Dante Pettis was a player who managed to get the most of his receptions last season, averaging 17.5 yards per catch. And he was expected by many to be the San Francisco 49ers' #1 receiver coming into the 2019 season. Yet he has been virtually nowhere to be found this year.

Matt Breida was a workhorse in the San Francisco backfield last year, and he was a real godsend, considering that other running backs were banged up. But it looks very much as if he is being phased out of the offense.

Is it possible that either of these players could wind up being important to the Niners' cause in Super Bowl 54? It's an intriguing question - maybe - as the game approaches its 6:30 PM ET Sunday kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

At BetAnySports, where you can get reduced juice for better odds, along with real-time wagering through Sports Betting Ultra, the Kansas City Chiefs are the favorites:

Kansas City Chiefs -1.5
San Francisco 49ers +1.5

Over 54 points -110
Under 54 points -110

The Niners made a trade to move up in the draft and take a shot in the second round with Pettis, who is the son of former major league outfielder Gary Pettis and brother of "Days of Our Lives" star Kyler Pettis. Incredibly athletic, he showed his big-play ability to lead the team in per-reception average. And he was able to accomplish this largely playing with backup QB's Nick Mullens and CJ Beathard, in the absence of Jimmy Garoppolo.

And coming into the season, Pettis was seen as someone who could become the primary downfield target of Jimmy G, with tight end George Kittle taking care of the intermediate routes.

Things haven't turned out that way. Pettis, in the opinion of some members of the staff, has concentrated too much on overwhelming opponents with his pure athletic ability. But this is the NFL, where that doesn't always happen.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan insists that he has faith in Pettis, but there is no question that he landed in the doghouse. And when he dropped a couple of passes in critical situations in the team's loss to Seattle, the door pretty much got shut on him. Meanwhile, rookie Deebo Samuel emerged as a dependable target, and veteran Emmanuel Sanders was acquired and became a key guy.

So there have been no plays for him since Week 12. But he'll be in uniform, and in certain special situations, Shanahan could use his speed to advantage. Sanders still holds out some hope for his future: "I think with a guy like Dante, just give him more time and he’s going to step onto the scene and he’s gonna go crazy like he did at (the University of) Washington," he says.

Most think he won't get any snaps. And maybe that would be an interesting prop.

Breida is a somewhat different story than Pettis. He has usually contributed when asked. He was pressed into extended duty last year and averaged 5.3 yards per carry, which was fifth in the NFL in that category. This season he's gained 623 yards on a 5.1-yard average, with 19 receptions.

But he has had a hard time getting on the field recently. Breida has seen just 34 offensive snaps over the last five games, with only 17 carries. In the Divisional round against Minnesota, he had 17 yards on eight carries and lost a fumble. Tevin Coleman had 105 yards in that game.

Against Green Bay the next week, he was on the field for two offensive plays. And this was the game where Raheem Mostert took over, with 220 yards.

So this raises questions as to whether Breida will play any kind of a role at all. While we didn't see any props involving Pettis, here is what BetAnySports posted about Breida's first carry in SB LIV:

Breida first rush attempt under 3.5 yards (or no rush attempts) -150

Breida first rush attempt over 3.5 yards +130

It is entirely possible that Breida won't carry the ball. But we're thinking that he may see more action than some folks think. That's because of the status of Coleman, who dislocated a shoulder two weeks ago. He'll probably play, but we wonder what kind of burden he can really handle. Coleman is the guy who added a pass-catching element to the backfield. But Breida has an 86.4% catch rate, which is extremely high.

Let's hope he makes a comeback. If the Chiefs gear up to slow down Mostert, it would help Shanahan to have as many options as possible at his disposal.

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