Five Interesting Nuggets from Eagles vs Chiefs Superbowl Matchup

After a long off-season, training camp, preseason, a grueling 17-week regular season, and a deadly playoff tournament…Ladies and gentlemen, we have our Superbowl matchup. On February 12, 2023, Patrick Mahomes will lead the Kansas Chiefs onto the field and square off against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Superbowl is so special that we have two weeks to dissect this game and the teams involved. In this article, we will present five nuggets that will make this matchup one of the most intriguing Superbowl to watch in recent memory.

1. Number one seeds and a good omen for the Eagles-this matchup will feature the best regular season teams in both conferences that finished with identical 14-3 records. As a number one seed, these teams benefited from a bye from the wild card round which means that they only need two wins to get to the Superbowl. It is a reminder to teams that being the top seed is a position to covet since it is an easier path to a championship. However, the history of the NFL shows that it doesn’t happen every year. The NFL began using postseason seeding in 1975, and the number one seeds have met just 13 times in 48 or 27% of the time in the Superbowl. So you might be wondering, when was the last time the number one seed in both teams played in the big game? The answer-Superbowl LII when the Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33 in a thrilling matchup. How about that!

2. Familiarity among the franchises-there is close ties to individuals from both organizations. The first glaring connection is Andy Reid, who coached the Eagles for 14 years before moving to Kansas City. Reid won 6 divisional titles, made four NFC Championship games, and a Super Bowl appearance. The next connection between the franchises is that Travis and Jason Kelce will become the first brothers to play against each other in the Superbowl. Their mom, Donna, will have to stay neutral, cheer the winner, and console the losing brother after the game. That’s a tough job! Other connections include Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni was on Todd Haley’s coaching staff in 2012. Also, Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy played for Reid with the Eagles in 1999, and Andy brought most of his staff from his days with the Eagles to the Chiefs. Therefore, there will be a healthy amount of respect for each other on both sidelines.

3. First all-black quarterback matchup- a significant milestone from this game will be that Super Bowl 57 will see its first matchup between black quarterbacks. The long-standing perception in the league was that black quarterbacks could not lead a team to a championship. Therefore, to have these two quarterbacks in this game shatters the argument once and for all. Interestingly, both Mahomes and Hurts are NFL MVP candidates because they have been driving forces for their teams’ success this season. It should be interesting who receives the nod for MVP during the NFL Honours Award Ceremony, but we all know they would rather be lifting the Lombardi on February 12.

4. Sacks get it done-these teams prove that NFL games are decided in the trenches, a battle of offensive line versus defensive line. The early stats prove that these teams belong in the Superbowl because of their ability to bring pressure on the quarterback. In the regular season, the Eagles finished No. 1 in the NFL with 70 sacks, while Kansas City was second with 55 sacks. The game could be decided based on who gets to Mahomes or Hurts the most!

5. History of matchups-The Eagles and Chiefs have met nine times in NFL history, with their first matchup dating back to 1972. The Chief has a slight edge of 5-4 in the all-time head-to-head matchup. Interestingly, Andy Reid has been the winning coach in the last six matchups in 2001, 2005, and 2009 with the Eagles and 2013, 2017, and 2021 with the Chiefs. The last time the teams met was on October 3, 2021, in Philadelphia, and on that day Mahomes had a virtuoso performance in a 42-30 win over the Eagles. Mahomes completed 24-for-30 passes for 278 yards, five touchdowns, and only one interception. Jalen Hurts played well in completing 32 of 48 passes for a career-high 387 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. The teams are a lot different, and the personnel has evolved since that game, and it should be interesting to see who prevails in Superbowl LVII.