We’re now only six day’s away from Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams are getting into Glendale, Arizona within the coming days with Super Bowl media days on the horizon.
Analysts and current players are all debating on which team has the edge going into the season’s final game. Like any Super Bowl contest, the game won’t be won by one player, but by the collective team.
So let’s go by position to see who has the edge in Arizona.
Quarterback – CHIEFS
Jalen Hurts has had an MVP-caliber season and has shown to be Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback. But objectively, Mahomes is the best quarterback in football. This isn’t anything on Hurts but everyone should want Patrick Mahomes on their roster.
Running back – EAGLES
Kansas City has a solid collection of running backs, but the Eagles have better depth and a better top runner. Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Kenneth Gainwell are collectively better than Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon. Expect Philadelphia to try and maximize this strength.
Wide Receivers – EAGLES
Again, it’s not like the Chiefs receiving core is bad. But A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith would both be Kansas City’s top receiver if the skill guys were swapped. Philadelphia will look to use this edge against a very young Chiefs’ secondary. But there are few teams that have what the Eagles have at receiver.
Tight End – CHIEFS
The roles have reversed. Dallas Goedert is a great tight end, but Travis Kelce is a Hall-of-Famer right now. Kelce is Mahomes’ top target and is incredible after the catch. Very similar to the Eagles’ win over New England in 2017 where Zach Ertz wasn’t better than Gronk, Kelce still has an edge over Goedert.
Offensive Line – EAGLES
This isn’t close. Kansas City’s offensive line has played well during the playoffs, but the Eagles’ collection of offensive line talent is arguably one of the greatest of all time. Add in Jeff Stoutland to the equation and there isn’t a team in football with a better line than the Eagles.
Defensive Line – EAGLES
This is a very close matchup even if no one wants to acknowledge it. Frank Clark and Chris Jones are excellent players with Jones being more dominant than any other defensive tackle in this game. How do the Eagles counter? With Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham. Philadelphia gets the edge here because they generate a better pass rush without having to blitz.
Linebackers- EAGLES
TJ Edwards and Kyzir White or Willie Gay and Nick Bolton? Edge? Eagles. Kansas City hasn’t really been tested in their core with two pass-heavy teams. The Eagles’ core of linebackers has shown more at this time than Kansas City’s.
Secondary – EAGLES
The Chiefs have done an excellent job in their secondary in their two playoff games. They’ve shut down Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence in back-to-back weeks. Objectively, they’ve been more impressive than Philadelphia’s secondary just based on who they have beaten in the playoffs. That doesn’t mean they are collectively better though. Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox are the league’s best trio of corners while Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps have done an excellent job at safety. This isn’t particularly close.
Special Teams – PUSH
Jake Elliott has been better than Harrison Butker this season while Tommy Townsend has been better than Brett Kern or Arryn Siposs. Boston Scott has helped the return game while Kadarius Toney may not even play on Sunday. This is a push.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
