Super Bowl headliners Chiefs, 49ers ready for spotlight

When Las Vegas was awarded the Super Bowl, the hype machine automatically kicked into overdrive.

After all, what could possibly top putting America's biggest sporting party in the US party capital?

In the week-long build-up to the championship game, Las Vegas - with the help of a headline-grabbing romance between Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce and mega popstar Taylor Swift - delivered the glitz and glamour as promised.

Now the spotlight locks on to the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, who will be expected to come up with a finish worthy of the biggest show on the strip on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

The game could be a watershed moment for the NFL, with predictions it might produce the biggest viewership numbers since Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.

On paper, the match-up is a compelling one that has all the ingredients of a Super Bowl classic, reflected in a betting line with no clear-cut favourite.

The reigning champions Chiefs, making a fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons, take on the 49ers, who with a win will bring home a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy and join the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots for the most titles.

Adding a bit of bad blood, the contest is a rematch of the 2020 title clash when the 49ers took a 10-point lead into the final quarter, before the Chiefs roared back and scored 21 unanswered points for a 31-20 victory.

Patrick Mahomes was the quarterback for that game, taking most valuable player honours, and will likely have to produce another MVP-type effort if Kansas City are to become the first team since the Patriots in 2004 and 2005 to claim back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.

While Mahomes brings experience, his opposite number Brock Purdy possesses an underdog attraction and storyline that seems destined to one day be turned into a Disney movie.

Being the very last player selected in the 2022 draft held in Las Vegas earned him the dubious distinction of being dubbed "Mr Irrelevant", but he returns to Sin City a first-string quarterback.

"Honestly, people can overlook you and tell you all they want to tell about yourself, but at the end of the day it comes down to just believing in yourself," said Purdy, who was in the NFL's MVP discussion for much of the season.

"So obviously being drafted last, and then getting to where we are now and playing in the Super Bowl, can turn into something pretty beautiful."

In just his second season, the unflappable 24-year-old has been the cool hand at the controls of the 49ers' high-octane attack that features dynamic running back Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL in rushing with 1459 rushing yards this season.

Purdy has plenty of other weapons at his disposal, including reliable tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

While Purdy is a bit of an unknown commodity, Mahomes' credentials are well established.

With a magician-like sleight-of-hand and an ability to pull off Houdini-style escapes, Mahomes has established himself in six seasons as an elite NFL quarterback.

The 28-year-old already has 14 career post-season victories, drawing comparisons to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

Like the 49ers, Kansas City have a well-equipped offensive arsenal, but Mahomes' go-to guy in clutch situations is Kelce.

The Pro-Bowl tight end may currently be making more headlines as Swift's boyfriend, but on the field he is a dangerous game-changer.

In the conference finals against the Baltimore Ravens, Kelce passed Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most catches in play-off history when he brought in his 152nd post-season reception.

He also amassed more than 100 yards receiving for the day, which tied him with Rice for the most 100-plus yards receiving games in the post-season with eight.

With two of the NFL's most brilliant coaching minds on the sidelines, Super Bowl XVIII will be an absorbing chess match between 49ers' coach Kyle Shanahan and the Chiefs' Andy Reid.

The 44-year-old Shanahan, whose father Mike won the Super Bowl in 1998 and 1999 as head coach of the Denver Broncos, is in his seventh season at the helm of the 49ers and still seeking that elusive championship.

Reid, 65, enters the game as only the fourth coach to reach the Super Bowl at least five times, joining Bill Belichick (nine), Don Shula (six) and Tom Landry (five).