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The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl after barely missing out last season, and they have a difficult matchup in store with the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57. It should be a great game between the top two seeds in their respective conferences, and we will now get to see which side is the best of the best on the biggest stage the NFL has to offer.
The Chiefs managed to overcome a much more difficult AFC conference this season, with their own division in the AFC West becoming far more competitive. But for the most part, Kansas City cruised through the regular season, and proved that they are still the team to beat in the AFC until further notice, despite all the upgrades their competitors made.
Now Kansas City will have a chance to reign supreme after getting destroyed in their last Super Bowl appearance and coming up short in the AFC Championship Game last season. The Eagles should be their biggest challenge of the season, but as we enter the buildup to the big game, it's clear that the Chiefs have the edge over Philly for these three reasons.
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3. The Chiefs have two weeks to get healthy
Injuries pile up throughout the course of the NFL season, and while the Eagles also are beat up, it's tough to argue that they are in worse condition than the Chiefs. Kansas City's top two players in Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were question marks in the buildup to their contest with the Cincinnati Bengals, but ended up gutting it out as expected to lead their team back to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs picked up several more injuries in their game against the Bengals, with L'Jarius Sneed, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and Kadarius Toney all being forced to leave the game early. Willie Gay Jr. also picked up a shoulder injury and was limited to just 26 snaps on defense, so Kansas City got even more beat up despite picking up this huge win.
It's clear that against a deep Eagles team, the Chiefs are going to need everyone healthy and good to go if they want to win. The good news is that there is a two-week break before the Super Bowl, ensuring that Kansas City will have a shot to get fully healthy. And while that helps both sides, it's clear the Chiefs will benefit more from this time off.
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2. The Chiefs have more experience in the Super Bowl than the Eagles
Super Bowl experience can be a bit of an overrated factor in the final game of the season; at the end of the day, it is just football. But the stage is huge, the lights are the brightest they have ever been, and sometimes, players fold under the pressure. It's a fair advantage to note that the Chiefs have heading into this game.
Kansas City's core group has played in two of the three most recent Super Bowls, so this isn't a stage that they are unfamiliar with. Furthermore, Andy Reid has coached in another Super Bowl back in 2004 (coincidentally, while as a member of the Eagles organization), so it's clear this squad knows what they are going up against.
As for the Eagles, this is all fairly new to them despite the fact they won the Super Bowl back in 2018. They have a new head coach, a new quarterback, and a completely different roster from the last time they were here. There are some holdovers, but the experience gap between these two sides is quite large, and it could play a big role in determining the outcome of this game.
1. The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes
At the end of the day, the game of football is a player's game. The players on both sides are going to have to go out and execute if they want to walk away as champions, and right now, there isn't anyone in the game who is better than Mahomes. Even as he was dealing with a high ankle sprain, Mahomes gutted out a win against the Bengals, and now he gets time to rest before his matchup with the Eagles.
We all know how great Mahomes is, but this season he proved how important he is to the Chiefs success. Even after losing his top wide receiver in Tyreek Hill, Mahomes never missed a beat, and will likely win his second MVP award when all is said and done. He also has a chance to win his second Super Bowl despite all the challenges he has faced.
The Eagles may have a better supporting cast around Jalen Hurts, but Mahomes himself is the better player, and you cannot dispute that right now. We just saw him beat the Bengals at way less than 100 percent health, and there's really no way we can doubt his abilities. As long as Mahomes is under center, the Chiefs will have a shot to win, and it's clear his presence alone gives Kansas City a leg up on Philadelphia ahead of this game.
