Fox’s game announcers — play-by-play man Joe Buck and analyst Troy Aikman — huddle with Steve Serby to discuss what to expect in Super Bowl 2020 between the Chiefs and 49ers.

Aikman: I don’t see one that’s outside the norm necessarily, but I could see a guy — and I don’t know if Sammy Watkins would be viewed as an X factor, but I could see that there’s gonna be so much attention paid to Tyreek Hill and then Travis Kelce that I could see one of those other guys playing a big role.

Buck: Maybe [Mecole] Hardman returning kicks. We are in the stadium where Devin Hester started a Super Bowl [XLI] with a bang.

Buck: In the rain. These are two dynamic teams with two really good offenses, so you tend to go to the usual guys. But I think if there’s gonna be an X factor, it’s gonna be somebody returning a kick.

Aikman: I will say I expect [Jimmy] Garoppolo to play really great. … I saw him in New Orleans [349 passing yards, four touchdowns in a 48-46 Week 14 win]. I think he’s playing with great confidence. I saw him in Week 17 in Seattle in a must-win game. When you think what was at stake in that game, a lot at stake in that New Orleans game as far as playoff seeding. I know he’s had some moments where you kind of scratch your head a little bit, but I’ve seen him play phenomenal on a big stage already. And I think the narrative that I’ve read anyway or that’s being said over the first two playoff games, I don’t think it’s fair to him. He’s played well when he’s thrown the ball. I mean, I know he had the interception to [Minnesota’s Eric] Kendricks, but I would expect him to come out and play well, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised if San Francisco came out early in this ballgame and turned it loose.

Aikman: Well, they’ll win it if they’re able to control San Francisco’s running game. And I think they’re capable of doing that. I think their front seven is underrated. I think they’re a better group than they probably get credit for. I do believe their secondary’s for real. I think they match up pretty well against San Francisco. I will also say, though, that at the end of the season, they were better, they improved, but they weren’t playing great running teams. They did do a great job against Derrick Henry. I think what they’re about to face from San Francisco is, although a similar scheme, I think this is a much better scheme. So it’ll be a tough test for them. I think they’re gonna have to do that to win the game.

Buck: They control Patrick Mahomes, and they don’t let him get out on the edges. The way I see it, you can cover guys, you can get pressure on Mahomes, and it all goes to hell when he gets out of the pocket and can either run or throw on the run from different angles. I think that’s what makes him great. To me, that’s the key, and that’s always been the key against somebody like Patrick Mahomes. He’s that great, he’s that dynamic, and he has the ability to take over a game as the two teams know that they just played.

Aikman: It’s pretty intimidating. I mean, they’re good, they’re really good. They’ve got four first-round picks that can get after the quarterback [Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner and Dee Ford], and … I think they’re very well-coached on every facet of their game. I think [defensive coordinator Robert] Saleh is really, really good, I think Kyle [Shanahan, head coach] is excellent. They’ll have some things, but I think Joe’s 100 percent right, that that front four not only has to keep Mahomes in the pocket, but they gotta get to him, and they gotta get to him in a hurry. There’s not many, if any, secondaries that can hold up against this group for very long.

Aikman: Everything gets compared to Favre if you’re just a little reckless I guess with the ball. … I don’t find him to be reckless with the ball. I think he’s got amazing confidence in his arm strength. He threw four interceptions and hasn’t thrown any in the postseason. So he recognizes, and the reason for that is he has a great feel for coverages. He sees it. It’s a bit of a lost art in young quarterbacks. He sees coverages, he knows where to go with the football, and then he moves defenders to create even more space for these guys, and he’s able to navigate the pocket and slide without ever looking at the rush. And so his eyes are always downfield. I love Favre, Favre’s a very close friend of mine, but I think at some point it’s time to let’s say Patrick Mahomes does a great Patrick Mahomes impersonation.

Buck: It depends on who wins, but how is it not one of these high-price quarterbacks? If San Francisco wins, it’ll be Garoppolo. If Kansas City wins, it’s gonna be Mahomes. That’s a roundabout way of saying: Who do I like in this game? I’ve literally gone back and forth on this. The last few Super Bowls we’ve done, I felt like I had a really good feel for who was gonna win, and I just literally don’t have one. I would go with a team with a better defense, and I think that’s San Francisco, but that doesn’t mean anything.

Aikman: I would say the same. It’ll be one of these quarterbacks, because I think that’s what it’s gonna take. I think for either team to win, the quarterback’s gonna have to be the difference.

Aikman: You know what? It’s the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning question. I would say I’d let Joe get first pick and I’d be thrilled with whoever I get. I think the world of both of ’em, they’re the two best, and what I love about ’em, I think they’re very unselfish guys first and foremost. And I know Kittle more than I do Kelce. I love the fact that they love playing the game. That’s what we saw from [Rob] Gronkowski, and that’s what makes them who they are, and they’re great teammates. So I love ’em both. I hope they both play great. I hope we’ll be able to celebrate them in front of a big audience.

Aikman: (chuckle) Is this for print? Look, we didn’t avoid Deion Sanders when I was playing. I wouldn’t avoid him, I just think you gotta be real smart when you’re throwing it in his direction.

