Going into Super Bowl LIV, the Kansas City Chiefs are a slight favorite over the San Francisco 49ers, but if the Microsoft Xbox battle is any guide, viewers might be in for an upset on Sunday.
San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman bested Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce 21-16 in “Madden NFL 20” on Xbox One X Live, as the two NFL superstars played in Miami in Tuesday’s Xbox Sessions: Game before the Game episode.
Sherman, who signed with San Francisco in 2018 after spending the entirety of his career in Seattle, won 50 Xbox One X consoles and a copy of the “Madden NFL 20” video game to give to his charity, Blanket Coverage, the Richard Sherman Family Foundation.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 28: Travis Kelce and Richard Sherman join the annual Xbox Sessions: Game Before the Game at M3 Studios on Jan. 28, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Xbox)
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When asked if he used the same strategy playing against Kelce as he does on the field, Sherman, 31, said there was some similarity. “On the defensive side you try to contain,” the Pro Bowl cornerback said. “On Sunday, we need to make tackles.”
The Chiefs are a 1.5 point favorite over the 49ers, according to data provided by Fox Bet.
Despite this being his third Super Bowl, Sherman added that this is what every NFL player dreams of. “[The Super Bowl] is the pinnacle and peak of our sport,” he explained. “It’s what everyone dreams of as a kid…it all comes together at the end and you’re thankful for your teammates and coaches.”
Kelce, on the other hand, will be playing in his first Super Bowl and is taking the experience in after the Chiefs fell short last year to the New England Patriots.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 28: Travis Kelce and Richard Sherman join the annual Xbox Sessions: Game Before the Game at M3 Studios on January 28, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Xbox)
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“You have to be a well-rounded team to even get this opportunity…It’s a fun match-up and I know I’m excited to play in the Super Bowl,” the seventh-year tight end out of the University of Cincinnati said.
He added that the game plan on Sunday will be stopping the run and “[getting] the tight ends involved.” During the 2019 regular season, Kelce caught 97 passes for 1,229 yards and 5 touchdowns. In the postseason, he’s added another 13 catches, good for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns.
For Kansas City’s sake, Kelce will need to perform better on the field than he did on the screen on Tuesday.
“The last time I played Madden the Left and Right Trigger were still the Juke buttons,” the affable Kelce quipped.
