Super Bowl 57 – Sunday, February 12, 2023 @ 6:30 P.M. on FOX

Nathan – 31-14 Eagles

It’s been 154 days. 22 weeks. 5 months. 284 games. We have reached the final game of the 2022-2023 NFL season. The battle between two brothers. The “Andy Reid” Bowl. It’s the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57. What has been yet another fantastic football season now ends with this showdown in Glendale, Arizona. Two teams who finished with the same records and same total points during the season now get to face-off to crown a champion. 

For the Eagles, their Conference Championship game featured some very interesting moments that had a significant impact on the outcome. For starters, on the first drive of the game, the Eagles converted a fourth down from midfield, but after replay was shown, it was clear Devonta Smith didn’t complete the process of the catch. Fortunately for the Eagles, they hurried to the line and ran another play before it could be reviewed. That drive resulted in a touchdown for the birds, putting them up 7-0. The following drive, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was sacked by Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick, and was forced out of the game with an arm injury. Backup Josh Johnson had to come in, and Purdy wouldn’t throw one more pass the rest of the game. San Francisco’s offense struggled to find a rhythm with Johnson under center, and the Eagles pass rush was simply too much to handle. When the Niners looked to their run game for a spark, that wasn’t available either, as the Eagles defense stood their ground. Facing the top defense in the league, the Eagles continued to dominate on offense, running the ball for 148 yards and had 15 more minutes of possession. The Eagles scored four rushing touchdowns and forced 3 turnovers on their way to a 31-7 win, an NFC Championship, and a spot in Super Bowl 57.

The Chiefs Conference Championship game presented an opportunity to avenge their AFC Championship game loss from last season in a rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals. In a game many thought the Bengals would prevail, Kansas City came out on top, 23-20. Patrick Mahomes looked sharp, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs defense also played very well, holding Joe Burrow and the Bengals passing attack to 236 yards. Knowing it was going to be a difficult task, the Kansas City defense stepped up. Facing a Cincinnati offensive line that was banged up, Chris Jones and the Chiefs pass rush sacked Burrow five times and helped force him into two interceptions. In a game that was back and forth for much of the time, it came down to the Chiefs defense to make some plays down the stretch to set them up for the win. Sure enough, with under two minutes to play, the defense for Kansas City forced a Bengals punt, in which the Chiefs returned to midfield. A few plays later, Patrick Mahomes was hit late out of bounds, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty that set up Harrison Butker for a 45-yard game winning field goal that sent the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.

Looking ahead to this showdown in the Super Bowl, a major storyline will be how the Chiefs offensive line can protect Patrick Mahomes against the ferocious pass rush of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles had 70 sacks in the regular season to lead the league, and have continued that dominance so far in the playoffs. Nonetheless, the Chiefs allowed the third-fewest amount of sacks, 26, and have done a fine job protecting Mahomes during the postseason. With the Eagles defense having thrived on getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the play of the Kansas City offensive line is going to have to be excellent if the Chiefs are going to win this game. My biggest concern is the last time the Chiefs played a solid pass rush in the Super Bowl, they scored only nine points. I see this game possibly turning into a very similar game where the Chiefs struggle to move the ball on offense and find a rhythm. However, if this Chiefs pass protection holds up, receivers will free open down the field and Mahomes will find his targets. Stopping this Eagles pass rush is not going to happen, but containing them as much as possible will have to be a priority for Kansas City Sunday evening. 

Offensively for the Eagles, the run game will have to be a major factor if the Vince Lombardi Trophy is going to go to Philadelphia. This team finished as a fifth-best rushing attack in the league during the regular season, averaging just shy of 150 yards per game. They have averaged over 200 yards per game on the ground during the postseason. This has translated into a dominance in time of possession, which would be crucial for the Eagles on Sunday. In the passing game, Jalen Hurts will have many options of where to throw the football, especially if their offensive line holds strong. This line has played so well this season that it’s very difficult to slow down the run game and get pressure on the quarterback during passing plays. If this line blocks the way they have been, Hurts will be able to get outside the pocket and look to push the ball downfield. If nothing is open, however, this creates an opportunity for him to take off and run, something he was very successful at during the regular season. Having all these options on offense will pose a large threat to this Kansas City Chiefs defense, and it’s one that I think will be too difficult for them to overcome. 

