Connect with us

Features

Will the Eagles hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Super Bowl Sunday?

And just like that the Eagles are once again playing for the Lombardi Trophy. After winning their first Super Bowl in the 2017-18 season, the Philadelphia franchise struggled in multiple aspects, from coaching to quarterback play to making another deep run in the playoffs.

Nonetheless, the Eagles went all in this season, acquiring multiple key players which have ultimately led them back to football’s biggest stage.

After securing a first-round bye, the Eagles dominated the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round and NFC Championship. 

They will now face the Kansas City Chiefs who have had quite a phenomenal season themselves. It will be their toughest test to date this season facing the MVP, Patrick Mahomes, along with former head coach Andy Reid.

QB Matchup: Jalen Hurts vs Patrick Mahomes

Jalen Hurts has surpassed everyone’s expectations this season. Essentially no one predicted Hurts would be an MVP-caliber player and lead the Eagles to their second potential Super Bowl in five seasons.

Hurts recorded 15 completions for 121 yards and 39 yards on the ground with one touchdown against San Francisco in the NFC championship. This game worried some fans because of his low passing numbers. The Eagles won 31-7 and his arm was not needed for much of the contest, however. 

Nonetheless, he will need to bring his best play to the field in Arizona. The Chiefs’ defense has played exceptionally well in their two playoff games. They held the Jaguars and Bengals to 20 points each while recording three interceptions, seven sacks, and an average QBR of 52.4 between Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. 

It is evident that the Chiefs will try to contain Hurts as much as possible, forcing him to make throws from the pocket. Hurts needs to make plays when it comes down to the big moments.

Patrick Mahomes won his second MVP this season while throwing for 5,250 yards, 45 total touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Mahomes has a 69.9% completion percentage, 521 yards, and four touchdowns in his two playoff games this postseason.

He has played exceptionally while playing through a high ankle sprain (should be 100% for Sunday). He will certainly have to use his legs this week due to the Eagles suffocating defensive line, who ranked number one in sacks this season with 70.

If anyone can put a team on their back and go win this game it would be Mahomes. 

Eagles’ Keys to Victory

Limit Mahomes & Kelce: I’ll start this by saying each of these future Hall of Famers are going to make plays throughout the game, the Eagles just have to limit them as much as possible. Kelce has recorded 21 receptions for 176 yards and three touchdowns in just two postseason games this season. He will need to be double-teamed for the majority of the game or he will continue to put up numbers.

The Eagles’ defense has played almost flawlessly this postseason so this will be a serious test to see how good they truly are. They have allowed 14 total points and only 192 yards in two games. Impressive to say the least. 

Hurts stays composed: As I’ve stated all season and prior “this team goes as Hurts goes”. He has played well enough each week to keep the Eagles winning games all season long. He needs to thrive in the brightest lights. Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steven Spagnuolo has done an exceptional job containing Lawrence and Burrow in the last two games. So, it’s assumed Hurts will get some unfamiliar looks thrown at him. 

As long as he does not turn the ball over or make any serious mistakes, the Eagles should have a great chance. 

Final Prediction: Chiefs 24 – Eagles 21

I’ve been on the fence about this prediction for a while now. The Eagles certainly have the better roster from top to bottom but I think this game will come down to coaching. And I think Andy Reid will have a better game plan than Nick Sirianni coming into this game. I think they can really get Hurts second-guessing himself and making bad decisions. 

“This team goes as Hurts goes,” if he cannot make plays like he has been it could start looking bad for Philadelphia. But say he continues to surprise people especially inside the pocket, then the Eagles should win the game.

Kansas City showed they can beat a tough opponent (Bengals) when it comes down to the wire. And Philadelphia has, whether you like it or not, had an easier two playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. 

Both teams have the firepower and playmakers on both sides of the ball. The Eagles have A.J. Brown, Miles Sanders, Haason Reddick, Darius Slay, and the list goes on. The Chiefs have Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, and once again the list goes on.

I do think this will be an entertaining Super Bowl that will be packed with big plays. Let’s see if my final prediction for this 2022-23 season is correct…

 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured Articles

Featured Writers

More in Features