Super Bowl LVII Preview: Part 2
0Part 1 refresher
- Which player will be the star of the Super Bowl?
HG: Travis Kelce.
SM: If Philly wins then running back Miles Sanders has had a big day. His 1269 yards on the ground tallied fifth in the league, and if he breaks the 100-yard barrier there’s a good chance they’ll be dancing in South Philadelphia.
SG: I hope for his sake it’s Jalen Hurts. From the first week of the season it was as if he’s been on this trajectory. His form has been brilliant, and when he was out injured, the Eagles had a mini-slump. It’s not as if they rely on him, but it’s what he brings. He has a cannon for an arm, he can run, and he’s not afraid to take the sack, get back up, and then throw a first down. There’s a lot of chat around Mahomes and the career he’s paving for himself, and rightfully so – but I think if Hurts shines in this Superbowl, his star power will only increase.
JP: Again, I’m going to take liberties, and talk about who I think will be the unheralded star of the Super Bowl in Chris Jones. On any other team, he would be the face of the franchise, but on the Chiefs he has to play third fiddle to Mahomes and Kelce (who may both end up as the greatest to ever play their positions). But the work that Jones does creating pressure from the interior of the defensive line is unmatched in this league, leading to 15.5 sacks. To put this in perspective, All World defensive tackle Aaron Donald has only ever surpassed that number once, but has three Defensive Player of the Year awards to his name. Jones’ work collapsing the pocket from the middle leads to his fellow linemen getting to the quarterback too, which in turn helps the Chiefs’ inexperienced secondary. The obvious star of the Super Bowl is going to be Mahomes, but Chris Jones’ efforts in the trenches will do as much to take his team to victory as No. 15 will.
RN: I’m underthinking this one. It’s Mahomes.
- Will there be a villain of this Super Bowl, and if so, who?
HG: Any of the Eagles defensive players that has a late hit on Mahomes.
SM: Someone, somewhere, will do something boneheaded. My pick is there will be a crippling turnover somewhere in their own half shortly after conceding a score, giving the opposition a short field which will lead to a pivotal touchdown. Failing that, there’s always the officiating crew led by referee Carl Cheffers – who was the referee two years ago when Kansas City lost to Tampa Bay – making a highly controversial, game-changing call.
SG: The villain of the Super Bowl is that both Kelce brothers can’t win a ring. Whether it’s Jason or Travis taking the spoils, there’s going to be heartbreak in the family. That sucks. I can only imagine the interaction post game between them.
JP: Roger Goodell. Just because I think that this is going to be an epic, amazing Super Bowl that one team will win, rather than the other will lose. And everyone hates Goodell.
RN: There’s been some funky stuff happening with kickers this season. In a close game, Jake Elliott shanks a field goal or two and becomes Philly’s villain.
- What’s one betting option that you fancy?
HG: The over in the length of the National Anthem performance by Chris Stapleton.
SM: I’ll take mine early with the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. The over/under is set at 122 seconds which is loooooong (last year’s went 106 seconds), but singer Chris Stapleton is known for his slow riffs so I’ll take the Over. On the field when it comes to the X’s and O’s I’m a defense guy, so anything that involves sacks or interceptions I’ll consider. But give me good odds on a safety being scored and I’m in.
SG: I’ve always enjoyed the ‘To Score First & Win’ option. You generally get good odds for both sides, and it’s worth a cheeky fiver.
JP: Just the one? Lets go with a Same Game Multi including a Hurts Anytime TD, Kelce Anytime TD, Mahomes 275+ Passing Yards, and Pacheco 55+ Rushing Yards, paying a cool $10 at the moment. The Eagles love a QB sneak from anywhere inside the 2, a Kelce touchdown seems inevitable, Mahomes put up 300+ last week throwing to Kelce, Marques Valdez-Scantling, and a dude they pulled out of the stands at half time, and Pacheco has just been getting stronger and stronger as the year goes on. Book it.
RN: It’s at odds, and I’m annoyed that this is being posted after Cousin Sal announced this exact same play on the Bill Simmons podcast, because I’ve been eyeing it up since the Conference Championship games. With the Chiefs’ receivers banged up, I like big, athletic, tight end Jody Fortson to get some red zone looks. Back him as an anytime touchdown scorer.
- Who wins and by how many?
HG: The Chiefs if they score over 30 points – not many teams beat them if they hit that mark.
SM: I’m taking Philly by 3. If they can control the time of possession, they’ll keep Mahomes off the field just long enough to keep him from doing what he does best.
SG: If this game is close, it’ll be the Kansas City Chiefs. They show no fear when there’s a minute left and scores are tied. This will be their third appearance in four years, so they know what the Super Bowl is all about. However, I’m leaning towards the Philadelphia Eagles. They have a tonne of points in them, and they will flex their offensive arsenal on the day.
Taking them 31-21.
JP: Chiefs 27-20.
RN: Chiefs by 6
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