By Charlie Bourne

The end of another NFL season is in sight with the big game taking place on February 11^th. Here is a guide for those who are possibly new to the NFL, or perhaps the seasoned experts.  Maybe you want to discover a new sport, or maybe you’re being dragged along to a Super Bowl party. Either way, here is everything you need to know about the game.

Firstly, what is the Super Bowl? Well, to understand the Super Bowl, it’s worth understanding the format of the NFL. The NFL is split into two conferences: the AFC and the NFC. Within these conferences there are four divisions, each of which containing 4 teams. Over the course of the 17-game regular season, each team will play out a schedule determined by how they performed the previous season, with games coming against divisional rivals, teams from their conference, and indeed the other conference as well. At the end of the regular season, each division winner, along with the 3 wild card teams from each conference, enter the post season. From here a playoff bracket is formed, eliminating teams until only one from each conference remains. These two teams play each other in the Super Bowl.

This year’s game features the San Francisco 49ers representing the NFC and the Kansas City Chiefs representing the AFC. These two teams previously faced off in Super Bowl 54, in a game where the Chiefs prevailed 31-20. The Chiefs are looking to retain the title which they claimed last year, but the 49ers are out for revenge.

The Chiefs came into this season with great expectations off the back of victory in Super Bowl 57 but were shocked when they were defeated in the opening game of the season by the Detroit Lions. However, they managed to recover to finish the season 11-6 (meaning they won 11 games and lost 6), comfortably topping their division and earning a home playoff. Since then, they made light work of the Miami Dolphins, before edging nail-biters against the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens in games they were underdogs in. The Chiefs now arrive at their 4^th Super Bowl in 5 years and look to add to their collection of rings.

The 49ers had equally high expectations after a disappointing end to the strong 2022 season. They started the season confidently, winning their first five games, before being temporarily halted by a three-game losing streak. However, they were able to turn it around finishing the season 12-5 – a record which earnt them a first round bye in the playoffs. Since then, they narrowly avoided an upset against the Green Bay Packers, before overturning a 17-point deficit to beat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers are now only one game away from winning their record-equalling 6^th Super Bowl.

So, what is there to look out for. Firstly, all eyes will be on the Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes (#15) who is looking to add a third Super Bowl ring to his collection in his young career. Mahomes has had a decent season, although has not been helped by many dropped catches from his receivers at various crucial points in games. He has managed to find some form in the post-season, throwing for 718 yards and 4 touchdowns across the 3 games. However, the real story is Mahomes counterpart on the 49ers – Brock Purdy (#13). Purdy has just completed his first whole season as starting quarterback, having originally been selected at the start of the 2022 season as an in case of emergency back-up. He has been helped by an all-star line-up including running back Christian McCaffrey (#23), who has scored 21 touchdowns in total this season, and he has led his team to the Super Bowl having fallen just short last year.

Who to root for? The age-old question, it depends on what you like. The Chiefs go into this game as underdogs, with not many people really expecting them to make it this year, so if you like rooting for the underdog, root for them. However, as previously mentioned, the Chiefs have a lot of recent history in the Super Bowl, so perhaps the 49ers will be more appealing to those who like change.

And if I haven’t convinced you to get excited about the match itself, there is always the half-time show to look forward to. The show, which has previously been headlined by the likes of Rihanna, the Weeknd, and Eminem, is almost as anticipated as the match itself. This year, Usher will be performing live to the 65,000 people crowded into Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, not to mention the 100,000,000+ people expected to watch on TV around the world.

So, there you have it, the Super Bowl in a nutshell. Hopefully, this has given you all you need to know about the Super Bowl and has inspired you to watch it.