Super Bowl Preview and Prediction

By Matt Quinn

It all comes down to this. Sunday night in New Orleans will be the culmination of a long and exciting season and both teams will be battling for a spot in history. The Philadelphia Eagles are the challenger, looking to avenge a Super Bowl loss to these Chiefs from just two seasons ago. The Chiefs are the defending champions who are looking to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl titles. The field will be littered with studs who can change the game at any point. The last time these teams met in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs held on in a thrilling game that ended 38-35 and saw the Chiefs begin the current quest for the three-peat. So let’s dive into this matchup and see which team has the edge.

Defense- Advantage: Eagles

Both teams will be fielding a great defense and a top ten overall at that. The Eagles do have some question marks surrounding the team. Not having Nakobe Dean available is a massive loss and Jalen Carter has been dealing with an illness all week. Though I do expect Carter to play on Sunday, the rest of the defense will have to step up and I believe they still have the ability to do so. C.J. Gardner Johnson headlines a very talented secondary with some great young rookies in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Those guys having a good game will be critical in determining the outcome of the game. 

Running Back- Advantage: Eagles

This one is a no-brainer. Though the Chiefs have a respectable run game with Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, the clear advantage here is the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley. Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards this year and possibly would have broken Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record had he played in the Eagles final game. He has been a man on a mission this year and has proven every step of the way why the Giants should have never let him leave. If he can get going, look out because the Eagles are one of the best teams in the league in terms of controlling the ball and Saquon is a big reason why. Plus he can also take his first carry of the game to the house as he showed in the NFC Title game.

Wide Receiver- Advantage: Eagles

This is another area in which the Eagles have the edge in terms of talent at the position. A.J. Brown and DaVonta Smith are insanely talented and are very capable of turning a game on it’s head. The Chiefs have a collective at receiver. There’s no true number one at receiver for them. You could argue Xavier Worthy but he is a rookie after all and the true number one receiver isn’t even a Wide Receiver, but more on that later. This is another no-brainer here, the Eagles have the advantage by a long shot.

Tight End- Advantage: Chiefs

I’m not doing this to appease the Swifties of the world, trust me. Though Travis Kelce is getting up there in years, he’s still Mahomes’ favorite target and these two have wrecked Super Bowls together in the past. Now the Eagles are no slouch at the position either. Dallas Goedert is one of the more underrated tight ends in the game right now and is definitely capable of some big plays. It’s Kelce’s experience in these games that gives him the edge, however. Don’t be surprised if you see alot of Travis Kelce in this game and also don’t be shocked if he makes some game changing plays.

Head Coach- Advantage: Chiefs

This is a no-brainer on the other side of the field. Andy Reid is the only coach in NFL history to hold the franchise record for wins for two different organizations in both the Chiefs and the Eagles. He has proved time and again that he is the best in the league at out-smarting his opponents and taking advantage of what his teams do best. He always puts his players in the best position to win and is a master play caller. Nick Sirianni is a solid head coach, leading the Eagles to Super Bowl appearances in two of the last 3 years. But him up against a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer in Andy Reid, and Reid gets the edge every time.

Quarterback- Advantage: Chiefs

The most important position in football is the Quarterback position. The guy who commands the offense and is usually the difference between winning and losing games. There’s no better QB in the game right now at winning than Patrick Mahomes. He’s going for his 4th Super Bowl ring and third in a row, all before he has even turned 30. That’s a beautiful feeling if you’re a Chiefs fan but a nightmare for everyone else. Just when you think you’ve got Mahomes where you want him, he makes some ridiculous throw or goes down the field for a touchdown in the blink of an eye to win the game. You cannot make mistakes against the Chiefs and it’s largely because of who they have under center. Mahomes is the best in the game and could reach “GOAT” status if he keeps up this pace. 

Final Score Prediction:

I fully expect this to be another really entertaining game between these two, which is all a neutral fan can ask out of a Super Bowl. I do think the Eagles have a much better shot at dethroning the Chiefs than they did last time these teams were on this stage but for me, until I see it happen, I’m going to continue to assume that the Chiefs will come out on top so because of that I’ve got the Chiefs winning 30-24.