(Above Image Source: Los Angeles Times)
When: Sunday, Feb. 12, 6:30 PM EST
Where: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
Channel: FOX (check your local listings)
The biggest game in football is here! The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs collide to be crowned Super Bowl champions!
History in the Making
Almost every Super Bowl matchup is bound to have some historical meaning. This will be one for the history books for two reasons.
This Sunday will be the first Super Bowl featuring two teams led by two Black, MVP-level quarterbacks. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will be seeking his second Lombardi Trophy in his third Super Bowl appearance. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts will be seeking his first championship.
This event will also mark the first time in history that brothers on opposite football teams battle against each other. Big brother and Eagles Center Jason Kelce will be facing his younger brother, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. Both are looking to win their second Super Bowl in their careers.
Key Players
You can expect Mahomes to rely on Kelce when needed most, especially when he is constantly open. Kelce has 127 receptions for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in his postseason career. The Eagles will need plenty of defensive linemen to keep him down. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson should be one of those linemen. He recorded 67 total tackles and six interceptions in his regular season.
Kansas City still has a defensive chance. Chris Jones, the team’s All-Pro defensive tackle, can play multiple positions. He’s tied a career-high record of 15.5 sacks and 29 QB hits this season. He can prove to be useful against an equally efficient Eagles’ offense led by DeVonta Smith, Jason Kelce, and more.
The Chiefs offense should also be on the lookout for Eagles LB Haason Reddick. He tied the NFL regular season record of five forced fumbles (recovered three of them). He’s also tied for the second-most amount of sacks (16). He has recorded eight tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in the postseason.
Who Will Win it All?
Both teams are equally matched, yet they remain different from one another. It will take a lot for one team to get a step ahead.
Mahomes is still recovering from a high ankle sprain he suffered against Jacksonville three weeks ago. The rest of the offensive line will need to protect him from the Eagles’ defense. Damaging his ankle further could mean impending doom for the Chiefs.
He should also not completely depend on Kelce for all the offensive plays. Juju Smith-Schuster, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Skyy Moore, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have proven to be as efficient as Kelce. Together, they have a combined total of 28 receptions for nearly 300 yards.
A game like this leaves people like me at a crossroads. However, I believe it will come down to which team has the bigger advantage in both areas. To me, it’s the Eagles.
Final Score: Kansas City 35, Philadelphia 38