Buck: I just think it’s gonna be a natural segue, because I’m sure they’re gonna be multiple players with some sort of tribute to him. What stands out to me is what he was as a father. I’m not the biggest NBA fan — I admired him from a distance, I watched every minute of his last game and saw the 60 he put up — but to hear the stories about him as a father and to see the look on his face when he’s holding his girls in these pictures that keep flooding us all, that’s what gets me. So I’ll probably lean more that way when it is brought up, not if.

Aikman: I thought it was fantastic. … There was such an uncertainty, first of all, whether or not [Eli Manning was ruled] down. And I thought that it was a natural reaction to the way that the play unfolded. First we thought he was sacked? Then, did [Tyree] catch the ball (chuckle)? Did he not catch the ball? I thought it was a great moment.

Buck: I thought it was one of the most difficult calls I’ve ever had to make in a big moment. Because to me, there were six arms, one ball, one helmet, three bodies, a referee and a lot of things going to the ground at the same time, so I kind of took a leap of faith. It looked complete, but it wasn’t 100 percent sure. When you watch it on the replay, it’s a lot different than when you watch it live. So I thought it was appropriate for the moment. I wish it was bigger because of what that catch meant and what it led to for the Giants. But I have to live with what comes out of my mouth in the moment, and when I look back on it, I think that’s about as sure as I could have been.

Aikman: I think he’s been phenomenal. I think it’s been a great partnership with him and Kyle. Smart guy, he’d be the first to tell you he’s still learning, but he’s got good people around him. He’s made some great moves. They’ve had great conviction in how they wanted to build that. I couldn’t be prouder for him.

Aikman: High scoring like in the 30s? I don’t see that kind of game. I don’t think it’s gonna be a low-scoring game either. I think it’s gonna be a 27-24-, 28-25-type game.

Buck: You’re asking me if you should bet the over or the under?

Buck: I see points. It depends on what you consider high scoring, but I could see both teams being over 30. I just hope it’s a good game. We’ve done a blowout in the Super Bowl. We’ve done tight games in a Super Bowl. The tight games are preferable.

Aikman: I wouldn’t know. I could ask you, “Do you think this guy, who’s in the Hall of Fame, do you think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame?” You’d say yes, and then if I asked you about another player who’s not in the Hall of Fame ’cause your reasoning for why that guy got in was because of yards. And then if I said, “Well what about this guy? He’s not in the Hall of Fame,” you’d say, well I don’t think he should be. Well, why? He’s thrown for more yards than that guy. For me, you either know if a guy’s in the Hall of Fame or you don’t. I don’t think it takes people up lobbying for a day about somebody’s candidacy. I think people either know that that guy is a Hall of Fame player or coach, and you vote and you go with it. Andy’s a terrific coach. I think he’s had a huge impact. I guess the question that I pose is, if you can’t tell the story of the NFL without talking about that particular person, then he should probably be in the Hall of Fame, and I don’t know how you tell the story of the NFL without talking about Andy Reid.

Buck: My answer’s always been, whether I’m talking to The New York Post or the Pittsburgh Gazette, it’s the Plaxico Burress [Super Bowl XLII] touchdown. Because of what it meant, what led to it. It put them on top in a tight fourth quarter. My heart was in my throat. And then I was proud of our director in our truck for the job he did finding Peyton Manning celebrating in a luxury suite. I didn’t talk after it. It was just a beautiful moment.

Aikman: I still don’t have an answer (chuckle).

Buck: It’s like when I order dinner and I’m doing it slow so my wife can come up with something to order.

Aikman: There were great games, but … I mean, the Julian Edelman catch [Super Bowl LI against the Falcons] was phenomenal. We didn’t know what that was gonna lead to at the time, and the Tyree catch was great. As far as a moment other than … I don’t know? We’ve been a part of some really great games and there’s been some really great moments within those games, but probably those two plays are the ones that stick out the most to me.

Aikman: He says we met — he like covered a game of mine late in my career, I don’t recall that … probably ’cause he was on the sixth crew and I didn’t pay attention to those crews (smile), and we were not very good — but I don’t recall meeting him for the first time until we had our press conference with Cris Collinsworth.

Buck: (interrupting) Choppy.

Aikman: (chuckle) That’s a really great question. I would say that Joe’s got an ease about him. There’s no one that prepares more than Joe. I think that there’s an element of him that doesn’t want people to know that … certainly doesn’t want it to come across on air like that. I think he wants kind of an ease and a comfort like you’re just sitting there hearing a really great friend talk to you about the game. And he’s got great timing for when the moments are big. He’s got a great ability, something that I still don’t have 20 years later, of when to interject a meaningful story. I’m always sitting there going, “OK, is this the right time?” You know? But he always has a great feel for the moment. And then, he’s a wordsmith. I think he’s able to put things into context and say it in a way that really resonates. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had tough, touchy things to discuss, some heartfelt moments to get through, and he does it better than anybody I’ve ever been around.

