America’s most watched sporting event, the Super Bowl, returns to television for the 59th time. This year, it features two heavyweight contenders: the Kansas City Chiefs out of the AFC, and the Philadelphia Eagles out of the NFC. Both teams are led by an army of superstars, which is why this matchup has the potential to be unforgettable.
The first major storyline surrounding the big game is the possibility of a “three-peat.” Super Bowl LIX will be the third straight year featuring the Patrick Mahomes II led Chiefs. They won last year’s game 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers; Mahomes ended up driving the Chiefs down the field into the endzone three times within the final 6:13 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In 2023, the Chiefs beat the Eagles in a thrilling, yet controversial, affair, 38-35.
The second major storyline surrounds the undeniable talent on display. This matchup features countless future hall-of-famers and both former and future MVPs. Patrick Mahomes vs Jalen Hurts will certainly be an interesting duel between two great QBs. The key for both players will be to limit turnovers and pass the ball efficiently. Despite both teams ranking extremely high in statistics surrounding run defense, the team that can run the ball most effectively will set themselves up with the best chance for winning this game due to the predicted physicality of this contest. The run game is a major part of the offense for Philadelphia. Saquon Barkley led the NFL in many offensive metrics this season and Jalen Hurts has proved to be a valuable dual-threat Quarterback in his own right. If the Eagles want to win this game, they need to get both Hurts and Barkley going on the ground.
What do both teams need to do to win? The Chiefs need to find a way to break down the Eagles front by running the ball effectively, that way they can effectively set up the pass game and play to their strengths, which is the right arm of Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles need to run the ball effectively because this offense revolves around Barkley. The Chiefs run defense is extremely good, but that should not discourage the Eagles from feeding Barkley. Wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith will play a massive role in this game, but the fate of Philadelphia lies on the shoulders of Barkley.
Overall, I predict that the Eagles talent on both sides of the ball proves too much for the Chiefs. 31-23 Eagles.