The Layman’s Guide to Super Bowl LVII

Written By Isaac Nielsen

Less than three days have passed since the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs won their respective conference championships, and it’s already time to look forward to Super Bowl Sunday. In perhaps the two longest weeks of the year for football fans, the two teams, along with tens of thousands of fans and hundreds of millions of dollars, will converge on the city of Glendale, Arizona. This is the site of StateFarm Stadium and home of the Arizona Cardinals. Somewhere around 100 million people will tune in to Super Bowl LVII, many of which have yet to watch a game this season. If you’re one of those viewers, here’s everything you need to know.

How did these teams get here?

Quite frankly, this was what was supposed to happen. The Eagles and the Chiefs, both of which claimed the top seeds in their respective conferences, now face off in the Super Bowl. This is the first Super Bowl since 2017 where both #1 seeds face off against each other (the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33). A team receives the top seed after winning their conference, and the top seed in each conference is the only team to receive a first-round bye in the playoffs. Each team boasted a 14-3 record entering the postseason. 

The Chiefs’ journey started with a Divisional-Round matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had beaten the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. Star QB Patrick Mahomes sprained his right ankle late in the first half, but played through it and ultimately led his team to a 27-20 victory. In the conference championship just last night, the Chiefs defeated the Bengals 23-20. The Sunday night thriller saw the Chiefs catch the injury bug, with wide receivers Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, linebacker Willie Gay, and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed all leaving the game, and Mahomes still nursing his badly sprained ankle. Nevertheless, a field goal in the final seconds broke the deadlock and brought the Lamar Hunt trophy to Kansas City. 

In the NFC, the first game for the Eagles brought the division rival New York Giants to town. The Giants, who had previously beaten the Vikings in the Wild Card Round, acted merely as a roadblock to a dominant Philadelphia team that rolled 38-7. When the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Philly, they brought with them a dominant defense that many believed would stifle the powerful Eagles offense, but a similar story ensued and the Eagles coasted to the George Halas trophy with a 31-7 win. 

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the San Francisco 49ers to clinch a Super Bowl Berth and the George Halas trophy. Image: Seth Wenig/AP Photo

Questions to be Answered

Quarterback Matchup

Super Bowl LVII is further proof for NFL fans that for a team to win the Big Game, an elite quarterback, preferably a young one, is critical. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, aged 27 and 24 respectively, were atop the Most Valuable Player standings for nearly the entire season. However, Mahomes’ sprained ankle will undoubtedly be closely monitored in the coming days. Will the face of the Chiefs be a full go? An injury of this gravity is usually given a two to six-week recovery time, and he played through it anyway. An elite Eagles pass rush won’t make it easy, with players like Fletcher Cox, Haason Reddick, and more coming after him. 

On the other sideline, we might get another chance to answer the question: is Jalen Hurts elite, or just the product of a star-studded offense? His ability to make plays both through the air and with his feet is matched by few, but some argue that any QB could be efficient in an offense that features one of the best WR1/WR2 tandems in the NFL. This includes A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, a strong rushing attack, and the best offensive line in football. He’ll undoubtedly be tested in a duel with the man who’s been the face of the league for the past five years. 

Pass Rush

The mark of a great defense is usually how well they get after the quarterback. A good pass rush can cause errant throws, sacks, and overall issues with the offense, no matter how star-studded it is. These two teams did it better than anyone else, as the Eagles’ 70 sacks during the regular season were best in the league, and the Chiefs’ 55 were good for second. Both these teams were among the best in offensive line play, but the question still stands: how will each of these talented young QBs handle the pass rush, especially with one of them on a bad ankle?


Schedule and How to Watch

Super Bowl LVII will take place on Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 4:30 PM MST, 6:30 PM EST. Cable subscribers can watch the Big Game on FOX, and streaming services airing the game include Sling TV, fuboTV, and Hulu+ Live TV. Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will be on the call. 


Performers

Not as interested in the game itself? Millions of people every year tune into the Super Bowl just for the performers. The obvious headline year after year is the Super Bowl Halftime Show, headlined by nine-time Grammy award winner Rihanna, who recently described her show as a “celebration of her music” to Entertainment Tonight. The national anthem will be sung by country music icon Chris Stapleton, and R&B legend Babyface will sing a rendition of “America the Beautiful”. Other performances will include “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Sheryl Lee Ralph, a U.S. Navy flyover, and much more.

Betting on the game?

The Super Bowl represents one of the biggest betting events of the year, and with sports betting now legal and operational in over 30 states, this year will not disappoint. The game between the Chiefs and Eagles is about as close to a toss-up as one can get, as the first betting line opened was a pick-em by Westgate Las Vegas Sportsbook. Caesars Sportsbook also recently opened as a pick-em, but quickly moved to the Eagles as two-point favorites. The over/under total is currently at 49.5.

Image: NFL.com

Isaac Nielsen
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