Hall of Famers like Kansas City Chiefs to top San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58

PALM CITY — More than a dozen NFL greats descended upon Martin County’s Floridian National Golf Course Monday to pay homage to Reggie Jackson and his "Mr. October Celebrity Golf Classic" that raises money for his kids foundation.

The Palm Beach Post spoke to four Pro Football Hall of Famers about the completed playoffs and upcoming Super Bowl between Taylor Swift’s Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers: former Giants stud linebacker Lawrence Taylor, former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, ex-Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen and Houston Oilers gunslinger Warren Moon.

Lawrence Taylor, Hall of Fame inductee 1999

The great “LT” took his practice swings with an ever-present cigar.  The greatest passing-rushing linebacker in NFL history who won two Super Bowls (XXI and XXV) can’t see the Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce combo losing to the 49ers on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

“Mahomes is going to be tough to beat,’’ Taylor said. “He’s a great player but I’ll tell you who the most important player on that team is that tight end (Kelce). That tight end is killing everybody. Back in the day, if you had a good tight end who could play, you won. They’re doing great things together.’’

Asked if Kelce was a lot like Super-Bowl winning Giants TE Mark Bavaro, Taylor said, “Not as physical as Bavaro but this guy, he can find a hole in a defense, can catch it and then run the ball.’’

Mahomes is set for his fourth Super Bowl appearance in his seven seasons.

“I don’t see how you beat Mahomes,’’ Taylor said. “I just think Kansas City has been there. They know what it’s all about. Mahomes knows what it’s all about. The tight end is a great player. I don’t see KC losing.

"The Niners have got a real good tight end too (George Kittle), a nice running back (Christian McCaffrey) and it could be a great game. But I just can’t see Mahomes losing.’’

In the AFC championship game against Baltimore, Mahomes took a beating on some roughing-the-passer calls by the Ravens, who seemed intent on putting him on the sidelines. “LT’’ said he didn’t see those penalties and watches the NFL a little less now because of stricter rules penalizing pass rushers.

It was pointed out to Taylor one of the penalties came after the rusher banged his helmet against Mahomes’ helmet.

“Too rough?’’ he said. “What does that mean? That’s football. I’m cool with that. I laugh when I hear Tom Brady talk about the differences and the game’s getting softer. 'Hey Tom, you’re the one who benefitted from it. What are you complaining about. You wouldn’t have played 20-something years back in my day, no you wouldn’t have.'

“The time frame is different,’’ added Taylor, now 64. “Back in my era, it’s a different game, different rules. I don’t even know if I could’ve stayed on the field had I played under some of these rules.’’

Jim Kelly, Hall of Fame inductee 2002

Kelly is the only quarterback to be in - and lose - four straight Super Bowls (XXV to XXVIII). The first loss came at the hands of "LT" and “The Big Blue Wrecking Crew.’’

Asked if he and Taylor joke about the past, Kelly said, “Who?’’

Then Kelly, the former University of Miami great, laughed and said, “We joke all the time and I tell him you never ever sacked me. And he says, true, but I wanted to.’’

Kelly, whom has beaten cancer he says four times, still lives in Buffalo. His two daughters are crazy Bills fans and they suffered another brutal ending when Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying, 42-yard field goal wide right in the final two minutes.

Kelly said his initial reaction wasn’t reflecting on Scott Norwood’s “wide right’’ in Super Bowl XXV but he understood why many reminisced about the 47-yard miss in the closing seconds against the Giants in Tampa.

“I didn’t think about it until people started bringing it up,’’ Kelly said. “It goes to show one play can be the difference between winning and losing. I’ve been there, done that.

The Bills have yet to win the whole enchilada. “One thing I’m getting tired of to be honest is “next year, next year, next year’’ (for Buffalo),’’ Kelly said. “Even when I was playing, that was getting old. But you got to keep fighting. It’s frustrating, though, especially with my wife and two daughters being Bills freaks, screaming and yelling (at the TV).’’

As for his Super Bowl 58 pick, Kelly, 63, cautioned to pull the brakes regarding Mahomes as the G.O.A.T. and thinks the outcome can go either way. Mahomes has won two Super Bowls in his three prior appearances, including beating the 49ers in Miami Gardens in 2020.

“He’s awesome and definitely deserves to be in the conversation but it’s hard to beat what Tom Brady did,’’ Kelly said, referring to Brady's seven Super Bowl championships. “Tom was amazing. What Patrick’s done is very, very good but I wouldn’t put him number one in history yet. KC did beat the Bills, but it’s a flip of the coin because of what (49ers QB) Brock Purdy has done.’’

Warren Moon, Hall of Fame inductee 2006

Moon and Kelly are  the two best quarterbacks never to win a Super Bowl this side of Dan Marino. And Moon never even got to the final Sunday of the NFL season.

That’s why he appreciates Mahomes’ amazing four-in-seven-years spree. Brady won seven Super Bowls in 10 appearances.

“He doesn’t have to play as long as Tom did to be the best-ever,’’ said Moon, a nine-time Pro Bowler. “One of the things that separates Tom from anyone else is he had so many years in the league. He had much longer time to win that many. He went a 10-year stretch without winning one. If Patrick plays till 45, he’ll probably have that same number. But what he’s done in such a short time, you almost have to equate that to what Tom did over a long period.’’

Moon, who played for four teams, including the Oilers and Minnesota Vikings, finished his career in 2000 with the Chiefs. And he’s picking them.

“It’s going to be a great Super Bowl but Patrick’s going to be the difference,’’ Moon said. “The way he’s played in the playoffs this year after everyone wrote the Chiefs off, saying this wasn’t to be their year. But they flipped the switch when the playoffs started and have been a totally different team. Patrick hasn’t turned the ball over in the playoffs. He’s throwing high percentage and making big plays in winning time. You need someone who will make the big plays in winning time. He’s shown every game so far in the playoffs he can do that.’’

But Moon is duly impressed with Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 draft whom the casual sports fan may not have heard of until the playoffs. He’s the first seventh-rounder to start in the Super Bowl at quarterback.

“I don’t know why people don’t give him the credit he deserves, especially after the last two weeks,’’ Moon said. “He takes them down to the last drive two weeks ago (vs. Green Bay). And they win because of him and won Sunday (over Detroit) because of him. He didn’t play well the first half but made up for it in the second half during winning time. I don’t know what they’re waiting on. He really gets downgraded because he was a seventh-rounder and “Mr. Irrelevant.’’

Marcus Allen, Hall of Fame inductee 2003

Allen, who played his last five seasons with the Chiefs,  gives a death glare when asked if this year’s Super Bowl has more juice with Swift, Kelce’s girlfriend, being a part of the narrative.

“Now why would you say that,’’ Allen said.

“The best story would’ve been Detroit, unfortunately,’ Allen added of the losing team in the NFC Championship Game. “But that’s 'a story.' These are two franchises that have been to the Super Bowl many, many years. If it’s an old story, well, it might be the better game.’’

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Allen actually loves the coaching matchup as much as the quarterback matchup – Chiefs’ Andy Reid vs. Niners’ Kyle Shanahan.

“Players usually decide games but the coaching staffs could decide this,’’ Allen said. “Reid is an offensive mastermind and Shanahan has been great as well. Shanahan has a couple of weeks to create something the other team hasn’t seen. It’s a chess match even if there’s talent all over the field on both sides. It should be highly entertaining.’’

Super Bowl 58San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City ChiefsAllegiant Stadium, Las VegasFeb. 11, 6:30 p.m., CBS

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: LT, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Marcus Allen favor Chiefs over 49ers in Super Bowl