The Super Bowl is upon us. Kansas City Chiefs versus the Philadelphia Eagles. One seed versus one seed. Travis Kelce versus Jason Kelce. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid versus his former team. How can the Chiefs win? How can the Eagles win? What will be the final score, and who will be the most valuable player?
To start, let’s set the stage. Both teams are healthy. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a high ankle sprain; however, he looked good in his game versus the Cincinnati Bengals and will be ready to go. For the Eagles, their goal in the Super Bowl should be to copy what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did to neutralize Patrick Mahomes in the 2021 Super Bowl: get to Mahomes as quickly as possible and do not let him hold onto the ball for long.
The Eagles should have no problem with this because they have four players with double-digit sacks, and got through the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive line in the National Football Conference Championship game. On offense, the Eagles need to continue to run the ball but need to establish a passing game in the red zone. The Chiefs allowed the most passing touchdowns (33) in the regular season. The Chiefs’ defensive goal should be “bend, don’t break”. The Eagles are going to score, but they can try to hold them down. The Chiefs have to get the ball out fast. Mahomes is not as mobile due to his ankle, so let your playmakers do what they do best. Seventh-round rookie Isaiah Pacheco has been phenomenal in the playoffs, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 10.83 yards per catch in the playoffs. On defense, pressure … pressure … and more pressure. Jalen Hurts thrives in clean pockets, and his rushing threat makes defenses focus on containing him. Chris Jones (15.5 sacks) and Frank Clark (third all-time in playoff sacks) need to have great games. They also need to lock down the red zone. The Eagles are the third-ranked team in red zone scoring and have a 90% conversion rate on QB sneaks. Hold them to field goals. With all that said, I think the Eagles come away with the win, 27-24. Jalen Hurts wins the Super Bowl MVP with two total touchdowns (one of them being a rushing touchdown). Be ready for the best game of the season on Feb. 12.
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