NFL Playoffs: Super Bowl LVII Preview and Prediction
It is here… the moment we’ve all been building towards. Today is finally Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest unofficial holiday in our great country. The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles, and one will raise the elusive Lombardi Trophy by the end.
Sunday is a matchup between two of the more recent Super Bowl winners. Philadelphia claimed their first ever title in 2017 when they upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are playing in their third Super Bowl in the last four seasons, but are looking to claim a second championship.
The last time Kansas City was on this stage they were humiliated by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 31-9 blowout loss. Now, Patrick Mahomes joins Brady, Peyton Manning, and Kurt Warner as the only quarterbacks in the modern era to return to the big game after a previous loss.
The Chiefs being in the Super Bowl is hardly a surprise, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who felt the Eagles would be here if asked during the offseason. Last season, Philadelphia snuck into the playoffs at 9-8 and were summarily blown out by the aforementioned Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. Now, they are 14-3 (the best record in Eagles franchise history) and dominated their way to Glendale.
To me, this comes down to who has the better overall roster and defense. Kansas City has the obvious edge at quarterback with Mahomes over Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, but the Eagles have helped close this gap by surrounding him with arguably the best roster in football.
As for the defense, Philadelphia’s defensive line is a force of nature. They are the first team in NFL history with four players who have at least ten sacks. Their 78 total sacks are third most in league history for a single season. If they bring Mahomes down five times, the record will be theirs.
Mahomes’ ankle is the biggest storyline, as it was sprained in the divisional round. He is still a dynamic player even on one leg, but with a pass rush of this caliber will be hard to navigate. In the Super Bowl against Tampa, the Bucs dominated with their defensive front which ruined the game for the Chiefs.
When it comes to the Eagles’ offense, I have a hard time envisioning Kansas City’s defense slowing down their ground attack. Philadelphia runs the ball to a Titan-esque degree, just wearing opponents down to their breaking point.
Prediction: Eagles over Chiefs 31-27
