© Joel Angel Juarez/ USA TODAY Sports
Super Bowl LVII has been set with the Kansas City Chiefs squaring off against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The game will take place on Sunday, February 12th at 6:30 PM EST. at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. LVII will be the 57th edition of sport's most prestigious event.
Kansas City will be making its fifth appearance in the Super Bowl. With a 2-2 record, they will look to get that record past .500 and continue penciling their name in the history books.
Philadelphia will return to the big game for the fourth time in franchise history. Five years ago, they were able to slay the dragon in the New England Patriots, winning 41-33 for their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
This is not a matchup rooted in history, as the teams have only played nine times since 1972. Kansas City leads the all-time series 5-4, but the result of the next matchup is all anyone will remember.
© Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Chiefs (#1) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (#1)
Time: 6:30 EST. Sunday, February 12th
Betting Lines:
- Spread: Kansas City Chiefs (+1.5), Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5)
- Total: Over/Under (49.5)
- Money line: Kansas City Chiefs (+108), Philadelphia Eagles (-126)
Super Bowl LVII is a fitting matchup between the two best teams in the league. The respective number-one seeds in their conferences finished with 14-3 regular season records and held a home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
© Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Andy Reid Redemption:
The story of this game starts with the man they call 'Big Red' in Kansas City. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, 64, will be coaching against a Philadelphia franchise he's quite familiar with. Awarding him his first head coaching gig in 1999, Reid spent 14 seasons in Philadelphia. Compiling a 130-93-1 record, Reid's birds would win the NFC East six times, appear in the NFC Championship five times, and compete in Super Bowl 39. He is the all-time winningest coach in Eagles history but was never able to capture that elusive Super Bowl title.
After parting ways with the Eagles, Reid became the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. Stuck in a rut without a playoff win since 1993, he led them to a 30-0 Wild Card victory over the Houston Texans in 2015. The drafting of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017 completely changed the franchise's trajectory. Mahomes's freakish abilities and Reid's genius offensive mind have been a match made in heaven. The two have had great success and find themselves in the Super Bowl for the third time in the last four seasons.
On the other sideline, there will be a man 23 years younger than Andy Reid in Nick Sirianni. Sirianni has taken the Eagles to the Super Bowl in just his second season coaching the team. He does have a connection to Kansas City, as he worked there from 2009-2012 as an offensive quality control coach, assistant quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach. Reid and Sirianni would never cross paths in Kansas City, though, as Sirianni would leave to become the offensive quality control coach for the San Diego Chargers before the 2013 season.
© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Juggernauts
If there's one thing we know about these two teams, it's that they can light up the scoreboard.
Kansas City was the highest-scoring team in the regular season, and Philadelphia finished third. The Chiefs are more pass-happy, as any team would be with Patrick Mahomes. They threw for 297.8 passing yards per game, 28 more than the next closest team. The run game is where they struggled, finishing 20th. Philly used more of a balanced attack this season, rushing for the fifth most per game and throwing for the ninth most.
Though he needs no introduction, the Chiefs are led by Super Bowl LIV MVP and soon-to-be two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. Mahomes threw for a league-leading 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. A master of his craft, he was dinged up with a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of the Chief's Wild Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Just eight days later, he completed 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards and two touchdown tosses in a gutsy performance over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game. Improving to a 10-3 playoff record, Mahomes will play in his third career Super Bowl. He is 1-1 in SB appearances and looks to build off the slashing his Chiefs took at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 31-9 Super Bowl loss in 2020.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce looks to cement his legacy further. Kelce has 21 catches for 176 yards and three touchdowns this postseason. The NFL's best tight end had 19 catches, 402 yards, and three touchdowns more than any other player at his position this season. It'll be a fun watch as Kelce goes up against the NFL's tenth-best defense against tight ends.
Isiah Pacheco is another name to watch. The 251st pick in the 2022 NFL draft shot up the depth chart to become the Chief's number-one running back. Against Jacksonville, he rushed 12 times for 95 yards, and in the AFC Championship game, he caught a career-high five passes for 59 yards. Pacheco was incredibly important in the Bengals' win, with Mahomes finding him for short completions. Look for number ten to continue to defy the odds and show everyone it doesn't matter what round you get drafted.
The cool and confident Jalen Hurts leads Philadelphia. Hurts, the 52nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, leaped into the elite quarterback discussion this season. A major step he took this season was as a passer. Throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns, it was 557 yards and eight touchdowns more than last season. Always an effective runner, Hurts used his legs to churn out 760 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He's been quiet this postseason, only rushing for 39 and 34 yards but is going up against a Chiefs defense that allowed the fifth most rushing yards to quarterbacks.
Hurts, along with wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and running back Miles Sanders, have created this high-powered offense. Brown and Smith were one of five receiving duos to each go over the 1,000-yard mark. They also combined for 18 touchdowns. Sanders, who rushed for 1,200+ and 11 touchdowns in the regular season, added two more scores against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The big four on offense will attempt to return Philly to the promised land.
© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Gameplans:
Despite both teams being excellent on offense, they are further supported by solid foundations on defense.
It's a little hard to judge Philly's defense against the 49ers, but against the Giants, they were the real deal. Against the G-Men, they did what they do best, getting to the quarterback. Philadelphia's 70 sacks in the regular season were 15 more than Kansas City's in second place. Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, and Hasson Reddick are the names you should see pressuring Patrick Mahomes all game. Philly's eight sacks are the most this postseason. The secondary, led by cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry, helped Philly give up the fewest passing yards per game. That stingy defense now gets to take on Mahomes, the NFL's best thrower. Best against best for the game's ultimate prize, a treat for football fans.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce get all the shine for Kansas City, but the defense is no slouch. With 55 sacks of their own, defensive game wrecker Chris Jones along with defensive ends Frank Clark and George Karlaftis, will look to slow Hurts down.
It'll take every ounce out of both these defenses to slow down their oppositions; good luck.
© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Prediction:
Despite Mahomes being less than 100 percent, he showed everybody what kind of a competitor he is. It won't be easy going against a loaded Eagles team but backing Patrick Mahomes is probably a wise choice until he gives you a reason not to.
The Pick- Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII
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