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The NFL will have a Super Bowl rematch between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 11, marking the second time these teams will meet in the league’s championship game in five seasons. The 49ers and Chiefs are the two teams that have made deep playoff runs consistently over the past five years, with San Francisco going to four conference championship games during that stretch and the Chiefs going to five. 

Of course, the difference between the 49ers and Chiefs are the Super Bowl titles. The Chiefs are the league’s current dynasty, winning two Super Bowl titles in the last four seasons (looking to become the first team since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots to repeat). The 49ers have been to the Super Bowl in that stretch, blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV that cost them their first championship since the 1994 season. 

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is searching for his third Super Bowl victory while 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is still seeking his first. The major difference in this game is Brock Purdy, who will be under center for the 49ers instead of Jimmy Garoppolo, even though both rosters have underwent significant changes over the years. 

Regardless, the 49ers and Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl, four years after “Wasp” became one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. The 49ers are still seeking to avenge that loss while Patrick Mahomes looks to add to his Hall of Fame legacy.

Who wins Super Bowl LVIII? Here’s a quick rundown of what to know ahead of the game, plus a prediction. 

How to watch Super Bowl LVIII

Date: Sunday, Feb. 11 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS, Nickelodeon | Stream: CBS broadcast on Paramount+
Opening odds: 49ers -1.5, O/U 47.5

Chiefs defense steps up against elite offenses

The Chiefs defense has been elite all season, a complete turnaround from the other Super Bowl teams in Kansas…

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Zay Flowers’ infamous taunt in the Baltimore Ravens’ AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs is now hitting him squarely in the wallet. The rookie wide receiver was hit with a $10,927 unsportsmanlike fine by the league, according to NFL Media. 

The infraction contributed to Baltimore’s late meltdown largely spearheaded by Flowers. The Ravens trailed Kansas City, 17-7, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter when Flowers caught what momentarily felt like a game-changing 54-yard reception from Lamar Jackson. That brought the offense to the 10-yard line, but as Flowers got up after being tackled by L’Jarius Sneed, he stood over the Chiefs cornerback flexing and spun the football in what was a textbook taunting penalty. The officials quickly threw a flag and backed Baltimore up 15 yards, booting it from the red zone altogether. 

That sparked what proved to be the dagger in Baltimore’s hopes of advancing to the Super Bowl. Just four plays after that penalty, Jackson completed a pass to Flowers, but the receiver fumbled while reaching for the goal line. The ball was recovered by the Chiefs in the end zone for a touchback. In frustration with that course of events, Flowers then cut his finger on the sideline after slamming his helmet on the bench.   

While this ending for Flowers proved costly for him (in more ways than one), he put together a strong rookie season. In 16 regular season games, he caught 77 passes for 858 yards and five touchdowns.

Flowers’ teammate, Travis Jones, was  fined $6.700 for a hit on Patrick Mahomes that drew a roughing the passer penalty. 

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The Miami Dolphins appear to have found their new leading man on defense. The front-runner and person expected to ultimately land as the franchise’s next defensive coordinator is Anthony Weaver, according to KPRC Houston. Weaver will head to South Florida by way of Baltimore where he was the assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the Ravens. 

The Dolphins found themselves in the market for a DC after the team and Vic Fangio mutually agreed to part ways in late January. Fangio has since signed on as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, Weaver comes in to fill that void and lead a unit that has the potential to be a sturdy defense when healthy. 

The 43-year-old played seven seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the Ravens (2002-2005) and Houston Texans (2006-2008). He was a second-round pick out of Notre Dame. Weaver broke into the NFL coaching ranks as an assistant linebacker coach for the New York Jets in 2012. Since then, he made stops with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Texans before landing with the Ravens in 2021. Weaver does have prior DC experience with Houston during the 2020 season. 

In 2023, the Dolphins defense showed flashes of being an elite unit but was ultimately ravished by injuries, losing the likes of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips down the stretch among others. That led to a mixed bag of production throughout the year. The club ranked for the sixth-fewest yards per play allowed (5.1) but was 20th in the league on third down and 26th in red zone efficiency. 

Weaver comes in after helping lead the Ravens to a stellar season defensively. The club ranked among the top of the league in nearly every meaningful statistical category, including yards…

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UCLA’s Chip Kelly may be eyeing a return to the NFL. The Bruins coach has shown interest in at least two offensive coordinator positions in the league, according to multiple outlets. NFL.com reports that Kelly was interviewed twice by the Las Vegas Raiders before they eventually decided on former Arizona Cardinals and Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury. According to ESPN, Kelly may be a candidate to serve on Dan Quinn’s staff with the Washington Commanders. 

Kelly spent four seasons in the NFL, all as a head coach. He was hired by Philadelphia in 2013 and guided the Eagles to a 26-21 record in three seasons, including an NFC East title in 2013. After he was fired by the Eagles, he took the San Francisco 49ers job in 2016. He was let go after just one season after a dismal 2-14 campaign.

Kelly is just 35-34 during this time with UCLA, but 25-13 over the past three years. This past season saw the Bruins finish with an 8-5 record capped off by a blowout win over rival USC and a victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl — the program’s first bowl win since 2014. 

Prior to his stint in the NFL, Kelly made a name for himself at Oregon. He compiled a 46-7 record in his four years as the Ducks’ coach, winning three conference titles, reaching the BCS National Championship Game in 2010 and finishing in the top four of the final polls for three straight years (2010-12). 

If he does leave for the NFL, Kelly would become the fourth sitting college head coach to leave his job voluntarily since the season ended. Boston College coach Jeff Hafley left his post earlier this week to take the vacant defensive coordinator position with the Green Bay Packers. South Alabama coach Kane Wommack and Buffalo coach Maurice Linguist left their…

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