”

Prediction time! From MVP to shock heroes, the Sky Sports NFL staff make their Super Bowl LVIII picks because the San Francisco 49ers put together to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas…

Super Bowl LVIII… as advised by Taylor Swift

As Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs descends on Las Vegas, so too does the most recent instalment of a Taylor Swift story that has taken the NFL by storm this season…

Swift’s relationship with Chiefs tight finish and future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce has emerged as one of the unlikely however immovable storylines of the 2023 season, her celebrations within the stands changing into one of probably the most sought-after sights on Kansas City’s highway again to the Super Bowl.

With that, here’s a sit up for Super Bowl LVIII by way of the albums of the 13-time Grammy winner…

The burning questions at Super Bowl LVIII

“San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and talented play-callers in the NFL. It feels like every NFL team is trying to find the new Kyle Shanahan when they conduct their coaching searches. But Shanahan might be the most under-pressure man inside Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.”

From Mahomes’ legacy to Purdy’s bathroom second, Sky Sports NFL’s Neil Reynolds appears to be like on the burning questions heading into Super Bowl LVIII because the 49ers put together to face the Chiefs in Las Vegas…

Super Bowl LVIII: Meet the ultimate two groups

Mahomes resumes his march in direction of the all-time greats in search of a second straight ring and third general, whereas Purdy, the well-known final decide of the 2022 NFL Draft, finds himself yet one more win away from one of the best feats in sporting historical past.

Here is your fast information to the 49ers and Chiefs forward of Super Bowl LVIII…

Inside the Huddle: Super Bowl week is right here!

Neil Reynolds, Jeff Reinebold and Phoebe Schecter are on Radio Row in Las Vegas for the ultimate Inside The Huddle preview of Super Bowl LVIII.

As properly as an in depth sit up for Sunday’s recreation, the staff additionally talk about the addition of Madrid to the NFL’s worldwide schedule in 2025 in addition to British coach Aden Durde being set to turn into the brand new Seahawks DC.

Her Huddle: Swift, Usher and Purdy vs Mahomes

Hannah Wilkes is joined by Liz and Ash to preview Super Bowl LVIII, making their large predictions for the sport in addition to listening to from Phoebe Schecter and Olivia Harlan Dekker on location in Las Vegas.

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Watch Super Bowl LVIII – the 49ers towards the Chiefs – dwell on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday February 11. The recreation begins at 11.30pm. You also can stream Sky Sports’ dwell Super Bowl protection with NOW