On February 12, 2023 under the bright lights of State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will battle it out to crown a winner of Super Bowl LVII. What will come down to a game of execution, couldn’t have been predicted just months ago. The Philadelphia Eagles shot out of a cannon, going an astounding 11-0 before losing their first game of the season to the Redskins on November 15th. The Chiefs on the other hand, were expected to win their division and make a run at the prize as customary. Both teams fought through adversity, injuries and a brutal regular season schedule in route to deserve the right to play for The Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II(Tyler) and the Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Channelview) marks the first time two Texas born quarterbacks have faced each other in a Super Bowl. As a matter of fact, the two mark the youngest combined ages of opposing signal callers in Super bowl history, at 51-years. The firsts don’t stop there, Super Bowl LVII will feature two Black starting quarterbacks. Talking about a game for the ages! The feat comes 35-years after Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl. (Super Bowl XXII) With Jalen Hurts leading the Eagles to their best record in decades while breaking the single season rush touchdowns by a quarterback (15), and Mahomes shattering records with 41 touchdowns and 5,250 passing yards, it’s safe to say they are both in the MVP conversation.
The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to Super Bowl Sunday with a narrow win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game 23-20, while the Eagles won in a landslide over the San Francisco 49ers 31-7. Although the quarterback play was extraordinary, Super Bowl LVII will be won in the trenches. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs have one thing in common, they are both complete teams from A to Z. The Chiefs will have to find a way to tame the Eagles high powered running game which produced a record setting 39 touchdowns this season. While the Eagles will have to find an answer for Mahomes all-over the place aerial attack which can easily transform to a tuck and run.
As far as the matchup, sports houses are calling this one about even. Some analysts give the City of Brotherly Love a slight edge, while others see the matchup as a way for Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid to stick it to his former organization. In between the lines, will be fierce and treacherous as both lines feature season veterans and stellar linebackers in the secondary. The matchups everyone will be keeping their eyes on are the Chiefs Travis Kelce vs. Gardner-Johnson and Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith vs. Jaylen Watson.
