Storylines to keep an eye on for Super Bowl LVII

The most natural storyline of them all boils down to the Kansas City head coach’s history with both teams. He coached the rival Eagles from 1999-2012 and has been with KC since 2013. Reid was fantastic in 14 seasons as the head coach of the Eagles, with a .583 regular season winning percentage and a Super Bowl appearance following the 2004 season. He failed to win the big one in Philly, however, but has padded his resume in KC with an incredible nine playoff appearances in 10 years, two Super Bowl appearances, and one ring leading up to his third Super Bowl appearance in four years in Super Bowl LVII.

Hurts has emerged as an NFL superstar this season, but his playoff experience — both in the NFL and college — is uneven. He’s thrown for only 275 yards in two playoff games this year with Philly, and Hurts was famously benched for Tua Tagovailoa at halftime five years ago in the CFP National Championship. Hurts can change the narrative with an excellent Super Bowl showing.

Eagles center Jason Kelce and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are the first brothers to face off in the Super Bowl as players. Remarkably, they’re both likely future Hall of Famers, and each already has a Super Bowl ring. No matter what happens, their parents will likely get plenty of camera time during the television broadcast.

Neither quarterback enters the Super Bowl at 100% health. Jalen Hurts has been nursing a shoulder injury that caused him to miss two games late in the regular season. At the same time, Patrick Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain in the Divisional Round against the Jaguars that caused him to miss one drive and appear hobbled in the AFC Championship. The injuries could continue to play a role in the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs certainly didn’t leave the AFC Championship unscathed. The team lost JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), Kadarius Toney (ankle), and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) to injuries during the game. None of the trio participated in a full practice in the week following the AFC Championship, though Smith-Schuster and Toney have a chance to play. Hardman’s prospects don’t sound as promising, according to head coach Andy Reid. Even if Smith-Schuster and Toney play, they could be limited.

Both teams have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line, particularly on the interior. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year after recording 15.5 sacks during the regular season. He added two more sacks in the AFC Championship. Philadelphia has star veterans Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave, who combined for 18 sacks during the regular season.

Kansas City’s rookie contributors have been paramount in their march to the big game. Isiah Pacheco and Skyy Moore made big contributions on offense and special teams throughout the season, while the defense has featured George Karlaftis, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, and Bryan Cook. The Chiefs won’t beat Philadelphia if their rookies don’t have another big game.

What constitutes a dynasty in the modern NFL? The Chiefs have hosted five consecutive AFC Championships and will play in their third Super Bowl in four seasons. Winning their second ring could make the “dynasty” label undeniable for these Chiefs, led by Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce.

There are few offensive lines better than the two participating in this year’s Super Bowl. The Eagles feature three Pro Bowlers in Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson, and Lane Johnson. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have three Pro Bowlers of their own in Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney, and Orlando Brown.

Elite cornerback play has been on full display from both teams this season. Eagles star Darius Slay has long been known as one of the best corners in the league, making his fifth Pro Bowl this year, and James Bradberry was a second-time All-Pro on the opposite side. Chiefs corner L’Jarius Sneed is an impressive up-and-comer in his third season, while Chiefs rookie Trent McDuffie had an excellent season.

Every defense seems to prioritize covering Travis Kelce, yet few are successful. The Chiefs tight end had a career year at age 33, with 110 catches for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he’s continued his onslaught in the playoffs with 21 catches for 176 yards and three touchdowns in only two games. Philly defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will have a plan to stop Kelce, but doing so has been almost impossible.

Few current coordinators have more Super Bowl experience than Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who is calling plays in his fourth Super Bowl. His Giants defense famously stopped the Patriots perfect run in 2007, and he’s now leading the Chiefs defense in the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons. KC’s defensive performance has been vital in the playoffs after a mediocre regular season.

Both teams have played in the big game over the last five years, so there’s plenty of Super Bowl experience on both sides. Philadelphia won it all in 2017, and have key players like Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox still on the roster. Kansas City has significantly more experience, just one year removed from their last Super Bowl appearance, with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Harrison Butker among the key contributors to both of the team’s most recent Super Bowl appearances.

The Chiefs seemed to settle on Kadarius Toney as their primary punt returner late in the season. An ankle injury puts his status in question, and rookie Skyy Moore looked spectacular when he got an opportunity in the AFC Championship. It should be noted, however, that Moore was removed from the role earlier this season after multiple muffed punts. Kansas City has an interesting, high-risk decision on their hands.

With the early Vegas spread less than one field goal, the odds that the Super Bowl will come down to the kicking game are high. The Chiefs have rebuilt trust in Harrison Butker with two perfect playoff performances, and he’s kicked in two Super Bowls. Still, he made only 75% of his field goal attempts this season after struggling with an ankle injury. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott has been more consistent this year, making 20-of-23 field goals during the regular season.

It wasn’t lost on the Chiefs when they visited Arizona to play the Cardinals in Week 1 that they could return to the desert for the Super Bowl. Kansas City dominated that game, winning 44-21. Philly also found success this year in Glendale, beating the Cardinals in Week 5. Each team hopes to improve their record to 2-0 in Arizona this season.

The Super Bowl broadcast usually gives us a dose of Hollywood, and these teams have their fair share of superstar fans. Bradley Cooper, Kevin Hart, and Mike Trout have been synonymous with Eagles fandom in recent years, while the Chiefs can claim Paul Rudd, Rob Riggle, Eric Stonestreet, and Melissa Etheridge. How long until the FOX cameras pan to these famous faces?

A big performance in the Super Bowl can be the momentum a player needs for a huge payday, as Aaron Donald showed last year. Chiefs Orlando Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jerick McKinnon, and Juan Thornhill are among the KC players who could hit free agency this offseason. At the same time, the Eagles have big names like Miles Sanders, Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Javon Hargrave.

This year’s Super Bowl could have the top two finishers in the MVP race with Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts. The star quarterbacks would like nothing more than to put the cherry on top of their outstanding regular seasons with a Super Bowl win. Although the MVP voting has already taken place, their performances could further add to the debates.

Each team features a prime Defensive Player of the Year candidate, in addition to MVP candidates. Chris Jones is the key player for the Chiefs after recording 15.5 sacks and 44 tackles during the regular season, while Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick had 16 sacks and led the NFL with five forced fumbles in the regular season. To win, each player will need to come up big for his team.