With 49ers and Chiefs, Super Bowl LIV provides unique contrast in styles

It's almost hard to believe, but the Kansas City Chiefs will be making their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. Just ask Frank Clark: he had some choice words after the win. 

The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, are making a seventh Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. A win in Super Bowl LIV (Feb. 2 in South Florida) would give the 49ers a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title, tying the Patriots and Steelers.

The game will provide quite a contrast in styles, pitting the high-octane Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs offense against the throwback 49ers (Jimmy Garoppolo attempted just eight passes in the NFC championship game against the Packers).

Before we move onto the two-week buildup to the year's biggest sporting event, here's the moments we can't stop talking about from championship Sunday.

Conference championship rundown

• Chiefs 35, Titans 24: The longest stretch between Super Bowl appearances in NFL history is over, as Kansas City is going to its first Super Bowl in 50 years.
• 49ers 37, Packers 20: Raheem Mostert tore through the Packers defense to lead the 49ers to their seventh Super Bowl appearance in team history.

• TOP PICS: Best of the 2019 season | Cheerleaders | NFL 100

Super Bowl LIV

• Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers, Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

Must-see conference championship moments

• 32 things we learned: The Super Bowl matchup for the NFL's centennial season should be a delight for history buffs, as the Chiefs and 49ers both bring plenty to the table, writes Nate Davis.
• Winners and losers: While Raheem Mostert was a star for the 49ers, the Titans' backfield duo of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry faces an uncertain future, writes Lorenzo Reyes.
• Frank Clark lets loose in interview: Chiefs defender backed up his words with his play on Sunday. Then he had a few choice words during postgame interview. 
• Chiefs are early Super Bowl favorites: The AFC champions have been installed as the early favorites in Super Bowl LIV.
• Super Bowl tickets are *expensive*: SeatGeek says tickets for Super Bowl LIV are at record prices. 
• DeForest Buckner laughs about Nick Bosa's botched fumble recovery: When Buckner saw a fumbled snap, he pounced. But 49ers teammate Nick Bosa had a brief idea for a big return.
• Fans had so many jokes for Rob Lowe wearing an NFL hat: Lowe really showed up to the NFC championship game looking like an undercover ref.
• Darrelle Revis calls out Richard Sherman: The Twitter beef between these two continued Sunday night after Revis ripped into Sherman for his style of play. 
• Three colleges tied for most Super Bowl players: Recently crowned college football national champion LSU is tied with two Big Ten schools with the most former players in Super Bowl LIV.
• Travis Kelce drops f-bomb on live TV: Kelce crashed a postgame interview to express his feelings for Patrick Mahomes.
• Patrick Mahomes had a jaw-dropping TD run: Mahomes escaped the pocket, made multiple defenders miss, and powered into the end zone for a 27-yard scoring run right before halftime.
• Lineman makes NFL history: Dennis Kelly, who is listed at 6-foot-8 and 321 pounds, caught a 1-yard touchdown pass in the AFC championship game.

What our experts are saying

• What NFC game? This was a 49ers coronation: The 49ers' Shanahan-Lynch plan has worked to give the proud franchise a shot at a record-tying sixth Super Bowl crown, writes Jarrett Bell.
• NFL celebrates 100 years by putting future stars on display: With Patrick Mahomes and Nick Bosa headed to Miami for Super Bowl LIV, the NFL has its future on display.
• Patrick Mahomes blazes new path for Chiefs: The 50 years since the Chiefs' last Super Bowl appearance has mostly been defined by disappointment. This year, Mahomes changed everything, writes Mike Jones.
• 'Insane': 49ers marvel at run-heavy win: Jimmy G threw only eight passes in the NFC championship game. And the 49ers dominated. 
• Packers need to make big moves to close gap: Aaron Rodgers’ clock is ticking, and at age 36 he needs more help than he used to if the Packers are to become a true Super Bowl contender, writes Pete Dougherty.
• Packers haunted by same mistakes: The Packers knew from November's loss to the 49ers on the same field, they couldn't give their opponent anything, writes Jim Owczarski.
• Odds finally catch up with Titans: Postseason magic ended for the Titans in the harsh, cold reality of having to face a talented Chiefs team that was overdue for this moment, writes Gentry Estes.

2020 NFL draft

• Mock draft 2.0: With the college football season complete, here is an updated look at how the first round might shake out. 
• 2020 NFL draft first-round order: Picks Nos. 1-30 are set, and the Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock.
• Underclassmen heading for the draft: The deadline for underclassmen college players to make their draft decision was Friday.  These are those players who already have announced their intentions to enter the 2020 NFL draft.

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