The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, this Sunday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Ahead of the most anticipated game of the NFL season, The Daily Princetonian Sports section offered their picks for who will emerge victorious in this rematch of Super Bowl LVII, during which a late-game pass interference flag set up Harrison Butker and the Chiefs for a game-winning field goal, triumphing 38–35.
Chiefs 31, Eagles 28 — Doug Schwartz, Associate Sports Editor
Is this the Super Bowl we wanted? Is this really what this NFL season has come to: a choice between bad and even worse? Do I really have to watch Patrick Mahomes fake a slide to draw yet another unnecessary roughness penalty? Should I be subjected to watching the same Eagles squad that embarrassed the Commanders and Jayden Daniels in the NFC championship?
Despite these trials and tribulations, look for the Chiefs to come out on top in this one. First, as good as the Eagles have been, there is a reason Mahomes and company are playing for their third Super Bowl in a row. Sure, they had potentially one of the most lackluster 15–2 regular seasons of all time, but beating both the Texans and the Bills in the playoffs was no easy feat. Andy Reid’s squad is experienced and battle-tested, and I believe that will be the difference in this game.
For the Eagles, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Saquon Barkley is going to play an instrumental role on Sunday, win or lose. However, the difference for Philadelphia will be their passing attack. It might be difficult to pull A.J. Brown away from whatever novel he is reading on the sidelines, but if Hurts can find him and DeVonta Smith downfield, Philly could very easily run away with this one.
Valued reader, if you have no allegiance to either team, let me ask you a question. In what many are calling the least exciting Super Bowl option, would you rather witness history and see the NFL’s first-ever three-peat, or do you want to watch Jalen Hurts be tush-pushed to victory? If you couldn’t guess, I’ll be wearing red on Sunday.
Chiefs 24, Eagles 21 — Joe Uglialoro, Assistant Sports Editor
At some point, the football world will realize how foolish it is to pick against the Chiefs. In a season where the on-field regular season product was perhaps the worst in the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs scrapped their way to a 15–2 regular season record, their best with Mahomes at QB. Blocked kick after blocked kick, flag after flag, the Chiefs found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat every single time. Call it luck, call it skill, call it help from the league office, but history speaks for itself.
This Eagles team is better than the one the Chiefs defeated in Super Bowl LVII, and they match up well with Kansas City (KC) at almost every position. Their running backs will give the KC defense fits all night, but they cannot win by running the ball alone. Kansas City’s defense has been stifling all season, rarely conceding more than 20 points in a game. They will serve as a capable foil to the high-flying Eagles offense, which is coming off a 55-point eruption against the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles defense deserves its flowers, too, with an elite unit, bolstered by rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, grading out as one of the best in the league. That being said, the NFL is a quarterback-first league, and Jalen Hurts can’t even hold a candle to Patrick Mahomes in that department. To the delight of Chiefs fans and the horror of the rest of the country (myself included), KC will become the first team to three-peat as champions in the Super Bowl era.
Chiefs 30, Eagles 24 — Harrison Blank, Head Sports Editor
In the rematch of Super Bowl LXVII, it will be miscues, not highlights, that define the Chiefs’ ascension to football royalty via three-peat. Kansas City will pull out a victory in a close-fought battle by fending off an attempted Philadelphia comeback, leaning on workhorse running back Isiah Pacheco in the fourth quarter.
Expect Patrick Mahomes to have a mistake-free day with 230 yards, one touchdown, and three or four critical third-down conversions on scrambles. The Chiefs will ride their franchise quarterback to the promised land. However, the Swifties who are watching will be disappointed to see Travis Kelce miss out on the end zone and only have three receptions.
The game will come down to Jalen Hurts, who will throw a backbreaking interception in the fourth quarter to end Philly fans’ hopes of reviving the magic of 2017. Hurts will be plagued by his frequent inability to get rid of the football on time, taking six sacks. These sacks will set the Eagles behind the chains too often and limit their potent offense, especially Saquon Barkley.
Mahomes haters, hide your eyes — the three-peat is here, and there is nothing that the guys in green can do about it. Tom Brady might want to unretire after this routine performance by the Chiefs, as a third win by Mahomes will start to encroach on the GOAT’s legacy.
Chiefs 26, Eagles 21 — Hayk Yengibaryan, Senior Sports Writer
After the craziness of the NBA trade deadline has taken up a majority of the headlines, it’s been easy to forget that Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from the unprecedented three-peat.
The betting lines rightfully list the Chiefs as 1.5-point favorites for Sunday evening, showing that oddsmakers are not making the same mistake they made the last two seasons.
The key in this game will be Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. ‘Spags’ proved he was the most creative coordinator in the NFL when he drew up the perfect blitz to stop Josh Allen and the Bills, securing the AFC Championship for Kansas City.
The Eagles will look to set the tone early with their rushing attack, led by Barkley, who has been nearly unstoppable this postseason. However, I expect Spags to stack the box and force Hurts to beat his team in the air, a place where they haven’t been consistent. Look for Trent McDuffie to make big plays for Andy Reid and his squad down the stretch.
Look for veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to make big plays for Mahomes. The five-time Pro Bowler has just one reception for 11 yards in the postseason. With all the attention on Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce, I expect him to have two or three big plays on Sunday night.
Patrick Mahomes is as clutch as they come. He keeps drives alive in big moments, bringing out the best in his receiving group. With Lionel Messi looking on from the stands, look for Mahomes to cement his eight-year NFL career as the best eight-year start in professional sports.
Harrison Blank is a head Sports editor at the ‘Prince.’
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate News editor, senior Sports writer, and Education Director for the ‘Prince.’
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Joe Uglialoro is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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