This Sunday evening, one of the most consequential Super Bowls in NFL history will take place in New Orleans. Legacies will be cemented, careers defined, and lives changed, all based on the outcome of three hours of football on the turf of the Caesars Superdome.
Last Sunday, The Chiefs beat the Bills in a close 32-29 AFC Championship battle to advance to the Super Bowl, while the Eagles cruised by the Commanders 55-23.
On the one hand, we have these juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs. Their dynasty has been spectacular, winning Super Bowl Championships in 2020, 2023 and 2024, led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid.
Mahomes has done seemingly nothing but win during his time in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls in his first six seasons and never losing before the AFC Championship game. Reid’s legacy has been shaped by his time with the Chiefs since Mahomes’ drafting as the tenth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Before then, he was known as one of the coaches who could never win the big one, first as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and later the Chiefs. He consistently fell short in Philly and only won one playoff game in Kansas City. Since Mahomes began his career as a starter in Fall 2018, Reid has won three Super Bowls and is now known as one of the best coaches ever.
On the other side of this year’s match-up are the Eagles, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts and Coach Nick Sirianni. These two young phenoms began their playing and coaching careers together. While Hurts played some in the 2020 season, Sirianni’s first year as coach in 2021 was also the first year Hurts played as a full-time starter.
These young upstarts looking for glory serve as the perfect counter for the Chiefs and their leadership of the veterans Reid and Mahomes. While Reid and Mahomes are trying to cement their legacy as the greatest team run ever – as the first team in NFL history to three-peat – Sirianni and Hurts hope to start their own legacy in Philly by getting their first ring.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the 2023 Super Bowl, in which Mahomes and Reid grabbed their second Lombardi Trophy by winning an exciting 38-35 over the Hurts/Sirianni-led Eagles, in a game that was devastating for Philly and a landmark victory for these Chiefs.
This game, like many involving the Chiefs these days, was marred by controversy, as a defensive-holding penalty in the final minutes allowed Kansas City to run the clock down and kick a game-winning field goal with seconds remaining. Up to this point, however, it was an electric and high-scoring affair where both of these teams went back and forth with touchdown after touchdown.
I expect this game to be different, as both the Chiefs’ and Eagles’ defenses have improved from two years ago and are currently some of the most elite units in the entire NFL, so I think fewer points will be scored.
The Eagles will be looking for revenge this weekend, while the Chiefs hope to do the same thing they did last year to the San Francisco 49ers by winning two Super Bowls against the same team. For my prediction, I think the Chiefs are inevitable, and they will beat the Eagles to win their third straight Super Bowl, with Mahomes winning his fourth ring and moving closer to Tom Brady in the GOAT debate.
My final score prediction is Chiefs 23, Eagles 17, with the Eagles going up early and the Chiefs making a comeback to get the win.