For the first time since 2017, this Sunday’s Super Bowl will see the top seeds in both the AFC and NFC lock horns as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles for the right to call themselves World Champions.
Throughout the season both the Chiefs and Eagles have long been regarded as the best two teams in football and this is a showdown that millions all over the world wanted to see.
On Sunday we will be able to witness some of the game’s best players and here are a few you should keep an eye on.
The Super Bowl is America’ biggest sporting event and millions of people all over the world will watch this year’s game. Many sports stars have a favorite NFL team and ahead of this year’s Super Bowl, Betway took a trip down to the Tottenham Hotspur training complex to pick the brains of some of the clubs’ finest players.
Called the ‘Teammate’s Challenge’, each team needed to correctly predict what the other was thinking, often resulting in hilarious outcomes. Before the big game, make sure you check out the video.
The Quarterbacks
This year’s Super Bowl is a historic clash, as for the first time in NFL history, we will see a Super Bowl that will feature two Black starting quarterbacks. Both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts have been the two most consistent quarterbacks in the league this year, and it isn’t a surprise to see that they are the predominant candidates in this year’s MVP race.
Patrick Mahomes has established himself as arguably the best quarterback in the league and will be playing in his third Super Bowl in the last four years. Mahomes’s Super Bowl record stands at 1-1 and he will be desperate to be on the winning side once again this year. He enters the contest as the league’s leader in both passing and touchdowns, and if Philadelphia are to have any chance of winning this year’s Super Bowl, they must find a way to throw Mahomes off his game.
At the start of the season, few would have predicted that Jalen Hurts would have had the ability to lead the Philadelphia Eagles back to the promise land, but Hurts has astounded the league with his poise in the pocket and ability to hurt teams with his legs. Heading into the season with questions to answer over his throwing ability, Hurts has answered them emphatically by throwing for over 3,700 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has been metronomical with the ball and has thrown just six interceptions all year.
Always seemingly calm and controlled, the Eagles will be confident that Hurts can help lead them to a second Super Bowl title.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Arguably where this Sunday’s game will be won and lost is in the battle between the two team’s wide receivers and tight ends.
Philadelphia have a plethora of weapons that can catch fire at anytime and they arguably have the best wide receiver duo in the league in the form of A.J Brown and Devonta Smith.
Brown has turned out to be one of the best off season acquisitions in recent history and in his first season with the Eagles finished second in the NFL with almost 1,500 receiving yards. A big – bodied receiver, Brown has awesome speed and strength and often requires the attentions of at least a couple of opposition defenders. Look for Brown to dominate and put his stamp on proceedings.
On the other side of Brown is second year wide out Devonta Smith. A product out of Alabama, many questioned whether Smith had the size to compete in the professional game. Smith has proved his doubters wrong and came up clutch in the Eagles victory over the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. With Brown potentially drawing double teams, look for Smith to take advantage of some potential favorable matchups.
The Kansas City Chiefs have weapons of their own and will look to star tight end Travis Kelce to lead them to victory.
Kelce stands at 6-5 and weighs in at over 250lbs. Despite his awesome size, Kelce can move up and down the field at blistering speed and at times is almost impossible to defend against.
Long regarded as the best tight end in the NFL, Kelce and Mahomes are constantly on the same wavelength and Kelce has emerged as the most dominant red zone threat in the league. When the Chiefs find themselves in with a chance to score, look out for Kelce’s number being called.
A case for the defense
According to the aged old mantra – it’s defenses that win championships, and it’s fair to say that both defenses on Sunday have stars that will be able to turn the game in an instant.
The Eagles can boast a pair of edge rushers in the form of Hassan Reddick and Josh Sweat that have the ability to wreak havoc to the Chiefs offensive line all game long. Reddick in particular has been a sensation, another brilliant acquisition in the off season, Reddick has notched 19.5 sacks over the course of the season and has a great chance of winning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
In the NFC Championship game against the 49ers, Reddick was a one-man wrecking crew, sacking Brock Purdy twice and forcing a fumble. A previous player of the Arizona Cardinals where this year’s Super Bowl will take place, Reddick will be hoping for the perfect home coming.
Looking to put his own mark on the game will be Chris Jones. A defensive tackle by trade, Jones will look to cause maximum disruption to the vaunted Philadelphia offensive line.
Long regarded as one of the best defensive players in the business, Jones has been able to accumulate 15.5 sacks through the season and has 65 in his career. Working as apart of a defensive system that will operate under the theory of bending but not breaking, the Chiefs will be relying on their star man to get into the backfield and disrupt the rhythm of Jalen Hurts.