Game planning for the Chiefs offense is no easy task, but the Eagles should know what they will look for. Losing Tyreek Hill was huge, so now the Eagles biggest concern will most definitely be Travis Kelce. The problem for the Chiefs is that they haven’t shown a true second threat that opposing defenses need to be concerned about. Getting the ball to other receivers won’t be easy, but it’s something that Mahomes will have to do, especially if the birds double-team Kelce. As if facing the league’s top pass defense from the regular season wasn’t difficult enough, Mahomes has to find open teammates fast before the pocket collapses. This seems to be too tough of a challenge for the Chiefs, and one that I believe will truly have an effect on the way this game shapes out. Andy Reid is going to have to get very creative with his playcalling and mix-up the runs and passes to try and move this Eagles defense around. A way for Kansas City to possibly hurt the Eagles is going up-tempo and not allowing Philly defenders to substitute and get a rest. It just seems as though the Chiefs need too much to work out in their favor to be able to win this game. 

Looking at the defenses, there is a big gap in the talent between the two teams. After Chris Jones, there haven’t really been any ‘standout’ players for the Chiefs defense this postseason and overall during the year. Many of their guys have had significant contributions, but it hasn’t been as significant as some of the Eagles defenders. First off, the Chiefs already have their hands full having to deal with the league leader in sacks Haason Reddick, who finished the regular season with 19.5 sacks. Not only did the Eagles have the leader in sacks, they also had the leader in interceptions, CJ Gardner-Johnson, who finished with six on the season. These two highlighted Philadelphia’s second-best total defense during the year. Also, the Eagles defense as a whole finished with 27 takeaways, which was a tie for the third-most in the league. 

Seeing these stats and having watched both of these teams so far in the postseason, I truly believe that this game could get out of hand very quickly, with the Eagles running away with the game right from the start, and leaving the Chiefs in the dust. This matchup reminds me of Super Bowl 55, where the Buccaneers pass rush and rushing attack dominated the Chiefs in a 31-9 victory. I see a lot of similarities with that Tampa Bay roster and this year’s Eagles roster. Seeing how Mahomes and the offense struggled that game, I fully expect Jonathan Gannon and this Eagles defense to play a very similar game and take control. While many believe we will see a tightly contested battle, I think the Eagles dominate and comfortably win this ballgame. 

As we are now just days away from this highly anticipated Super Bowl, it is exciting to see how Kansas City tries to attack this Eagles defense and slow down their offense. With much talent on both teams and both sides of the football, all fans watching this game will most definitely be entertained throughout. Even though Kansas City has had a great run, the Eagles are going to be the team flying high in the desert on Sunday night. 

Maggie – 30-27 Chiefs

The stage is set for a great matchup as Super Bowl LVII features the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 57th Super Bowl will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the Arizona Cardinals. State Farm Stadium is a dome, but features natural grass on a field that rolls outside so the stadium can be used for other events. Since the game is taking place at a neutral site, neither team will have home-field advantage.

Let’s take a look to see how these two teams got here.

The Kansas City Chiefs finished the regular season with a 14-3 record, the best record in the AFC. They earned the number one seed in the AFC and got the first round bye as well as home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Chiefs took on the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in the Divisional Round. This game was a rematch of their game from week 10 when the Chiefs beat the Jaguars 27-17. The score in their playoff game was similar to their first meeting as the Chiefs beat the surging Jaguars, winners of their previous six games, by a score of 27-20. However, Patrick Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain in the process of this win and his status for their next game was in question.

In the AFC Conference Championship Game, the Chiefs took on the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that had beat them in their last three meetings. This game was also a rematch of a game earlier in the season, but this time Mahomes wasn’t 100% healthy. The Bengals beat the Chiefs 27-24 in week 13, but that game took place in Cincinnati. The Bengals were so confident heading into this game that some of them were referring to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, as Burrowhead Stadium after their star quarterback, Joe Burrow. The Chiefs won the game by a score of 23-20. After a somewhat controversial penalty call on the Bengals defense put the Chiefs in field goal range, Harrison Butker’s field goal with eight seconds left sealed the victory for the Chiefs and sent them back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl LV when they lost to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Philadelphia Eagles also finished the regular season with a 14-3 record, the best record in the NFC.  They earned the number one seed in the NFC and got the first round bye as well as home-field advantage in the playoffs

The Eagles took on their NFC East division foe, the New York Giants, in the Divisional Round. It was their third meeting of the season. The Eagles beat the Giants on the road in week 14 by a score of 48-22 and at home in week 18 by a score of 22-16. The Eagles scored another home victory over the Giants by a score of 38-7.

