The Chiefs weren't blowing anyone out last year, that was the worst Chiefs team in the last 4 years. That doesn't change if you drop the 49ers in the AFC they likely don't even make the AFC championship game.
[Reply]

As soon as they have to pay him their advantage leaves because right now they are the epitome of stars and scrubs.
[Reply]

Chiefs always get everyone's best shot and they took care of the Dolphins in the playoffs fairly easily so the whole Chiefs can't blow anyone out is a bit overblown. NFL is simply a tough league and everyone wants to beat the top dog.

With how much parity there is in the NFL it's hard to say but in my opinion 49ers could beat Ravens, Bills, etc. I don't see a huge gap in the AFC-NFC conferences like it was when the Bills were making their SBs in the 90s.
[Reply]

Not 100% positive, but I think that’s right.
[Reply]

It means nothing until they PROVE it
[Reply]

I actually disagree with that, I think if you moved Baltimore and Buffalo to the NFC both Lamar and Allen would have SB appearances.
[Reply]

Yes Elijah Mitchell is there, he gets hurt alot though.
[Reply]

I’m not sure Buffalo and Baltimore are better than SF heading into this year. Both those teams took a step back.

Texans and Chiefs are definitely a step above but I’m not sure I would take the Bengals over SF either. It’s close.

I think the Eagles will be a lot better as well, especially with Saquon helping that specific offense.
[Reply]

This year, no, the last couple of years yea.

I just don't buy into the Eagles, their HC is a douche and that energy can only last so long.
[Reply]

Bills and Ravens have the better QB. They'll still be good.
[Reply]

Granted the 49ers can play with the Ravens, Texans, Bengals and Bills and maybe the eagles can... but the the 3rd NFL team really starts falling off. Getting bye 1 maybe 2 50/50 games to get to the super bowl is a lot easier path.
[Reply]

This is one of those situations where it’ll always come back to “well.. they didn’t win a Super Bowl so their decisions sucked”.

I think that ignores a lot of factors, though. People forget that Mitch Trubisky was drafted before Mahomes. Watson was probably ahead of Mahomes on many team’s boards as well.

It’s just as likely that the 9ers draft one of those scrubs and end up in a worse position than the route they took led them to.

Eh, I do think the AFC is the tougher conference but I think they’re right about the same level as the elite teams in the AFC on most given years. They won 13 games in 2019 and 2022 and 12 in 2023. 2021 was the only year that they were sort of a dark horse.

At the end of the 2023 regular season, I’d have put the Ravens at the top with the 9ers as second best in the league.
[Reply]

This.

If San Fran was in the AFC they wouldn't have made the AFC title game.
[Reply]

Hollywood, Worthy, Rice, little lesser Kelce. CMC needs to really eat clock
[Reply]

Yeah - they can't really lose CMC. He's uniquely well-suited for their offense.

He's not a RB in the purest sense of the word - he's an offensive weapon. In an era where elite WRs are getting $35 million, it seems paying $19 million for a guy you can use in the passing game OR between the tackles is a better use of resources.

He's a real problem to deal with.
[Reply]