Matthew Silka, Sports Editor
Eagles Wide Receiver A.J. Brown (Left) and Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce (right). Photo//SN Illustration.
Super Bowl LVII is set for this Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to cap off a thrilling NFL season that has had a number of incredible storylines and underdog stories.
Perhaps the most thrilling of these stories is the rapid rise of the Philadelphia Eagles from being a fringe playoff team to a powerhouse offense. They grabbed the NFC’s one-seed and made a Super Bowl run, knocking off the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers in two blowouts.
The only team standing in their way from achieving the ultimate goal is the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been arguably the most dominant team in the NFL over the past five years. The Chiefs had also managed to grab the one-seed and had to get through the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals to earn their third Super Bowl appearance in five seasons.
The Eagles are no strangers to success though. Despite being a major preseason underdog, they captured their franchise’s first Super Bowl in 2017.
Let’s take a look at each team’s recipe for success, and analyze how each team can go down in history as Super Bowl Champions.
Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates after a victory. Photo//Bill Streicher/USA Today.
The quarterback is without a doubt the most important position in football. These two teams are a great example of why elite QB play is crucial to a successful football team. The Eagles are led by Jalen Hurts, who has had a breakout season, passing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns, while adding another 13 on the ground.
Hurts is probably the second favorite to be league MVP this year, falling directly behind Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes threw for a ridiculous 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns, but he did have 12 interceptions. He added four rushing touchdowns, using his surprisingly agile legs to find paydirt on multiple occasions.
Both young studs have absolutely dominated this year, so look for this game to be determined by which quarterback plays better.
Speaking of young studs, they have a combined age of 51 years and 337 days, which will be the youngest Super Bowl matchup in NFL history.
Despite the elite talent that Hurts and Mahomes possess, they could not have had the successes they have had without dynamic offensive weapons.
The Eagles made a draft day trade for star wide receiver A.J. Brown. He has contributed in a big way, racking up nearly 1,500 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Second-year receiver DeVonta Smith was no slouch either, as he added 1,200 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
The Chiefs got some offseason help as well, signing receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdez-Scantling. They also drafted Western Michigan receiver Skyy Moore in the second round.
The biggest contributor though was a familiar face in eight-time Pro Bowl tight end, Travis Kelce. Kelce finished his year with 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns, in what was his seventh straight season with 1,000 receiving yards.
On defense, Philadelphia posted one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL. They were led by Hassan Reddick and his 16 sacks. Other huge contributors included Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, and Joshua Sweat, who all added 11 sacks a piece.
The Eagles also boast a secondary that stars former Lions cornerback Darius Slay, who has been tasked with shutting down the opponent’s best receiver and has largely succeeded.
The Chiefs secondary is not quite on the same caliber as the Eagles, but their front seven is just as scary. Defensive tackle Chris Jones led the way for the Chiefs, amassing 15.5 sacks, which should help him grab a massive contract extension in the offseason.
This chalks up to potentially being one of the more entertaining Super Bowls in recent history. It will be must watch football, as the Super Bowl usually is for football fans across the globe.
My Prediction:
I think the Eagles take this one in an electric game by a final score of 31-23. The Eagles defense will arguably be the best that the Chiefs have seen all year. I think it will be just enough to capture their first Super Bowl win since 2017.
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