Chiefs or Eagles in Super Bowl 57? Favorite exists among USA TODAY Sports experts
there is no shortage of story lines to monitor. (And don’t forget Rihanna performing at the halftime show … and all the commercials.)
USA TODAY Sports writers and columnists predict the winner of Super Bowl 57 between the Chiefs and Eagles at State Farm Stadium on Sunday:
Jarrett Bell:Â Chiefs, 27-23
There’s no way that Andy Reid loses to his former team. OK, sure, there’s a way, which would be reminiscent of Super Bowl 55, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punished Patrick Mahomes with a relentless defense. The Eagles defense has the pieces – starting up front and including Haason Reddick – to dominate against a quarterback nursing a sore ankle.
Yet Mahomes is back in the Super Bowl with a better O-line than the last time as he triggers the NFL’s No. 1 offense. And he still has that magic … and a certain tight end target (Travis Kelce) who probably owes his big brother (Chiefs Eagles center Jason Kelce). No, we can’t sleep on emerging Eagles star Jalen Hurts. But Super Bowl 57 will bring a different type of challenge in trying to outduel Mahomes.
Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more
Chris Bumbaca:Â Chiefs, 27-24
The health of Mahomes will be a determining factor. Even on one leg, he is the best player in football. Facing the Eagles pass rush will be a different type of challenge for the Kansas City front, which had the best pass block win rate during the regular season. The Eagles have been the top team in the NFL from start to finish, but the Chiefs are battle-tested. The Eagles have played in two straight postseason blowouts. By the time the big game arrives, it will be more than five weeks since they played in a close game. With two weeks to scheme against his old team, Reid will have plenty of time to figure out how to neutralize the Philadelphia pass rush with Mahomes’ ankle still hurting.