Super Bowl LVII (57) Prequel

Super Bowl LVII (57) Prequel

Super Bowl LVII (57) is set for Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 6:30pm on Fox. The game will be played in Glendale, Arizona just outside of Phoenix. The AFC Kansas City Chiefs opened as 11/2 point favorites against the NFC Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams finished the regular season 14-3. Both teams were the top seed in their respective conferences, taking full advantage of home field advantage and the first round bye. 

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the AFC Title Game for an NFL record fifth straight year under Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. On the verge of a dynasty, they risked becoming a dynasty that never was. The Cincinnati Bengals came out of nowhere and shocked the football world in 2021. The Bengals have never won the Super Bowl. Last year the Bengals exploded out of nowhere and shocked the Chiefs in the AFC Title Game in Arrowhead. The 2021 Bengals overcame a 21-3 deficit to win 27-24 in overtime. The Bengals fell short to the Rams 23-20 in the Super Bowl. This year was a rematch of the previous AFC Title Game. Again the game appeared destined for overtime. Then a critical personal foul with seconds left in the game allowed the Chiefs to kick the winning field goal for a 23-20 regulation victory. The Chiefs are headed to their third Super Bowl in four years. 

The NFC was more cut and dry. The Philadelphia Eagles coasted to a 13-1 regular season record before an injury to Jalen Hurts had them tube down the stretch. They lost a couple games but managed to hang on to the top seed with a first round bye and home field throughout the playoffs. Despite being seen as vulnerable, the Eagles blasted the New York Giants 38-7 in the Divisional Round and the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Title Game. The Eagles knocked out the 49ers third string quarterback Mr. Irrelevant and fourth string quarterback Josh Johnson. Kevin Sirianni started 2-5 last year in his rookie season. Yet he turned the team around to a 9-8 overall finish and then got the Eagles to the big game in his second season. The Eagles won their only Super Bowl five years ago. Now a new coach and new quarterback are seeking to do it again. 

This game is the first Super Bowl where both starting quarterbacks are black. More importantly, both quarterbacks are mobile and young. Many Super Bowls have been won with older quarterbacks who are traditional pocket passers. This game seems to be the passing of the torch to a new generation.  

The Chiefs are easy to define. Mahomes is a 25th century Buck Rodgers freak of nature. Reid became America’s Walrus by becoming one of the best offensive play-callers in the game. 

The Eagles are more complex. There is nobody who immediately stands out as a generational NFL best. Yet they gel together as a team. They are a blue collar bunch with a ton of speed on defense. 

When Mahomes lost the Super Bowl two years ago, he was playing injured. He had also lost both his starting offensive tackles to serious injuries the week earlier. This time Mahomes may not be 100% healthy, but Hurts has also battled injuries late in the season. Hurts seemed closer to 100% in the NFC Title Game than Mahomes did in the AFC Title Game. The Eagles came out of nowhere. The Chiefs were expected to be here. 

Prediction: The Eagles are a feel-good story, but the Chiefs are trying to create a dynasty. Betting against Reid and Mahomes is unwise. Chiefs win it all.

eric 

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