Super Bowl LVIII - Wednesday notebook from Las Vegas

The 49ers advanced to their eighth Super Bowl, tied for 2nd most amongst NFL teams. Can
tie New England and Pittsburgh for most SB wins with six. Have 38 postseason wins, the most among NFL clubs. Overcame 17-point deficit to win NFC Championship Game, largest halftime deficit overcame to win in a Championship game in NFL history. Ranked 3rd in scoring offense (28.9 ppg) and scoring defense (17.5). Became 4th team ever with a 4,000-yard passer and 4 players each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards in the same season.

QB BROCK PURDY had 315 yards (267 pass, 48 rush) and TD pass in the NFC Championship Game and became the fourth QB ever with four playoff wins in his first two seasons. Purdy led the NFL in passer rating (113.0) and ranked 3rd in TD passes with 31 and was fifth in passing yards (4,280) in the regular season. Purdy also became the fifth player ever with 8 games of 120+ rating in a season.

RB CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY had 132 scrimmage yards (90 rush, 42 rec.) and two rushing touchdowns in the NFC Divisional Round vs. Green Bay. Can become 1st player with six rushing touchdowns in a single postseason since 2018 (Sony Michel) Can become 3rd player ever (HOFers Marcus Allen and Terrell Davis) with 50+ scrimmage yards and touchdowns in each of his first seven career playoff games. Led NFL in scrimmage yards (2,023) and rushing yards (1,459) and tied for first in scrimmage TDs with 21 in the regular season. Made 49ers debut in last meeting vs. Chiefs (Week 7, 2022).

WR BRANDON AIYUK had 68 receiving yards and first-career playoff touchdown
catch in the NFC Championship Game against Detroit. Had 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 receiving yards (seventh-most in the NFL this season) and seven receiving touchdowns in the regular season. Had 7 catches for 82 yards in the last meeting against the Chiefs.

WR DEEBO SAMUEL had a career playoff-best eight catches for 89 yards in the NFC Championship Game. Had 60 catches, 1,117 scrimmage yards (892 rec. 225 rush) and 12 TDs (7 rec., 5 rush) in reg. season. Had five catches and 92 scrimmage yards (53 rush, 39 rec.) in SB LIV vs. KC.

TE GEORGE KITTLE had six catches for 98 yards and a receiving touchdown in the last regular season meeting with Kansas City. Had 65 catches for 1,020 receiving yards (most among TEs in 2023) & six receiving touchdowns in the regular season. The 49ers became the first team ever with RB, 2 WRs & TE each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards in the same season.

DL NICK BOSA had 2 sacks in the NFC Championship Game and has 10 sacks in 11 career
playoff games. Aims for his third game in a row vs. Kansas City with a sack, including playoffs. Can become the sixth player since 1982 with 12 playoff sacks and four career playoff games with more than two sacks.

LB FRED WARNER had a playoff career-high 13 tackles in the NFC Championship Game.
Led team with 132 tackles and had career highs in passes defended (11) and interceptions (4) in reg. season. Had an interception in Super Bowl LIV vs. Kansas City.

CB CHARVARIUS WARD led the NFL with a career-high 23 passes defended and had a career-high five interceptions in the regular season. Has 13 passes defended in 16 career playoff games. Had 38 passes defended in 67 games, including playoffs, with the Chiefs (2018-21).

CHIEFS seeking 4th Super Bowl win in franchise history. Can become ninth team all-time to win consecutive Super Bowls and the first since New England in 2003-04.

ANDY REID has 25 career playoff wins, the 2nd-most by ever by a head coach. Can become the fifth head coach ever with more than three Super Bowl wins.

QB PATRICK MAHOMES is 6-0 with 11 TDs vs. 0 INTs and a 107.6 passer rating in his past six playoff starts. Can become the sixth starting QB all-time with three or more Super Bowl Championships. Is 14-3 in 17 career playoff starts and can become third QB all-time with 15+ career playoff wins, joining Tom Brady (35) & Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (16). Is 3-0 with 1,023 passing yards (341 per game) and nine touchdowns (8 passes, 1 rush) & a 106.7 passer rating in three career starts vs. the 49ers, including Super Bowl LIV victory.

RB ISIAH PACHECO has more than 75 scrimmage yards in each of six career playoff games & rushing touchdown in each of his past four playoff games. Has a touchdown in seven straight games overall. Rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in SB LVII vs. Philadelphia.

TE TRAVIS KELCE led the team with 11 catches for 116 yards & TD in the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore, the eighth-career playoff game with more than 100 receiving yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for most ever. Has 156 postseason catches, the most ever, & 1,810 playoff receiving yards and 19 playoff receiving touchdowns, both second most ever. Has caught a touchdown pass in 8 of the past 9 playoff games and has a TD catch in two of three career Super Bowls, including SB LIV vs. 49ers.

WR RASHEE RICE (rookie) had eight catches for 46 yards in the AFC Championship Game
vs. Baltimore and has five catches or more in eight of the past nine overall. Needs six catches
to surpass Ja’Marr Chase (25 in 2021) for the most playoff catches ever by a rookie.