Predictions on a historical Super Bowl
America’s favorite sports tradition is back this Sunday, February 12 when the Philadelphia Eagles face off in a clash with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Set to take place at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, we should be in for a barn burner with no shortage of storylines for fans to follow throughout the game on Super Bowl Sunday.
Perhaps most noteworthy is the fact that Sunday will be the first of 57 Super Bowls in NFL history to feature a black starting quarterback for both teams. Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Eagles will make history while as two of the top signal callers league-wide in a quarterback driven league.
Mahomes was named Most Valuable Player at the Annual NFL Honors award ceremony on Thursday marking the second time the 27-year-old quarterback has won the award. Hurts, 24, finished second behind Mahomes in voting for the prestigious honor.
The Eagles were one of the NFL’s biggest surprises this season. Coming into the season fresh off of a 2021 campaign where they finished just one game above .500, Philadelphia paced the NFC this season finishing 14-3. In his second season as the starter, Hurts entrenched himself as the franchise quarterback who can open the Eagles’ offense up with his ability on the ground as well as through the air.
Kansas City, meanwhile, was the only other team to match Philadelphia in the win column with 14 of its own. Since taking the reins from Alex Smith as the team’s starting quarterback in 2018, Mahomes has reached the AFC Championship in each of his five seasons under center. He is 3-2 in conference championship games and is 1-1 in his Super Bowl Appearances heading into Sunday’s game.
Another piece of history set to be made on Sunday is the storyline surrounding the Kelce brothers. Travis (Kansas City) and Jason (Philadelphia) Kelce will be the first pair of brothers to face off against each other in Super Bowl history. The former is among the league’s best tight ends - and arguably, among the best in the history of the NFL - while the latter is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Both have decorated individual resumes, and being the first pair of brothers is just icing on the cake for two fantastic careers.
Central Michigan Life's Sports Desk has made their predictions below for the outcome of Super Bowl LVII.
Ashley Birkeness
Eagles 24, Chiefs 21
I think that this game is going to be extremley close. Although the Chiefs have the edge over the Eagles in Super Bowl experience, the Eagles have the upper hand in health. Yes, Mahomes has been able to play and win despite his ankle injury but with the Eagles defense, I think they can provide extreme pressure and give Mahomes and his ankle some stress. The Eagles also have more targets that they can rely on compared to the Chiefs who have multiple injured receivers. The Chiefs also are potentially going to miss their top corner back which would leave them to point to their secondary that is full of rookies for this big game. Although the Chiefs do have the Super Bowl experience, that won't matter of they need to turn to the rookies.
Kaia Zimmerman
Eagles 28, Chiefs 24
I think that the Philadelphia Eagles will closely beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday with the game being decided by the final drive. In my opinion, the Eagles are the better team overall. Defensively, the Eagles are more complete, holding both teams they faced in the playoffs to seven points a game while the Chiefs have allowed 20. While Kansas City has the better quarterback, I think that the Philadelphia offense has more targets to go to which can create more opportunities for offensive production. Also, the running game with Miles Sanders is more consistent for the Eagles over the Chiefs, in my opinion.
Another aspect of the game that I think will be important to look at is Patrick Mahomes’ injury. While I think he can play through it as he did in the AFC Championship, I think it could be a factor in the game, especially if the Eagles can create pressure.
Megan Youngblood
Chiefs 35, Eagles 28
I think the Kansas City Chiefs will beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a close game on Sunday. While the Eagles defense has been able to hold the teams they faced in the playoffs to seven points, they haven't played against a team like the Chiefs and the offense they have. On top of that, the Chiefs have a roster full of experienced players who know what it takes to win a Super Bowl, whereas the Eagles don't.
One thing that could bring the Chiefs down is Patrick Mahomes ankle injury. He played through it during the AFC Championship, but he was in clear distress and if the Eagles can create pressure as stated above, the Chiefs could be in some trouble.
Ryan Colores
Chiefs 30, Eagles 28
I truly think this game has the potential to be wildly entertaining. The Eagles’ offense has thrived all season behind Jalen Hurts’ ability to provide a strong, consistent presence as the orchestrator. Aided by very strong offensive line play and a plethora of offensive weapons at his disposal, he has found the perfect blend of dynamic athleticism and clean passing ability in and outside of the pocket. But Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes, and that alone can’t be overstated. Between his track record and evergreen connection with Travis Kelce, Mahomes has been on a mission all season and is looking to cap it all off with the ultimate prize. Philadelphia probably has the edge on defense, but I believe Mahomes will still find a way to lead his team to victory - that is, assuming his ankle injury doesn’t prove to be limiting to his abilities.
Hadlee Peters
Eagles 35, Chiefs 28
I personally think that this game is going to take all four quarters to determine the winner. There is potential for it to be a back-and-forth game between Kansas City and Philadelphia. Both teams are coming into the game with a 16-3 record, and the match-up is pretty even. However, I am pulling for an Eagles victory on Sunday. I think that Jalen Hurts might be getting under hyped when also talking about the Chiefs’ quarterback and now season MVP Patrick Mahomes. Regardless of the outcome, this is going to be a historical game and I am excited to watch on Sunday.
