San Francisco 49ers: 5 Bold predictions vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl 54

2. Buckner gets multiple sacks

Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead led the 49ers defense in sacks during the regular season with 9.0 and 10.0, respectively, for the year. Just behind them was big defensive tackle and fell first-round pick DeForest Buckner, who had 7.5 to his credit on the season. In the playoffs, Bosa has three sacks while Armstead has two and Buckner has one. Put simply, this defensive front for San Francisco is downright lethal.

While that may be true, the Chiefs have studs at offensive tackle with Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher that should be able to largely stifle Bosa, Armstead (at times) and Dee Ford. However, Kansas City is a bit susceptible on the interior and that’s where I expect a lot of pressure to come from.

Buckner is an absolute beast when it comes to wrecking things in the trenches and, with the attention Kansas City will pay to the edges, the big defensive tackle will capitalize with a multi-sack Super Bowl appearance.

1. Kittle stars with 100+ yards

Partially due to the fact that 49ers haven’t been throwing a ton and partially due to the role of the wide receivers, First-Team All-Pro tight end George Kittle hasn’t had a big role in the offense outside of his blocking in the postseason. Over two playoff games, Kittle has just four catches for 35 yards on six targets. That’s not the level of play we’re used to seeing from him but I expect that to change in Super Bowl LIV.

Big stages are meant for big-time players and Kittle is that, possessing the mentality to try and beat everyone put in front of him by taking them on headfirst. Secondly, the Chiefs linebackers aren’t capable of sticking with Kittle consistently while also looking at Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel in the slot and respecting the run game. With the 49ers also passing more, Kittle will have a star-caliber performance, notching a 100-yard game.