In some Super Bowls, the players who can't play due to injury have just as big an impact on who wins and loses as the players who can. For Super Bowl LIV, that appears to be a non-issue. On Friday, the Chiefs and 49ers didn't have a single player not practice in full, and both teams are expected to have all of their players available to play when Sunday's game kicks off from Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
While Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf), tight ends Travis Kelce (knee) and Deon Yelder (Achilles) and center Austin Reiter (wrist) were full participants throughout the week, 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander (pec), running back Tevin Coleman (shoulder) and safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs) practiced in full on Friday after each player was limited during the team's Wednesday and Thursday practices.
It will be interesting to see how the return of Coleman, who suffered his shoulder injury during the early portions of the victory over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, will impact how the 49ers distribute their workload with regard to their backfield. With Coleman out, fellow running back Raheem Mostert, the team's third leading rusher behind Coleman during the regular season, ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns in the 49ers' 37-20 victory over the Packers.
The previous week, during the 49ers' divisional round victory over the Vikings, Coleman led the way with 105 yards and two scores on 22 carries. Mostert complemented Coleman's efforts with 58 yards and a score on 12 carries. A forgotten man in the 49ers' rushing attack has been Matt Breida, who was the team's second-leading rusher during the regular season. Given that Coleman may not be 100% recovered from his shoulder injury, fans should expect Mostert to receive the majority of the carries on Sunday, with Coleman and Breida also getting their touches.
A healthy Kelce, who recently dealt with an illness along with his injured knee, is also a positive sign for a Chiefs offense that finished fifth in the league in scoring during the regular season. Kelce, a Pro Bowler each year since 2015, will part of an attractive tight end matchup between himself and fellow Pro Bowler George Kittle, who earned All-Pro honors for the first time this season.
The Chiefs, according to SportsLine, are a 1.5-point favorite to defeat the 49ers. Kansas City is trying to win their second Super Bowl and first since defeating the Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The 49ers, who haven't won a Super Bowl in 25 years, are trying to join the Patriots and Steelers as six-time Super Bowl winners.
