Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) kicks off today at 3:30 PM PT/6:30 PM ET on FOX. Below are my 10 things to look for in the game. Enjoy!
#1. How will Patrick Mahomes' ankle hold up? Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sprained his right ankle against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs and seemed to be favoring it a bit in the AFC title game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs did not list anyone on their injury report as everyone practiced in full on Friday, but that doesn't mean Mahomes' ankle won't flare up at some point in the game. How that goes will be really critical to any success the Chiefs are hoping to have.
#2. How will Jalen Hurts perform in his first Super Bowl? Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is dealing with chest and shoulder pain and will look to play though his discomfort as well. On top of playing through that pain, this is also his first Super Bowl. So on top of seeing how his body holds up, it'll also be interesting to see how Hurts himself handles the pressure of playing in his first Super Bowl.
#3. How big will Travis Kelce be for KC? Travis Kelce is arguably the top tight end in the NFL and has by far and away been Mahomes' favorite target, having a team-high 110 receptions for 1338 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season. If Kansas City is going to win this game, they're likely going to need a big outing from Kelce. How he performs is going to be crucial to how this game turns out. If I'm the Eagles, slowing down Kelce is going to be my top priority.
#4. How effective will A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith be for Philly? The top two receiving targets for Jalen Hurts are receivers A.J. Brown (88 receptions, 1496 yards, & 11 touchdowns) and DeVonta Smith (95 receptions, 1196 yards, & 7 touchdowns). Those two guys will need to come up big for the Eagles' offense and just like how Kelce is the guy who the Eagles defense needs to contain, Brown and Smith are the ones who the Chiefs defense needs to worry about.
One interesting thing is that Smith has more receptions and has been targeted less. This means Smith has a better catch percentage (69.9%) than Brown (60.7%). A big thing to look for will be how good Brown is at securing his receptions and whether or not he has any costly drops. Because when he gets the ball, there's no question he does more with it than Smith.
#5. Will Kansas City's experience pay off? This will be the third Super Bowl that the Chiefs have had in the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid era whereas the Eagles are in their first Super Bowl of the Jalen Hurts/Nick Sirianni era. Experience matters in the Super Bowl and if things get tight, the fact that the Chiefs have been here before could make the difference.
#6. Will this game be a high scoring shoot out as expected? The Chiefs lead the NFL with 29.2 points per game while the Eagles are third with 28.1 points per game. This is expected to be a close and high scoring game with the Eagles favored by just 1.5 points. It'll be interesting to see if it's as close as advertised and whether or not it will be the high scoring shoot out that everyone expects it to be.
#7. Will C.J. Gardner-Johnson pick off Patrick Mahomes? Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson does not have an interception yet this postseason, but in the 12 regular season games he played in, he had six. This means he's due for one. Whether or not he gets one on Mahomes will be something to watch and if he does, that could be a game-changer.
#8. Which team will get more sacks? The Eagles led the NFL with 77.0 sacks in the regular season while the Chiefs were second with 55.0. The Eagles on paper should get more sacks, especially if Mahomes' mobility is at all an issue, but the Chiefs know how to get to the quarterback as well. Which team wins the sack battle could have an inside advantage to winning this game.
#9. How will the Eagles handle a close game if it is one? The Chiefs defeated the Jaguars 27-20 in the divisional round and the Bengals 23-20 in the AFC title game. The Eagles on the other hand had dominating wins in both of their playoff games, crushing the Giants 38-7 in the divisional round and blowing the doors off the 49ers 31-7 in the NFC title game. It's been a little while since they've played a close game whereas close games is all the Chiefs have known these playoffs. How the Eagles handle a close game if it becomes one will be interesting to see. They might be best served by jumping out to an early lead and going for a blowout, which often happens in the Super Bowl.
#10. How will Nick Sirianni handle his first Super Bowl as a head coach? Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been in the Super Bowl before as a head coach and he has guys who've been there before. That really helps from a game management standpoint. For Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, this is new territory for him and his team. How he handles the big time decisions, whether to go for it, etc. will be really interesting to see. Coaching matters a ton in the Super Bowl and it's never easy for guys who are there for the first time.
Prediction: This game could go either way, but I think Vegas has the right prediction here with the Eagles being favored. I think they'll find a way to come through, though it'll be a closer game than their last two playoff games. Eagles 30 Chiefs 27 is how I see this one shaking out. Should be fun!
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