On February 12, 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles will be taking center stage against the Kansas City Chiefs for the biggest football game of the year. Not only is this Super Bowl a return of two number-one seeds who are fairly recent Super Bowl winners and very competitive teams, but this is also a matchup with some history. Brothers Jason and Travis Kelce play for the Eagles and the Chiefs, respectively, marking the first time that brothers have faced each other in the Super Bowl. They also both have one ring, so the winner of this game will have something to lord over his brother for at least a year.
There’s also some major history between Andy Reid, head coach of the Chiefs, and the die-hard fans of Philadelphia, as Reid was fired in 2012 after 14 seasons with the Eagles. While there’s no known animosity, the battle against a former coach (especially one successful as Reid) always leads to some interesting schemes. Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni, is considered by many to be one of the best coaches in the league, meaning that there will, without a doubt, be many interesting plays called next Sunday.
One of the most exciting things about this matchup is found within the leaders of the teams, as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Eagles signal-caller Jalen Hurts are two of the most prominent QBs in the nation. The two quarterbacks are both coming off of injuries, with Hurts having a hurt shoulder and Mahomes recently suffering from a high-ankle sprain. Hurts is known for his ability to rush out of the pocket and get throws off quickly, while Mahomes is arguably the best quarterback at the majority of things in the NFL, especially his playmaking and arrow-like throws. This matchup is also the first time that the two starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl are both Black, as the quarterback has historically been a white, pretty-boy position. These two generational talents are wonderful examples of the growing diversity of positions in the NFL, as well as inspiration to any aspiring quarterback.
Not only will the game feature two of the best quarterbacks in the league, but there will also be wider amounts of skill players showing off in this game. The Chiefs have the best tight end in the NFL in Travis Kelce, as well as wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the latter performing shockingly well in the AFC Championship. The Eagles are led by a fantastic defense and offensive line, as well as wide receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, with Brown being one of the top 5 wide receivers in the NFL this year. With such productive players, how can this game not be absolutely electric?
Last, but absolutely not least, let’s talk about entertainment. This year’s Super Bowl halftime show (sponsored by Apple Music) will be a performance by Rihanna. Her first concert since 2018, as well as her first after having a baby, fans went berserk as soon as it was announced that Queen RiRi would be performing. The details of her performance are unknown, but fans are assuming that she’ll bring out some special guests that could potentially include her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky. No matter what she ends up singing, there’s no doubt that she’ll blow everyone away.
So, who will win the Super Bowl? Currently, Philadelphia is slightly favored over the Chiefs in most of the major sportsbooks, but the game is very close to being a pick’em. Patrick Mahomes is known for leading the Chiefs to outstanding come-from-behind wins, but the Eagles are a consistently steady team. In reality, there are so many factors affecting the game that it’s really a toss-up for who will win. According to Mr. Wilker, “The Eagles are going to win because Patrick Mahomes is a fraud.” Soon, we’ll see if that’s true!