2023 Super Bowl predictions
By Rodrigo Verney, February 10 2023—
Another edition of the world’s greatest sports entertainment event is upon us. The Super Bowl heads over to its 57th edition and the promises of one of the biggest spectacles the world has seen so far are higher than ever. Two teams with a lot on the line battle it out this Sunday, Feb. 12 for a chance to be an unskippable chapter on NFL’s history book. The Kansas City Chiefs go head-to-head against an uncontrollable Philadelphia Eagles team. The stage will be set for one of the most memorable nights in the sports world with a halftime show headlined by Rihanna. Here is a rundown of the two teams and what the future holds for them in celebration of the moment every NFL fan was hoping for.
To start with a name that most might have heard of already, the Chiefs are here to reclaim their position as the rising superstars of the league. Making their third appearance in four years, the Chiefs are looking forward to a Super Bowl victory that was drastically taken from them two seasons ago. Now, the Chiefs are ready to seize control of the opportunity of playing in a Super Bowl without the overcasting shadow of the unbeatable Tom Brady hanging over them.
The golden star of the team continues to be Patrick Mahomes, the prodigy quarterback, casually nicknamed “Baby Goat,” who just recently won his second regular season MVP award, but his eyes can only look at their own reflection off of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs quarterback is known for making miracle plays within split seconds on the clutch. He is a walking danger for any defence and now that he is protected by one of the league’s best pockets, Mahomes is proving to be the key player on a one-way express to the end zone.
The Eagles are the up-and-coming force to beat. Governed by one of the best quarterbacks of the new generation, Jalen Hurts, the team looks to go home with more than a contender’s experience on their trophy case. The team is relatively new to the Super Bowl scene, having won one of the three they participated in. Even though it was in a spectacular fashion against one of the toughest New England Patriots lineups in a long time, it was with an essentially different team. They would be the underdogs if they haven’t played one of the best seasons in recent history.
The Eagles make excellent use of an unorthodox defensive style that has been very powerful for them. The team has more than the third-highest-scoring offence in the league, they also have a tactic that has been sacking every quarterback in the NFL. A pass rush that aims to suffocate the quarterback as much as possible has been proving itself to be very effective as the Eagles already racked up 70 sacks, third most ever in a single season. This team will have the Chiefs working for every yard they get.
If the Chiefs win, Mahomes will be a two-time NFL champion and probably the game’s MVP. This will contribute a lot to his GOAT campaign, which is still far for him, but at 27 years old the young prodigy has a lot more to give. Besides Mahomes’ campaign, the win will show that the pass-rush style of defence can be beaten if teams start implementing the unbreakable pocket style that the Chiefs will present. Problem is that you can’t compensate for a good lock by using bad ones. Teams will offer a lot for that layer of protection on their quarterbacks. We can expect the defence to be given a bigger offer but remain the same at its core. Injuries will be the only thing that will challenge the Chiefs’ loyalty.
If the Eagles win, Hurts will have one of the prettiest comeback stories ever, as he was the runner-up for the regular season MVP behind Mahomes. A win would force Mahomes to look at the MVP trophy and forever attach it to the memory that it didn’t come with the Lombardi. A tough weight to bear. It would also propel Hurts’ career further into the public eye and put the Eagles at the threat level they deserve to be at. The victory would suggest that the pass rush is one of the best tactics in the league and we might even see a shift toward more defences utilizing this method in the future. Simply put, teams would be studying them for a long time.
This will be a Super Bowl to be remembered. It’s the first time that the two number-one teams of their conferences made it to the Super Bowl since 2000. It’s the first Super Bowl with two Black quarterbacks starting for the first time in NFL history. No matter where you look, there is always a storyline that makes this one of the most entertaining events to watch.