As we head into the week of the Super Bowl, let’s evaluate where this game will be decided. Super Bowl LVII (57), in Glendale, Arizona, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, will be a great game between the top top teams in their respective conferences, the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFC and the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFC. The Chiefs, lead by the league’s surefire MVP  this year, Patrick Mahomes, are battling injuries throughout their lineup, while the Eagles, who are one of the most complete rosters the league has seen in a while, are coming into the battle blisteringly hot. In what many project to be an exciting high-scoring affair, let’s see who shapes up to be in a better position. 

The Chiefs, under legendary coach Andy Reid, have been in this position before. This will be their third Super Bowl appearance in the last four seasons, including their victory in Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs, after a tough loss in the AFC Championship last season, came back strong this year and have beaten two strong teams (Jacksonville and Cincinnati) while dealing with heaps of injuries in the playoffs so far. Young players on both sides of the ball have stepped up and came up big. Now they face their toughest opponent in Philadelphia. The Eagles, under second-year coach Nick Sirianni, have not nearly the amount of playoff experience as their Super Bowl opponents, despite their Super Bowl winning season only five years ago. Some members of that team remain on the team, but many of the Eagles’ most impactful players are experiencing their first deep playoff run this season. 

The Eagles run a very run-oriented offense, namely with dual-threat MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, who broke out this year with 22 passing TDs and 13 rushing TDs (2nd most of any player) while at the helm of the offense, and running back Miles Sanders, who is enjoying his best year so far while finishing 5th in the league in rushing yards, 7th in yards/carry, and 8th in rushing TDs. Complementary running backs Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott also help to complete this rushing attack behind a dominant offensive line, headlined by First Team All-Pros center Jason Kelce and tackle Lane Johnson, both of whom were on that Super Bowl LII-winning squad. Philadelphia also employs a dominant passing game, featuring Second Team All-Pro A.J. Brown and arguably the best WR2 in football, Devonta Smith, along with elite tight end Dallas Goedert. In addition to this supreme offense, their defense is maybe as impressive. Their league-leading pass rush sacked the opposing quarterback 70 times this season, 15 more than the Chiefs in a distant second place. Philadelphia became the first team ever to feature four players with double digit sack totals: Hassan Reddick (16), Javon Hargrave (11), Brandon Graham (11), and Josh Sweat (11). Additionally, Second Team All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry and Darius Slay have profiled as two of the most dominant corners in football this year. So, with all this being said, how will the Chiefs match up?

Firstly, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes instantly puts any opposing team at a disadvantage. Mahomes is not only the most talented quarterback in the NFL, but he is clutch and performs in the big spot. Hurts has not been challenged like Mahomes has, so we don’t know if he will show up when push comes to shove. Mahomes, while hobbled on a bad ankle injury, nearly single-handedly led the Chiefs to a difficult victory over the Bengals, putting up 334 yards and 2 touchdowns. Superstar tight end Travis Kelce is on a tear despite a nagging back  injury, and top receivers Juju Smith-Schuster (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle/hamstring) both unsure of if they can play in the Super Bowl, in addition to Mecole Hardman (pelvis) already being ruled out. Despite the rampant injuries, Mahomes is supplemented by a strong rushing tandem in 7th round rookie Isiah Pacheco and veteran Jerick McKinnon, along with their equally stellar offensive line, accentuated by Second Team All-Pros Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney. The Chiefs, as previously mentioned, also have a prominent pass rush, lead by Defensive Player of the Year finalist Chris Jones. Kansas City has been playing many rookies on the defensive side of the ball, but these young men have stepped up and played a big part this year, especially last week. 

These quarterbacks are trailblazers. The youngest starting QB duo and the first black starting QB duo in Super Bowl history. And this game is truly going to be a duel. The statistics back it up with eerie confidence too. All season, including the playoffs, the Chiefs and Eagles are both 16-3 and the top seeds in their conferences. All year, they’ve both scored exactly 546 points, had 6 players named to All-Pro teams, and have produced 4.6 yards/carry each. In the playoffs, each defense has produced exactly four turnovers, and has not been trailing their opponent for a single second through two games. This game seems to be a contest where the winner may be whichever team has the ball at the end of the game. I expect a back-and-forth bout powered by strong defenses and even stronger offenses. May the best team win…(hopefully the Chiefs though).