The San Francisco 49ers are in their second Super Bowl in five years under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
They came close to winning it in both instances, and that's what hurts for many supporters of the franchise. They have always come close to lifting the coveted title, but it remains elusive.
For Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, they are slight favorites against the defending champions.
The Niners are the more, if not the most, consistent team throughout the regular season. When pushed against the wall, they still manage to come out on top due to their poise.
They lost three straight in the regular season but recovered and strung up six straight victories, all of which by double-digit margins. They started their journey back to winning ways with a 34-3 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This is just to say that they are not the type of team that panics or gets rattled.
They started slowly against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship but ran over the opponents by the second half to secure the Super Bowl LVIII spot.
Everything they need is at their disposal to oust Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs.
The reason the 49ers will win - More Talented Squad
The Chiefs' defense got better this season. That should sound impossible, given how dominant they were when they won last year's Super Bowl.
It is all thanks to Steve Spagnuolo.
Read more: Chiefs Experience Proves Value in Win over Ravens in AFC Championship
That is a good thing for the 49ers, as they, too, improved offensively. An American Football Conference executive thinks San Francisco's offensive weapons will punish the Chiefs' defense.
"The combination of [Christian] McCaffrey, [Brandon] Aiyuk, Deebo [Samuel], and [George] Kittle is a lot for the Kansas City defense," the executive said as quoted by Sports Illustrated.
"I don't love the Niners O-line, but they don't have a lot of plays where they're waiting for 10 minutes for people to get open. I could see San Francisco moving it and scoring pretty easily. I don't love the matchups for Kansas City."
Coach Shanahan's offense is led by MVP candidates Brock Purdy and McCaffrey. Samuel is another feared attacker for his speed and strength.
In terms of defense, Nick Bosa is leading the way. Last season's Defensive Player of the Year made history against the Lions by registering 3 tackles against Jared Hoff and 2.0 sacks to reach 10.0 sacks in the playoffs, the most in 49ers history.
While he is impressive individually, the 49ers defense as a whole need to be better.
The reason they will lose - Lackluster offense/Slow start
They were lucky that their experience against the Lions became the difference maker. They had to cram in the second half, which they can't afford to do against the Chiefs.
Kansas City pressured and punished the Ravens' offense, forcing them to commit three turnovers, including two in the red zone in the payoff period.
It is in the run game where the 49ers excel, and they should take advantage of all the talents at their disposal.
They need to be wary of Chris Jones and George Karlaftis on the offensive line to allow Purdy to operate freely.
Linebacker Drue Tranquill was also a revelation against the Ravens. He led his team in tackles (8), four against Jackson.
Related article: Christian McCaffrey Contract - How Much Does 49ers Star and MVP Candidate Earn?
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