With Super Bowl LVII just around the corner on Feb. 12, football fans across the country are debating who will win what should be a tight matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
History is already being made before kickoff this year, as Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce are the first brothers to play against each other in the Super Bowl. The contest also pits Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is still looking for his first Super Bowl ring, against Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl LIV champion Patrick Mahomes. As the two teams prepare to battle it out at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Ariz., the Wheel staff placed their bets on which team will emerge victorious.
Kansas City Chiefs
Jenna Daly, sports editor
One year later, my animosity toward football has only slightly declined. This decrease is largely due to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow infiltrating my TikTok feed, so I’m pretty disappointed the Bengals were denied a back-to-back Super Bowl berth. Still, I’m hoping for a high-scoring, entertaining game between the Chiefs and the Eagles. I don’t have loyalties to either, but I think the Chiefs are going to win and Mahomes will add another ring to his collection.
The Chiefs and Eagles finished the regular season with 14-3 records, but the Chiefs arguably had a harder schedule because they’re in the American Football Conference (AFC) and had to face teams like the Bengals and the Buffalo Bills. Winning against the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game while Mahomes had an ankle injury and a few players gained minor injuries proves the Chiefs are well positioned to beat the Eagles.
Claire Fenton, sports editor
Last year, I wielded my statistical knowledge and pontificated about how I had data analytics on my side when I predicted the Los Angeles Rams would win Super Bowl LVI. I was immensely satisfied when I was proven correct, and I was tempted to crunch the numbers again this time around. Sorry to disappoint — this year I’m trusting my heart instead of my head.
Frankly, I hoped that one of the final contenders would be Burrow (I’m indifferent about the rest of his Bengals teammates), but alas, the Chiefs knocked them out in the AFC Championship. While I was tempted to root against the Chiefs for their role in Burrow’s demise, my allegiance to my hometown of Pittsburgh wins out. I cannot, in good conscience, support a team from Philadelphia in any capacity. Plus, I’m pretty sure any association with the eastern side of the state is a crime punishable by Pittsburgh law. Down with the Eagles.
Spencer Friedland, assistant news editor
The Chiefs will avenge my New York Giants’ loss in the divisional round. The Eagles may have more talent — they have all-pros at every position group. As much as I love Jason Kelce and a few other Eagles players, I hope they get beat 100-0 because Eagles fans deserve nothing in life. And as good as James Bradberry, Marcus Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay have been, I believe the older cornerbacks will have a hard time keeping up with the pure speed of the Chiefs. Travis Kelce will continue to be a matchup nightmare for whoever attempts to guard him, and I trust that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will have the right plays dialed up to exploit the Eagles’ suspect linebacking core.
For the Eagles to win, they will have to control the ball and the clock with their strong running attack. But I believe that Mahomes as well as defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had a fantastic National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game with two sacks, will play the game of their lives and ruin the year of every WAWA-going, pole-climbing resident of the “city of brotherly love.” Mahomes wins Super Bowl MVP, Reid rides out into the sunset, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and Hurts go out sad. Final score: Chiefs 31, Eagles 24.
Michael Mariam, managing editor
The champion is back to improve his Wheel Super Bowl predictions record to 3-0. Although I wasn’t the most confident in my prior selections, I ended up being correct each time. But this year, I feel as if the game is over before it starts.
The Chiefs are back for the third time in four years and no one should underestimate the power of a Reid-led team with Mahomes under center. Reid coached the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2012 and immediately took the Chiefs job upon his firing, so the revenge component will be as strong as ever.
Mahomes is the clear favorite for the 2022 National Football League (NFL) MVP award after leading the Chiefs to a 14-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Mahomes has looked sharp as of late, throwing only one interception since Dec. 11 with a Total Quarterback Rating over 100 in that timespan. The AFC, led by the Chiefs, Bengals and Buffalo Bills, have the league’s most elite quarterbacks, and getting out of the AFC seems to be a more daunting task than facing a team with the second easiest schedule in the NFL this season.
Give me the Chiefs, and by a wide margin, too. Hopefully the game remains competitive, but don’t be surprised to see a Chiefs blowout win for their second championship in four seasons.
