Super Bowl LVII is here, and both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are deserving of respect. Yet, only one team can win it all.
Here we are. Super Bowl LVII. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
In one corner, Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni. Both are trying to win their first Super Bowls, coming off a campaign in which Hurts earned Second-Team All-Pro honors for his quarterback play, and Sirianni is likely to take home Coach of the Year.
The Eagles led the league with 70 sacks, the only team in the Super Bowl era to ever have four players with double-digit sacks. They won 14 of the 15 games Hurts started. They breezed through the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs, outscoring them 69-14.
However, the scheduled has been light. The best quarterbacks on Philadelphia’s docket? Trevor Lawrence in a Week 4 downpour, Jared Goff in Week 1, Kirk Cousins in Week 2, Aaron Rodgers in November and Dak Prescott on Christmas Eve.
Against Prescott, the Eagles allowed 40 points. Goff put up 35. Lawrence’s Jaguars had five turnovers and still kept it within a score. What does it mean?
We’ll find out in a few days.
In the other corner, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Mahomes is appearing in his third Super Bowl, Reid his fourth. Both have a championship, coming together in 2019. Mahomes is the presumptive MVP for the second time in five years. Reid will walk into Canton when he retires.
Kansas City was second in the league with 55 sacks, and. boasts the game’s best defensive player in tackle Chris Jones. They have lost only once since Week 6, and have at least five victories (its two playoff wins, both triumphs over the Los Angeles Chargers and a 44-23 demolition of the 49ers) better than any Philadelphia can claim.
And still, there are questions. The Chiefs don’t have a dynamic receiver, and the trio of Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney and JuJu Smith-Schuster are all banged up. Right tackle Andrew While is a major question mark against top-tier pass rushers, and the defensive backfield has four rookies seeing significant snaps.
So what does it all mean?
The Eagles have the deeper roster and are slightly better up front. The Chiefs have the experience, a more complex defensive scheme and the quarterback of our time.
If Philadelphia continuously pressures Mahomes and forces a turnover or two — only once did the Eagles not register a takeaway this year — it likely wins. If the Chiefs can mitigate Philadelphia’s front to a reasonable degree, they win their second title in four years.
Super Bowl 57 pick
Matchup
Kansas City Chiefs
31
Philadelphia Eagles
23
Sunday, Feb. 12
6:30 p.m. ET