3. A Big Day from Chris Jones
Not only do the Chiefs have a dominant secondary, but they also have arguably the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen. Defensive end George Karlaftis can get home as well, registering 10.5 sacks in the regular season, but we have seen Chris Jones take over a playoff game before. Against the Bengals in the 2023 AFC Championship game, he basically ended the Bengals' chances all by himself.
There is also the added motivation of potentially ending his Chiefs career with a third Super Bowl ring, earning himself an even bigger payday. Brett Veach said this week that the team is prioritizing Jones and L’Jarius Sneed this offseason, as they are set to become free agents.
It is not hard to read between the lines that it is highly unlikely they can both be back in Chiefs uniforms next year, so they want to go out and prove to the rest of the league what their worth is. Jones, in particular, has shown he is unwilling to take a hometown discount and seems to be especially motivated by money.
Once again, if the Chiefs have a lead, Jones will pin his ears back and get after Purdy like it is nobody’s business. When he is unable to take down the quarterback, he is also fantastic at getting his paws on the ball.
Jones has an opportunity on Sunday to further cement his hall-of-fame career. He also has an opportunity to cement the bag of money he has been waiting for, regardless of where that money comes from. If he has a monster game, I think it is hard to see a path to a 49ers victory.