Ethan Mayblum, staff writer
Let's take a look at some money-related stats (on brand for a business administration and quantitative science major, I know). The NFL introduced the salary cap in 1994, and since then no team has managed to win a Super Bowl while paying a quarterback more than 13.1% of their permitted cap space. This makes sense, of course, because devoting so many resources to a single position limits a team’s ability to retain talent elsewhere. Fans across the league will point to this stat and prematurely crown the Eagles as Super Bowl champions. After all, Hurts’ 0.73% cap hit pales in comparison to Mahomes’ league-leading 17.16% hit. The issue with this conclusion is that there is something the numbers don’t take into account: Mahomes is just that good.
After Kansas City parted ways with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, top NFL haters like Skip Bayless were certain that Mahomes would struggle. He responded in 2022 by breaking the record for most all-purpose yards in a single season. His unbelievable talent makes up for any cap woes.
In the AFC Championship, Travis Kelce was dealing with a back injury, Mahomes was dealing with a high ankle sprain and additional injuries to Kadarius Toney, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman left the Chiefs with essentially no wide receiver help. Through all that, Kansas City was still able to take down a very formidable Bengals team. With two weeks of rest between the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl, the Chiefs should be healed and ready to give the Eagles a run for their money.
Don’t get me wrong, this Philadelphia team is very good, but after facing a vastly inferior Giants roster and a San Francisco 49ers team without a quarterback, they haven’t truly been tested. The Chiefs will win in a shoot-out, and Mahomes will add a second ring to his collection, with many more to come.
Philadelphia Eagles
Eythen Anthony, arts and entertainment editor
I’m not going to lie to you all — I know little to nothing about football. My experience is limited to a brief three months when I was a junior varsity benchwarmer in sixth grade. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve had to Google what teams are even playing in the Super Bowl every time I’ve started writing. So, with that being said, I can’t use my knowledge of football, or lack thereof, to make a decision.
However, there is an area of expertise I feel more comfortable using to determine who will win: food. If I were to compare the cuisines of Pennsylvania and Missouri, then one could clearly see how the Northeast state reigns supreme. Originally, I was going to write a long-winded rant explaining how the Philly cheesesteak is one of the best sandwiches of all time and surely surpasses Kansas City barbecue. However, after further research, I came across a single fact that proves why the food of Missouri has done more harm to society than good. The Midwest state is the home of the ice cream cone, which became the state dessert in 2008.
The ice cream cone: one of the worst additions to the cold, sweet treat. Sure, it makes it easier to eat while moving around, but, after fifteen minutes, that ice cream will begin to melt and run down your hand like lava running down a volcano. Now your hands are all sticky and you try to wipe it off, but to no avail. And I know what you’re thinking: “But Eythen, it’s more sustainable to use a cone because you can eat it afterwards.” Well I don’t think the conservational nature of an ice cream cone negates the fact that they don’t taste good. They’re bland, too hard and inconvenient to eat.
The ice cream cone is one of the worst things to come out of Missouri and that’s why my money is on the Eagles. However, make it known that Pennsylvania is on thin ice with their tomato pie.
Ben Brodsky, assistant arts & entertainment editor
For this prediction, I wear my bias on my sleeve as a lifelong birds fan. My Eagles are going to run out of the tunnel playing Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” like they did in 2018. Mahomes and the second best Kelce aren’t going to know what hit them when the 14-3 NFC champs come out hot, torching the Chiefs with dominant line blocking, really dominant pass rushing and Hurts, the deserving regular season MVP.
Fly, Eagles Fly! On the road to victory! Fight, Eagles fight!
Score a touchdown 1, 2, 3!
Hit 'em low! Hit 'em high! And watch our Eagles fly! Fly, Eagles Fly!
On the road to victory! E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles!
Clement Lee, assistant sports editor
Many fans may say that the Eagles are the underdogs heading into the big game facing the Chiefs; I would say otherwise. This season, the Eagles were first in the NFC East with an impressive 14-3 record. However, the better team does not always win — the 1990 Bills, 1985 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots come to mind. A gut-feeling tells me the Eagles aren’t just some fluke.
