Super Bowl LVII: The Preview

From firsts in super bowl history, to a prediction on the game, this article has everything you’ll need to know for the big game.

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ESPN

The Eagles and Chiefs are set to face off in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII.

Jacob Prue, Staff Writer

Super Bowl LVII is happening this Sunday at 6:30 pm on FOX. This year’s matchup is between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. There are multiple firsts happening in this year’s big game and many predictions as to who will win it all. Let’s dissect what boundaries are being broken, the two teams playing, and predictions for who is winning.

Brothers Jason and Travis Kelce receive cookies from their mom during the super bowl press conference. (Christian Petersen)

Boundaries are being broken in this year’s super bowl as for the first time ever, we will see two black quarterbacks face off against each other for the first time in the Super Bowl. MVP frontrunners Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts are set to play in the big game for one of the most important positions in the league.

Another first in the big game is the first time two brothers will play each other in the Super Bowl as Travis and Jason Kelce will be playing against each other.

This year’s AFC champion is the Kansas City Chiefs. When you lose your star wideout, you would expect your offense to produce worse the following year. Not the Chiefs. Despite losing Tyreek Hill in a trade last offseason, the Kansas City offense has not missed a beat, being the number one passing and scoring offense in the league. They finished the year 14-3 and were the first seed in the AFC.

The duo of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce celebrating another touchdown. (Denny Medley)

Patrick Mahomes continues to show the rest of the league why he is considered the best quarterback, passing for over 5,000 passing yards and 45 total touchdowns. His number one target, Travis Kelce, is not only being considered the best tight end in the league, he’s making an argument as the best tight end of all time, having 1,300+ yards and 12 touchdowns this year. The rest of the offense is filled with solid role players, like Juju Smith-Schuster, MVS, Isiah Pacheco, Jerred McKinnon, and O-linemen Joe Thuney, Creed Humphery, and Orlando Brown Jr. On defense, Chris Jones terrorizes the quarterback, having 15.5 sacks, and 17 TFLs. 

This Chiefs’ core has experience in the Super Bowl, winning the Super Bowl in 2020 against the 49ers, but losing it the next year to Tampa Bay. This year, they narrowly beat both the Jaguars and Bengals, but Mahomes was dealing with an ankle injury during both those games. This team has the perfect balance of experience, youth, and team chemistry, and when led by head coach Andy Reid, this team should easily be considered a potential dynasty for years to come.

Representing the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles have steam-rolled their competition enroute toward the Lombardi Trophy. The Eagles have statistically one of the best-rushing offenses in the NFL as well as one the best defenses as well. Just like Kansas City, they also finished the year 14-3 and were the first seed in the NFC. Unlike Kansas City. they played two games without their starting quarterback and lost both of them.

Miles Sanders and Jason Kelce dancing in the end-zone as the Eagles route the 49ers. (Footwear News)

Speaking of their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts has become the ideal dual-threat quarterback in the NFL, throwing for 3,700 yards and 22 touchdowns, and rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. Miles Sanders had a fantastic year rushing the ball, going over 1,250 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. The Eagles have a fantastic wide receiver duo in AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, with each of them going over 1,000 yards and having a combined 18 touchdowns. The offensive line is considered one of, if not, the best in the league, having top five players in their position at every spot, most notably Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. The defensive line is just as solid, with four players on the Eagles having over ten sacks. That line includes Hassan Reddick, Jason Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, and Brandon Graham. The secondary is just as scary as well, having a cornerback duo in Darius Slay and CJ Gardner-Johnson. 

The Eagle beat their playoff opponents, the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers, by three scores in both games. San Francisco did lose their quarterback to injury but in the only drive he played in, he turned the ball over. The Eagles have not stopped dominating throughout the whole season, and head coach Nick Sirianni hopes to continue the winning ways in the Super Bowl.

This Super Bowl has many top analysts and fans around the country guessing about who will win. My prediction is that the Eagles will win 27-17. Personally, I think the trenches are the most important position in football and are key to winning football games. Looking at past Super Bowl games, you can clearly see how an offensive and defensive line can make or break a team’s chances of winning, like the Bengals last year, and Tampa the year before. Looking at this year’s lines, the Eagles seem to take both sides of the trenches, which leads me to believe that Philadelphia will win their second Super Bowl.

Share your predictions in the comment section, and enjoy the game!