Super Bowl Preview
It’s rare that both of the number one seeds in the NFL meet in the Super Bowl. Facing the underdogs in the playoffs can only hinder the number-one seed’s progress. Whether it be underestimating their opponent, or simply better play from the other team to prove all the doubters wrong, it’s difficult to live up to expectations as a number one seed. The last time this happened was nearly six years ago when the number one seed from the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles, beat the number one seed from the AFC, the New England Patriots. This year we will again be treated to the two best teams in the country going head to head on football’s biggest stage, as the Eagles return for the first time since that win in 2017, and the Kansas City Chiefs come back for their third Super Bowl in four years.
Since their Super Bowl win in 2017, the Eagles have gone through a mini-rebuild to reach the football summit again. Then quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles were both traded away, and Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson was fired. In their place came quarterback Jalen Hurts from Oklahoma on day two of the 2020 NFL draft, and Nick Sirianni, who joined them as head coach after spending two years as the Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator. Currently, Sirianni is the leading candidate for coach of the year, whilst Jalen Hurts battles it out with Patrick Mahomes for the MVP. With a mix of free agents and great draft picks, General Manager Howie Roseman has rebuilt the franchise into not only a 14-3 team, but a Super Bowl contender, in the last two years. Free agents like James Bradberry from the New York Giants and Haason Reddick from the Carolina Panthers, alongside young players like Devonta Smith and Jordan Davis, allow the Eagles to have arguably the deepest squad to win the Super Bowl, but will they be able to do it against the man they’re calling the new GOAT?
Even though the Chiefs will find it difficult to make it past the Eagles’ top ten defense and offense, the star factor of Patrick Mahomes on the big stage could very well shine through. Despite trading away their best receiver in the post-season, with Tyreek Hill headed to the Dolphins, Patrick Mahomes has led the offense to be the best in the NFL even with several key players going down during the season due to injury. Whether the pass is to a veteran like Juju Smith-Schuster or a rookie like Skyy Moore, anything Mahomes touches, or throws, turns to gold. Alongside their number four-ranked defense, led by pass rusher Chris Jones, and their brilliant head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs can beat anyone even when they’re not at their best. If the Eagles are unable to stop the receiving ability of Travis Kelce, the pass rush from Chris Jones, and the arm of Patrick Mahomes, they could all easily walk away from Arizona with yet another Super Bowl ring.
Both teams have their strengths, but neither has glaring weaknesses the other should be targeting to expose. The game will be won and lost based on either a piece of brilliance or a cataclysmic mistake. Will Mahomes be able to cement himself as the GOAT of the new generation? Or will Jalen Hurts finally silence any doubters by bringing a Super Bowl back to Philadelphia? In the end, I believe the Philadelphia Eagles will come out on top, with Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni bringing a second Super Bowl back to The City of Brotherly Love.
By Luke Birch