Key pickups by the Eagles, which included wide receiver A.J. Brown, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and outside linebacker Haason Reddick brought the Eagles indispensable weapons. The main strength, however, comes from their outstanding play in the trenches. The Eagles’ defensive line has been a force to be reckoned with, and three out of the five players on the offensive line received Pro Bowl honors: Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce. The Eagles’ offensive line has also facilitated their running game with running back Miles Sanders and Hurts, who’s become a dual threat quarterback.
The Eagles’ talented linebackers and defensive line will restrict Mahomes’ ability to get to his wideouts. The same could be said for the Chiefs’ defense. But a couple of key Kansas City injuries from the AFC Championship, which include Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Smith-Schuster, put them at a severe disadvantage on offense. Expect the final score to be 27-23, expect a down-to-the-wire Philly special and don’t expect any Rocky Balboa fantasies for Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Madi Olivier, news editor
I don’t like football. I’m from Texas, so that might be sacrilegious, but I can’t bring myself to care. My dad, however, loves football, and he thinks the Eagles will win, so I’m going with them. I can’t be the sports-loving son he always wanted, so this is the best I can do. My dad might be biased because my sister goes to school in Philadelphia, so blame him if they lose, not me. I won’t be watching.
Madeline Shapiro, assistant sports editor
Whenever I try to predict the outcome of a football game, especially a Super Bowl, I’m usually wrong. Maybe it’s because when I do watch football, I root for the New York teams that tend to tank my overall faith in the sport. My mind is telling me to go with the Eagles. The Eagles last won the Super Bowl as underdogs in 2018, but the team is in a much stronger position heading into this championship following a dominant season and big wins against the Giants and 49ers.
Even though the Chiefs had the same impressive 14-3 regular season record as the Eagles and find themselves in the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons, I think the Eagles are the more likely victors. In my opinion, the Chiefs will never reach the heights of Super Bowl LIV. Now that I’ve predicted the Eagles, the Chiefs will probably win.
Tallulah Story, contributing writer
I’ve only watched football a few times in my life, so when I found out who would be playing in the Super Bowl, I immediately fled to the Internet to judge the teams the only way I know how: their mascots.
The Chiefs are represented by a — rat? Well, at least it looks like a rat, but his real name is K.C. Wolf. The Eagles’ mascot is Swoop, the Eagle. Now, it’s clearly obvious which mascot is better (and if you say K.C. Wolf you’re wrong).
If you pull up a picture of Chuck E. Cheese and K.C. Wolf side-by-side, you’ll notice the similarities are striking, and not in a good way. Swoop, on the other hand, is just an Eagle. He’s a more recognizable figure than K.C. Wolf and doesn’t immediately trigger my fight or flight response. Since he also happens to be our school’s main mascot, I find his likeness reminds me of the fun memories I’ve made here at Emory University (rather than the source of my childhood sleep-paralysis demon). In hopes of sparing others from being reminded of their traumas, that wolf-rat mascot should not exist.
Either way, I’ll probably just stick to watching the Puppy Bowl instead.
Samir Cooper Ajy, contributing writer
There is no denying the success of Reid and the Chiefs over the last decade, as well as the greatness of Mahomes, who is definitely the best quarterback in the NFL. In my opinion, he is without a doubt this year’s MVP after having a stellar season, despite losing Hill in the offseason. Jones, linebacker Nick Bolton and the rest of the Chiefs front seven are a nearly unstoppable force.
However, I think the Eagles are going to come out on top. Led by Sirianni, they are simply the better team and are peaking at the right time after convincing wins over the Giants and 49ers. The Eagles’ pass rush, consisting of Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, Reddick and Josh Sweat, has been problematic for their opponents all season, leading the league in sack totals with 70. I expect them to be a problem for the Chiefs, despite the Chiefs’ strong offensive line.
However, the Eagles have arguably the best offensive line in the league, led by 12-year veteran Jason Kelce, which paves the way for a potent offense both in the air and on the ground. Sanders, who has enjoyed a breakout season on the ground, leads their fourth-ranked rushing attack. Hurts has played himself into the MVP conversation this season and cemented himself as one of the best, throwing to two of the top receivers in the game in A.J. Brown and Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. These weapons will ultimately exploit the Chiefs’ secondary, which is ranked in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed per game. The Chiefs are good, but the Eagles are simply the better all-around team and have caught fire at the right time.
