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Super Bowl 57 matchups we want to see: Ranking the potential of Chiefs, 49ers, Bengals and Eagles

Safid Deen, USA TODAY
·4 min read

We’re two games away from the Super Bowl.

But which Super Bowl matchups do we want to see the most?

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles will host rookie Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. And Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC title game Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The winners of both games will meet at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12.

Mahomes intends to play despite a high ankle sprain on his right foot, with hopes to lead the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl, where they beat the 49ers in 2019 and lost to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

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Burrow and the Bengals, who beat the Chiefs in the 2021 AFC title game, hope to reach the Super Bowl for the second straight season with hopes to avenge last year’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Eagles went 14-3 in the regular season with the league's best record, while the 49ers hope to return to the Super Bowl with Purdy starting in place of injured QBs Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Oct. 23, 2022.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Oct. 23, 2022.

Here we rank the best possible Super Bowl matchups by watchability before all four teams play on Championship Sunday:

4. Chiefs vs. 49ers

Sure, a Super Bowl rematch of three years ago would be ideal in most scenarios but not this one.

The Chiefs beat the 49ers handily in a 44-23 contest earlier this season. Sure, it was running back Christian McCaffrey’s first game with the 49ers after a trade and San Francisco has won 12 games in a row since.  And yes, Mahomes is dealing with an ankle injury that could affect the matchup this time around.

But all three times Mahomes has faced the 49ers in his career have ended in double-digit wins for the Chiefs, including the last two, which saw Mahomes lead Kansas City back from a double-digit deficit.

Been there, saw that.

3. Bengals vs. 49ers

This matchup would be enticing for NFL history buffs, especially if the Bengals win their first Super Bowl over the team that denied them in 1981 and 1988.

Watching Burrow and the Bengals offense face off against the 49ers defense would be entertaining, but it might not be so entertaining on the other side.

Sure, Purdy leading his team in a Super Bowl would be intriguing, and would set up a quarterback duel between a No. 1 overall draft pick and Mr. Irrelevant. However, it might not be so entertaining seeing him face a Bengals defense that has played well against Mahomes and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen.

2. Bengals vs. Eagles

Burrow and the Bengals vs. Hurts and the Eagles. These two QBs drafted in 2020 have become among the league's best.

Burrow was the first overall pick and would make a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, while Hurts has improved significantly since being a second-round pick the Eagles have built around.

The game would be an entertaining matchup because it includes top QBs, star playmakers and relatively healthy rosters playing at their best.

Still, there’s one better matchup.

1. Chiefs vs. Eagles

Andy Reid became the first coach in NFL history last week to win 10 postseason games with two franchises. And he’ll be the center of attention if both of those teams meet in the Super Bowl.

Reid would further solidify his Hall of Fame résumé with a second Super Bowl title, and it would be even more rewarding to come against the Eagles, whom he led from 1999-2012.

It would also be the Kelce Bowl between brothers in Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce.

And don't forget Mahomes vs. Hurts.

Despite Reid, the Kelces and Mahomes’ injury, this matchup would pose the two best teams (15-3, including postseason) from this season against each other in a true championship game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoffs close in on Super Bowl 2023: Here are matchups we want