Buck: I think he’s got one of the most impactful voices in the NFL. His broadcasting style is evolving. I say that because I think when we started and it was Cris, Troy and me, he’d pick his spots. Now I think he’s willing to step into some tight spots with opinion that maybe 10 years ago he wasn’t doing. It’s a blessing and a curse, and I’ve said this forever about Troy — when he says something, people notice. And that’s good and bad. I think other broadcasters in our business that aren’t as accomplished on the field [and] don’t have kind of the respect that Troy has, they can get away with a lot more stuff. If he’s gonna really give you a harsh opinion on something, he’s gonna hear about it. And those people he’s talking about it are gonna hear about it. So that’s good and bad. It’s power, but it’s be-careful-how-you-use-that power. He’s just a good partner. And I know that he’s rooting for me the way I root for him. I’d rather him have the greatest game of his life on Sunday and that way we’ll be really great.

Buck: We’re basically the same age. We’ve had a lot of the same life experiences. Both dads of two daughters. And from Day 1, when we got paired together, I asked him to come to my charity tournament, and there he was. I knew after working with him for a month, why he won three Super Bowls. Because he’s the most-prepared guy I’ve ever worked with. And, if he’s talking about a coverage, if he’s talking about a blitz, if he’s talking about a blocking scheme, he’s not pulling it out of thin air. He’s researched it, thought about it and that’s a great feeling to know that you’re with somebody that isn’t just throwing stuff against the wall. That’s what makes him great.

Buck: Yeah it’s kinda funny. I’m 50, you’re what, 52?

Aikman: [Fifty]-three.

Buck: I can tell you that I remember the guys that came before him, but when I was really paying attention to the NFL, that’s when he was Troy Aikman. You just could tell, and maybe this is me after the fact knowing him as well as I do now, that he was a no-nonsense, I’m gonna drive the ball right down your throat and you’re gonna not be able to do anything about it [guy]. He’s a leader. He leads us, too, on the broadcast.

Aikman: Well, I hope, No. 1, that they feel that we covered it, right? That they came away understanding exactly what happened in the ballgame, big moments, and we’re able to analyze that. I don’t question that we won’t do that. And I hope that there’s a bit of levity and some entertainment that goes along with it. Joe’s talked about it, that you get into a game like this and there’s a lot to it. As you well know, it’s not like any other game. It’s not for us, it’s not for the players, or the coaches for that matter, or anybody. And so there’s a tendency then to really play it safe, close to the vest. I think if anything now, with this being our sixth Super Bowl together, that we still realize the magnitude of this game and what it means, but I also feel that we are in a position to just continue to do what we do. And what we do is, yeah, we cover football, but we’re not, and I’m not, interested in breaking down every single play and talking about the drop-step by this right guard. … I don’t know that people want to hear all that. So I think us covering it and having an element that we can just pull back a little bit, have a little bit of fun. Not fun at anyone’s expense, not fun at taking away from the game, but just make it loose and enjoyable.

Aikman: With Collinsworth? That game’s a bit of a blur to me. I’ll speak for me: I was in my fourth year of broadcasting. We’d been together for three years. … That was probably the one we were the [closest] to the vest (chuckle) — I don’t care, just cover the game and let’s not go too far here. In a lot of ways I look at it like, we hope that — or I do; I won’t speak for Joe — that people get out of our broadcast what they typically get on any other broadcast we do, that they realize that, gosh, these guys are comfortable, they’re doing the game just like they always have.

Buck: I feel pressure, but I don’t feel any more pressure, I don’t think, than I did last Sunday in Santa Clara [Calif.] in the NFC Championship game or a World Series Game 7 or a U.S. Open. I don’t think you can treat things differently, because it means you’re not as clued in in the other broadcasts. Yeah, it’s a little bit more intense, but my answer to the question is, if an honest opinion of what we did is we told you why one team won and one team lost, and that we sound like what we are, which is really good friends and we enjoyed it.

Buck: My dad would have loved him, because my dad was the hardest-working man I know … the hardest-working man I ever met. I saw him walk out of our door many times going to many different events and many different mediums — radio, TV, college shows, whatever, and he valued hard work. And he also had fun. I mean, I think I’m a lot like him. But since I enjoy the hell out of Troy Aikman, I know he would have enjoyed the hell out of Troy Aikman.

Aikman: [John] Madden and [Pat] Summerall, for sure. Dick Enberg was a guy I listened to when I was growing up. … Vin Scully. I loved Don Meredith. I’m maybe in the minority, I liked Howard Cosell (chuckle). I liked Frank Gifford, I liked that whole team. I’ve enjoyed Dan Fouts over the years when he was with Monday night. Again, I’m in the minority, but I watch games a little differently than most. I’m not looking at it to get educated by football. I liked Dennis Miller in the booth. I knew him personally, and he made me laugh, a little quirky and all that. At the time, I just kind of watched and not even realized that eventually I’d get into the sport, but it’s fun now when we go back, especially on NFL Network, and the other day I was watching a broadcast, it was a Super Bowl, I believe, and it was Madden and Summerall. And just listening to John again, that was fun. It was great for me to listen to him now 20 years into the business and having a much better appreciation for what made him so great.