Super Bowl LVII has arrived and will kick off soon. It's hard to believe, but the Eagles and Chiefs, the two survivors of their respective conferences, are finally set to clash to determine the NFL's champion for the 2022 season.
Each of these teams made it to Arizona after securing No. 1 seeds following 14-3 regular seasons. Philadelphia's postseason featured blowout wins over New York and San Francisco. Kansas City, on the other hand, won two tightly contested playoff games that included a 23-20 triumph over defending AFC champion Cincinnati.
This Super Bowl is not devoid of storylines. Andy Reid finds himself coaching against the team he led to the Super Bowl nearly 20 years ago. Brothers Travis and Jason Kelce are looking for family bragging rights. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts have made history by become the first Black quarterbacks to start against each other in a Super Bowl.
Here's a full breakdown of the big game and how you can watch it in real time.
How to watch Super Bowl LVII
- When: Sunday, Feb. 12 | 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
- TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Eagles -1.5 | O/U 51 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
When the Chiefs have the ball
Along with facing tough defenses, both quarterbacks in Sunday's game are dealing with injuries. Mahomes will play through a high ankle sprain sustained three weeks ago in the divisional round win over Jacksonville. The injury did not appear to hinder Mahomes against Cincinnati and it has not limited his practice availability leading up to the Super Bowl. Expect Mahomes to be his typical self on Sunday.
Mahomes is surely hoping that Sunday is not a repeat of Super Bowl LV, when he was constantly on the run in Kansas City's eventual 31-9 loss to the Buccaneers. Mahomes has a much better offensive line this time around, but the unit will have its work cut out against a defense that tallied 70 sacks during the regular season. The Chiefs will have to pay special attention to Haason Reddick, who including the playoffs enters Sunday's game with 19.5 sacks.
The Chiefs will surely look to get Kelce involved, but they'll need other skill players to step up as well. Marquez Valdes-Scantling came up big in the AFC title game, while rookie running back Isiah Pacheco has been solid ever since he entered the starting lineup in Week 7.
While he's not a gunslinger, Mahomes is unafraid to make any throw. While that trait has made him arguably the NFL's best player, it could get him in trouble Sunday against the Eagles' ball-hawking secondary. If the Chiefs come up short for the second time in three years, it will likely be partly due to the Eagles' ability to pressure Mahomes and record turnovers off of him.
When the Eagles have the ball
While not as dominant as Philadelphia, the Chiefs defense has thrived off of forcing turnovers in recent weeks. The unit has forced at least one turnover in each of its last seven games and have forced two turnovers in each of the last four games.
Like Reddick, Chris Jones has played inspired football this season and is someone to keep an eye on Sunday. Jones enters the game with 17.5 sacks this season after taking Joe Burrow down twice in the AFC title game. Jones' main partner in crime this season has been defensive back L'Jarius Sneed, who filled the stat sheet this season with three interceptions, three forced fumbles, 108 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Defensive success in the red zone will be key if the Chiefs are going to upset the Eagles. Kansas City was 31st in the league in red zone defense during the season, a stat that Hurts and Co. are surely looking to exploit. The Eagles offense, led by Hurts and Miles Sanders' combined 24 touchdown runs, finished third in the NFL in red zone efficiency during the regular season. Tight end Dallas Goedert and 1,000-yard receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith also contributed to the Eagles' success inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Prediction
This game is going to come down to four things: how well the Chiefs can protect Mahomes, the health of Hurts' shoulder, the Chiefs' ability to stop the Eagles offense in the red zone and whether or not Kansas City will be able to keep its turnover streak going.
The Eagles are favored for a reason. They have a better defense and are slightly better at the skill positions. The Chiefs, however, have Mahomes, who can further add to his legacy by winning a second Super Bowl MVP. Mahomes has been on a mission all year, and that mission will end with him hosting his second Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night.
Score: Chiefs 27, Eagles 20
