After all of the tension and stress of two conference championship games have passed, NFL fans are forced to wait in limbo for an extra week before the biggest event of the year. Until Feb. 9, all they can do is speculate before the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs square off in Super Bowl LIX.
Will Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirriani prove their doubters wrong? Will Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid cement themselves as the NFL’s newest dynasty? Who benefits the most from winning the big one?
I think it’s important to detail how each team actually managed to get to Super Bowl LIX, starting with the Chiefs. They finished the regular season with a remarkable 15-2 record, losing only to the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos in Week 18 where almost every important starter did not play.
But while the Chief’s dominance of the league is reflected in their record, they were also 12-0 in games decided by one score or less. They can close unlike any team in the league this year and arguably in its whole history.
The Chiefs are able to pull off these close wins because of the guy everyone knows.
Mahomes had an off year on paper, but he didn’t need to do as much as he had in previous seasons for his team to win.
He’s been able to lean on the likes of running backs Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. His receiving core has admittedly been questionable this year, but rookie receiver Xavier Worthy and tight end Travis Kelce have proven to be Mahomes’ most reliable targets. Worthy just had the best performance of his first year in the AFC Championship game against the Bills, proving the sky’s the limit for their offense.
Their defense, manned by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, has been top five in scoring defense and opponent points per game. They’ve been a stalwart unit all year, and a big reason why Mahomes was able to play his worst statistical season and still make the Super Bowl.
Player-wise, they’re led by the defensive line, namely defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive end George Karlaftis. The secondary has also locked down receivers all year, with safety Justin Reid and cornerback Trent McDuffie.
On the other side though, the Eagles have had an insane turnaround over the last year. After finishing their 2023 season 1-6 and losing their Wild Card game to the Buccaneers, general manager Howie Roseman got to work.
He revamped the offensive line by moving Cam Jurgens to center, and brought in a former first-round tackle, Mekhi Becton. Instead of playing him there, Becton played guard for the Eagles in a breakout year. A lot of credit should go to Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles offensive line coach. This unit has consistently been the best in the league during his tenure, earning him the moniker of Stoutland University.
The offense also got a huge bump from free agent Saquon Barkley, who had the NFL’s seventh ever 2,000 yard rushing season in 2024.
Now how will these teams match up? I think, like most football games, this one will be won in the trenches. The Eagles offensive line versus the Chiefs defensive line is set to be the most interesting battle of the night.
I predict Hurts will be under a lot of pressure and probably take a few sacks. One of his biggest weaknesses as a quarterback is getting the ball out in a timely manner, and I expect it’ll continue to be an issue for him in the Super Bowl.
Despite that, Hurts has been great at keeping the ball in the hands of his offense. He hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 10, but neither has Mahomes. Turnovers will be especially decisive in a game where neither team gives up the ball often.
Super Bowl LIX is set up to be an electric game of football. It’s also a Super Bowl LVII rematch, which hikes the stakes up even more. With Mahomes and Reid on the edge of football immortality, I don’t think the Eagles and head coach Sirriani will get it done. My final prediction is 31- 27 Chiefs.
