Every year, The Carroll News Sports Staff selects who they believe will take home the Lombardi Trophy. This year, with the Chiefs and the 49ers playing for the win, the tensions are no different.

Grant Sarnowski, Professional Sports Beat Reporter: 28-24 49ers
“I think San Francisco’s defense is generational and Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy to be the most capable QB we have seen the 49ers have in our generation. [Kyle] Shanahan will game plan well and the Chiefs will be unable to stop the run and the Niners skill positions.”

Leah Harrigan, Sports Editor: 24-21 Chiefs
Kansas City with Mahomes at quarterback is a tough postseason matchup, regardless of preparation. Brock Purdy and the 49ers may not be ready for all the spotlight, something Mahomes and other teammates, like Travis Kelce, are all too familiar with. The equalizer, though, is both squads’ defensive skills. Players Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed of KC and Nick Bosa and Fred Warner of SF will do some tough work on the defensive side to keep things entertaining. But, I still think KC takes this one. 24-21 Chiefs for this one, giving Mahomes his third Super Bowl ring. Someone’s going to have to figure out playoff Kansas City or else we will keep seeing a whole lot of Taylor Swift.

Dylan Feltovich: 28-21 Chiefs
I picked the Bills to beat the Chiefs. I picked the Ravens to beat the Chiefs. It’s time to start considering Patrick Mahomes in the “Never Bet Against Brady” regard. Mahomes, now with a 14-3 record in the playoffs, has proven to shine in the postseason. However, it’s not just the “Patrick Mahomes Show”. Kansas City’s Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been putting on a masterclass during the playoffs – he held Josh Allen to under 200 passing yards and limited the Ravens to under 100 rushing yards. 49ers QB Brock Purdy will face one of his toughest challenges this season, which scares me knowing his track record against talented defenses. You’re welcome, Swifties.

Aeneas Hines, NFL Beat Reporter: 28-24 49ers
The 49ers blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in Super Bowl LIV in Miami. This time, I think San Francisco will generate a fourth-quarter comeback of their own, similar to their previous two playoff games. Kyle Shanahan, known for having several playoff meltdowns, is on the fast track to reversing his reputation and I think he will do just that in year seven. I predict that Taylor Swift will not see the field at the end of the game and Brock Purdy will beat all of the “game-manager” narratives when he raises his Super Bowl MVP trophy.

Ellie Robertson: 28-21 49ers
The 49ers have more explosive players on offense. Strong, talented defense and they are overall a very solid team. If the 49ers QB Brock Purdy stays away from turning the ball over, the 49ers are a tough team to beat.

Jack Stephens: 34-24 Chiefs
It’s a tail of two sides of the ball in Super Bowl LVIII. The 49ers have a very high-flying, star-powered roster, the best in the NFL. However, the outlier is Brock Purdy. While I am a firm defender of Purdy, when facing elite defenses, like the Chiefs, he’s struggled. Cleveland and Baltimore are perfect examples of this. While I believe Purdy has silenced many doubters this year, it’s very tough to bet against the Chiefs defense and, more importantly, Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid is going to find a way to get the ball to Travis Kelce and the Rashee Rice breakout will continue to counter the 49ers’ elite run defense. It’ll be a close game throughout, but the Chiefs pass rush, secondary and Mahomes are going to make enough plays late in the game to pull away.