Super Bowl 2023: Picks and predictions for Chiefs vs. Eagles

The Super Bowl is nearly here! Either the Philadelphia Eagles capture their second Lombardi Trophy in seven seasons, or the Kansas City Chiefs make it two titles in five seasons and Andy Reid adds to his legendary career at the expense of his former team. Patrick Mahomes has been earmarked for multiple championships in his already illustrious career, and this is his second shot at a second ring. Jalen Hurts was questioned as the Eagles starter as recently as the end of last season. This year he was league MVP runner-up and has only lost one game as a starter. You have elite players in the trenches on both sides of the ball for both teams, and dangerous receiving targets at the tight end position. I also hear two people named Kelce are playing in this one!

Who will prevail? Will it be Nick Sirianni in his second season as head coach? Or will Andy Reid become the 14th coach in NFL history to win two Super Bowls? Field Gulls has made its predictions, which you can read below.

Mookie Alexander: Pass rush. Pass rush. Pass rush. The Chiefs have an elite pass rusher in Chris Jones and a very good playoff performer in Frank Clark. The Eagles have four guys with 10+ sacks this season, and Haason Reddick is one of the best signings of the entire NFL season. Jalen Hurts’ health actually concerns me more than Patrick Mahomes’, but I don’t believe the Chiefs defense can slow down the Eagles’ diverse rushing attack and their inexperienced secondary may get picked on by Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown. Mahomes will do magical things and Travis Kelce will be hard to stop, but I believe the Eagles defense can limit this Chiefs offense enough and pull away late in the 4th quarter. Eagles 38, Chiefs 24, Jalen Hurts gets Super Bowl MVP with two passing TDs and a rushing TD.

Devin Csigi: I think the play callers are going to decide this game with the main battle coming between Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo vs Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Spagnuolo is very creative with how he sets up his fronts in order to create mismatches and one on one opportunities. Chris Jones has the capabilities of taking this game over which I believe he will. Then on the offensive side of the ball Patrick Mahomes will once again remind everyone just how good he is. Chiefs 31, Eagles 27, Chris Jones gets Super Bowl MVP with two sacks and an additional 1.5 TFL.

Tyler Alsin: Mahomes and Kelce are the best players on the field, and they’ll do their share of damage against the Eagles. But they might be the only two that are better than all the Philadelphia position groups, and we won’t even know if Mahomes will be at full strength. I don’t think the Eagles skated by a disproportionately easy playoffs as some are claiming; they earned the top seed and after the San Francisco 49ers were effectively knocked out of that championship game, Philly still put up 24 more points. Mahomes Magic won’t put the Chiefs up by 10 early, it will at best keep them close while the overpowered Eagles continue to chip away until something breaks. Eagles 27 Chiefs 20

Diane Taylor: The Philadelphia Eagles have been on fire since the postseason started. They put up 69 points while only allowing 14 over two games; sure, you can point to the level of competition, but the fact remains that their defense looks fearsome. They totaled 8 sacks in their victories over the Giants and 49ers. Hasaan Reddick himself leads all players with 3.5 takedowns. The Chiefs did manage 5 sacks in the AFC Championship, but the Eagles have a much (much) better offensive line than the Bengals. Also, for what this is worth… the last time Philly went to the Super Bowl, they led all playoff teams in DVOA by a wide margin, according to Football Outsiders. Once again, they are the runaway DVOA champs throughout the playoffs this year. Eagles 31, Chiefs 21.

John Fraley: A Pat Mahomes, when fully operational, is a true weapon of pass destruction. Against any other NFC team, that would be enough for me to side with the Empire and Andy Palpa-Reid. But these plucky rebel Eagles pass rushers are going to wreak havoc against the Chiefs’ almost-completed, almost-healthy, almost-indestructible Death Star of an offense.

This postseason, KC has been relying on a third-tier group of pass catchers and a rookie-infested secondary to make big plays over and over again in big moments. It’s worked! But they can’t keep getting away with this! And indeed, their luck will come to an inglorious end Sunday. In essentially a replay of the 2020 game, it’s Philadelphia in a rout.

Super Bowls aren’t usually close anyway, because of some mismatch. This time it’s that PHI d-line because they’ve done it to everyone all year, to the tune of a 11.5 percent (!) sack rate. No reason history reverses course now. They’ll give the MVP to Jalen Hurts but we’ll really know it was the mean green pressure machines. Eagles 34, Chiefs 16.

FTR (aka Frank T. Raines): The Eagles were the last team to lose a game this season, falling 32-21 to Washington in Week 10 . . . that’s the only game they’ve lost with Jalen Hurts under Center.

Philly’s offense finished the year with the 3rd-most yards per game and the 3rd-most points per game (KC was #1 in both categories) and the Eagles’ defense was also impressive, finishing #2 in yards allowed and tied for #7 in points allowed (KC was #11 in yards and #16 in points).

I’ll give the Chiefs credit for being in every game this year (their 3 losses were by a combined 10 points), but the Eagles have proven that they’re the best team in the league all season long and I expect the Super Bowl to be their coronation.

My gut says Eagles 41, Chiefs 24 . . . but I’m not actually sure the Chiefs will score that many points against the Eagles defense. Jalen Hurts gets the MVP because QBs always get a disproportionate number of votes and you can’t give the award to the entire team.

Terrance Robinson aka @thadisrad: Two titans, two fit opponents, clash feverishly. Both hungry, desperate, and manic. Kick-off prevents undue violence; two teams scramble and adjust awkwardly. Once calm proceeds RiRi’s fore-shadow, the second half of the ballgame will determine the final outcome. Whose tool-chest is most well-rounded, whos adjustments are the most keen; who’s will is most able? Instant Classic. Eat well, drive sober, enjoy yourselves. PHILLY 27 – KANSAS CITY 21

John P. Gilbert: No need to overcomplicate things, it’s quarterback driven league and so far in the playoffs this season the team whose starting quarterback posted a higher regular season QBR is 10-2. With that in mind, here’s how the two starting quarterbacks fared in the regular season:

• Patrick Mahomes: 77.6 and
• Jalen Hurts: 66.3.

That, of course, means Mahomes should finish Sunday with a second ring at the ripe old age of 27, and with nine more years left on the ten year contract extension the Chiefs gave him after leading Kansas City to a come from behind win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. A Kansas City win would also mark a second Super Bowl ring for former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark, but at least the ‘Hawks still have four more weeks of exclusive negotiating rights with L.J. Collier.

This one stays close through the first three quarters, but the Chiefs pull away late, leaving with a double digit victory. Kansas City 35, Philadelphia 24

The Eagles are favored slightly so it’s not a shock to see us lean 6-2 towards Philadelphia. We’ll see who’s right and wrong and who’s the closest by the end of Sunday evening!