We had some fun with the Chiefs Wire last week when we went behind enemy lines to get a pulse of a football fan in Kansas City.

That was during the Bye though. With Super Bowl LIV just around the corner, we got back in touch with Charles Goldman of the Chiefs Wire to look ahead to the game and get a prediction before the final game of the season.

Niners Wire: We know all about Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, but who’s another weapon or two 49ers fans may not be aware of going into Sunday?

Charles Goldman: I expect the 49ers, like most teams, to try and takeaway Hill and Kelce. Naturally, that has left Sammy Watkins as the main weapon on offense. That’s what happened in the AFC championship game, but I think a different player is in for some shine during Super Bowl LIV.

Rookie WR Mecole Hardman has been lauded by his teammates as the most mature rookie they’ve seen. He led the NFL in yards per reception (20.7) among players with 25 receptions or more on the season. He’s a weapon with the ball in hands, currently leading all players remaining in the playoffs with an average of 9.7 yards after the catch. When targeting Hardman, Mahomes has a 151.0 passer rating, which is better than any other QB-WR combination this season according to Pro Football Focus.

It might take some prying to get Hill to admit it, but Hardman is just as fast and deadly in the open field. It just feels like it’s Hardman’s time to have a big game in the biggest of games.

NW: Do you think the Chiefs come out and try to defend San Francisco the same way they defended the Titans, and make Jimmy Garoppolo beat them?

CG: I think the Chiefs’ defenders are playing with a whole lot of confidence right now. The perception that they sold out to stop the run against the Titans isn’t exactly accurate. They let their corners play near the line of scrimmage, kept a single-high safety and had seven in the box on most snaps. They occasionally rolled an extra defender into the box when Tennessee went with heavier packages. I think they stick with that same strategy against the 49ers because it gives them a lot of flexibility when it comes to defending the deception that Kyle Shanahan likes to use. I don’t think they’ll let any player or scheme force them out of what they like to do on either side of the ball.

NW: For everything made about the Kansas City offense — their defense has been playing better lately. Who’s keyed their defensive success?

CG: Everybody from the top all the way down. Steve Spagnuolo has done an incredible job getting guys in a better position to make plays. Guys like Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark started to come on after learning the new system around Week 11. The team added free agent DL Mike Pennel and picked up LB Terrell Suggs on waivers and they’ve been big-time rotational pieces. You have some underrated guys like S Daniel Sorensen, CB Bashaud Breeland, DB Rashad Fenton, DB Kendall Fuller and CB Charvarius Ward stepping up and making plays.

One thing that is also important is that the defense is a bit more healthy than they were early on in 2019. Clark dealt with a neck injury early this season and some doctors suggested he should sit out the first six weeks of the season. He decided to play through it. Jones has dealt with a number of injuries this season, but even after his latest calf injury, he’s healthy.

NW: If the 49ers do take away the deep shots — can the Chiefs still rack up 35+ points?

CG: Absolutely. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid love to throw the ball around the field, and the deep ball is a big part of their game. But it’s easy to forget that just two seasons ago that this offense was predicated on ball control, long time-sucking drives and scoring in the red zone.

Against the Titans in the AFC title game, the Chiefs had drives that lasted four, five and seven minutes respectively. Not every play can be an 80-yard score, though, sometimes it does seem that way with Kansas City. If the Chiefs need to slow things down, they’re certainly capable of doing so with efficiency and effectiveness.

NW: Prediction. Go.

I feel like the national media is underrating how motivated the Chiefs are to go get the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The whole team is playing with this massive chip on their shoulder right now. Everybody counted them out at the midseason mark. The offense was too reliant on the passing game and Mahomes. The defense was still bad and couldn’t defend the run. Now that they’re in the big game — they’re favored — but they remember it wasn’t always that way. That type of motivation is dangerous and powerful. The team is out to shift the narrative and bring home a championship for those who have believed in them. Andy Reid, Clark Hunt and the entire Chiefs Kingdom. Chiefs win 35-21.