Stephon Gilmore believes the Kansas City Chiefs will end their 50-year championship drought next Sunday in Miami.
Speaking with reporters at Wednesday’s Pro Bowl practice in Orlando, the New England Patriots cornerback predicted the Chiefs will defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
Why? The Patrick Mahomes factor.
“I think Kansas City wins,” Gilmore said, via ESPN’s Dianna Russini. “I just feel like they have a lot of weapons. Mahomes is the — he’s tough to go against. I played against him a lot of times, and he’s the toughest guy I’ve played against since I’ve been playing — besides Tom (Brady). But he’s great.”
Gilmore and Mahomes have squared off four times since the former joined the Patriots and the latter became Kansas City’s starting quarterback in 2017, with each winning twice.
New England’s defense held Mahomes and Co. below 25 points when the teams met in Week 14 of this season — the Chiefs had averaged 37.7 points over the previous three meetings — but the Patriots lost 23-16 in a game marred by several blown calls, including one on a Gilmore fumble recovery.
Kansas City lost to New England in overtime in the 2018 AFC Championship Game but took down the Tennessee Titans on that same stage last week to set up a Super Bowl matchup with Jimmy Garoppolo’s Niners.
Gilmore was one of three Patriots players voted to this year’s Pro Bowl, joining linebacker Dont’a Hightower and special teamer Matthew Slater. Hightower pulled out of the annual all-star game due to injury.
