Glendale, Arizona will host Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12, 2023. The NFC champion, Philadelphia Eagles, head into the game as 1.5 point favorites over the AFC champion, the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30PM central time on FOX. The commentators will be Greg Olsen and Kevin Buckhardt.
Henry Hyneman, broadcast producer
For the first time since 2018, The Philadelphia Eagles are back in the big game. This time they face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles started off the season as the hottest team in the NFL, winning their first eight games and winning thirteen of their first fourteen games. The Eagles are led by star players Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and Darius Slay. Hurts, who is the leader of the Eagles’ offense, was injured in week fifteen against the Bears with a shoulder injury. Hurts would miss two weeks and the Eagles would feel his presence gone, losing two in a row. Hurts is expected to play through a little bit of discomfort tonight but he will be the starter at gametime tonight.
Despite his injuries, Hurts finished second in MVP voting and for good reason. He threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. It wasn’t only Hurts who had a great season, it was also his star wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith having career years. Brown and Smith both went for career highs in receiving yards with 1,496 and 1,196 yards respectively. Brown and Smith also made up 17 of Hurts’ 22 touchdown passes and truly were part of the three headed monster that is this elite offense. The Eagles’ defense also proves to be elite. The Eagles are led defensively by Darius Slay, Fletcher Cox and Haason Reddick. Reddick and Cox so far this year have sack machines and are proven nightmares for other teams offensive lines. It’s not just Cox and Reddick who reek havoc but the entire defensive line. The Eagles so far this year have 78 total sacks which is the most in an NFL season since 1985 and the third most all-time. These superstar performances sparked the hot streak for the Eagles that has never really flamed out.
The Eagles continue their hot streak in the postseason going undefeated in the two games against the Giants and the 49ers respectively. During the postseason the Eagles look to have everything figured out winning both games with a combined score of 69-14. Super Bowl LVII will be their biggest test so far, going against MVP Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs. The game kicks off at 5:30 PM CST and will be aired on FOX with Greg Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt.
Henry’s Prediction: Eagles 27, Chiefs 21
Aidan Patel, sports editor
For the 3rd time in the last 5 years, the Kansas City Chiefs are crowned AFC champions and are headed back to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are led by this season’s league MVP, quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Since being drafted in 2017 out of Texas Tech, Mahomes has been a dominant force in the NFL and has now won MVP twice in his young career. Every year, Mahomes has led his team to the AFC Championship game. He will be looking to win his second Super Bowl in 5 years.
In the 2022-23 season, the Chiefs boast a 14-3 record and claimed the #1 overall seed in the AFC. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will enter the Super Bowl with 5,771 passing yards, along with 45 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The leading rusher for the Chiefs is running back Isiah Pacheco with 951 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. Another running back that emerged late into the season was Jerick McKinnon, who has been a vital part of the offense by both rushing and receiving since Week 14 with 803 total yards and 10 total touchdowns in a short amount of time. The receiving corps is led by wide receivers Juju Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, and newly acquired Kadarius Toney, all of which have combined for almost 2,000 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. The biggest question of the night is if the Philadelphia defense can stop star tight end Travis Kelce, who has led the way for the Chiefs with 1,514 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns.
Heading into the Super Bowl, Kansas City will definitely have a tough task against the #5 ranked defense in the Philadelphia Eagles. I will keep it short and simple. The Chiefs do rank first in offense, which is why I think Mahomes and Co. will bring home their second Super Bowl win in their last three appearances.