In the NFC Conference Championship Game, the Eagles took on the San Francisco 49ers, a matchup of the number one defense of the 49ers and number two defense of the Eagles. The 49ers came into the game as winners of 12 straight games including seven straight that were started by quarterback Brock Purdy, “Mr. Irrelevant” of the 2022 NFL draft. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Purdy sustained an injury and Josh Johnson, another backup quarterback, had to play. Johnson suffered a concussion forcing Purdy back into action, but it was clear that he couldn’t throw the ball. The Eagles could only manage 121 passing yards and 148 rushing yards, but were helped to get excellent starting field position due to the great play of their defense. As a result, the Eagles punched their ticket to the Super Bowl with a 31-7 victory.

Now let’s take a look to see how these two teams match up.

Head Coach:

Andy Reid has been an NFL head coach for 24 years.  He previously coached the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl, but lost to the New England Patriots. He has won one and lost another Super Bowl as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Nick Sirianni is in only his second season as an NFL head coach. This will be his first Super Bowl appearance as a head coach.

Advantage: Kansas City Chiefs

Offense:

The Kansas City Chiefs were the number one offense in the NFL this season. They averaged 413.6 yards of total offense and 29.2 points per game this season. The Chiefs’ offense turned the ball over 23 times and their offensive line only surrendered 26 sacks during the regular season.

The Philadelphia Eagles were the number two offense in the NFL this season. They averaged 389.1 yards of total offense and 28.1 points per game this season. The Eagles’ offense turned the ball over 19 times, but their offensive line gave up 44 sacks during the regular season.

Overall Offence Advantage: Kansas City Chiefs

Quarterback

Advantage: Kansas City Chiefs

Wide Receivers

Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles

Running Backs

Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles

Tight End

Advantage: Kansas City Chiefs

Offensive Line

Advantage: Kansas City Chiefs

Defense

The Kansas City Chiefs were the 11th rated defense in the NFL this season. They allowed an average of 382.5 yards of offense and 21.7 points per game this season. The Chiefs’ defense forced 23 turnovers and sacked the opposing quarterback 55 times.

The Philadelphia Eagles were the 2nd rated defense in the NFL this season. They allowed an average of 301.5 yards of offense and 20.2 points per game this season. The Eagles’ defense forced 32 turnovers and sacked the opposing quarterback 70 times during the regular season.

Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles 

Defensive Line

Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles 

Linebackers

Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles

Secondary

Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles

Special Teams:

The Kansas City Chiefs went through four placekickers this season due to Harrison Butker dealing with some injuries. Overall, they were successful on 24 of their 32 field goal attempts and 50 of their 55 extra point attempts. The punter for the Chiefs punted the ball 53 times this season and averaged 50.4 yards per punt.

Jake Elliott, placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles, missed one game due to injury this season. Overall, the Eagles were 22 of 25 in field goal attempts and 53 of 55 in extra point attempts. The punters for the Eagles averaged 43.7 yards per punt on 55 attempts.

Neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles had a punt or kickoff returned for a touchdown this season. The Chiefs totaled 933 return yards on 72 attempts during the regular season. The Eagles totaled 986 return yards on 65 attempts during the regular season.    

Overall Special Teams: Tie

Placekickers Advantage: Tie

Punters Advantage: Kansas City Chiefs

Return Specialists: Advantage: Philadelphia Eagles

The oddsmakers have the Eagles as a slight favorite at -1.5, likely due to the lingering questions about the health of Patrick Mahomes’ ankle. 59% of the public betting is currently placed on the favored Eagles. The Eagles are 10-9 against the spread this season while the Chiefs are only 7-11-1. However, this is the Super Bowl, so anything can happen.

The over/under is currently at 51 points and I expect this game to be high scoring. 

The game, which will feature a halftime performance by Rihanna, should be very entertaining.

If Patrick Mahomes is not 100% healthy, look for the Chiefs offense to rely upon tight end, Travis Kelce, and running back, Jerick McKinnon, in the short yard passing game to open up running lanes for rookie running back, Isiah Pacheco. Mahomes will have to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid getting sacked by the amazing defenders on the Eagles, Javon Hargrave (11.0 sacks), Haason Reddick (16.0 sacks), Josh Sweat (11.0 sacks) and Brandon Graham (11.0 sacks) 

The Eagles will rely upon the arm and legs of their quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Look for him to go deep to wide receivers, Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown, while either running the ball himself or handing off to his starting running back, Miles Sanders. They better not sleep on the Chiefs rush defense as they were 8th in the NFL this season.

I expect this game to go back and forth until the fourth quarter when the Chiefs will pull ahead for the final time and come out victorious.