We are now a little less than 30 hours away from Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, where the Eagles will face the Chiefs for the NFL’s biggest trophy.
Kansas City won Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and is making its third appearance in the big game in four years.
Philadelphia won Super Bowl LII in 2018 and they were the top seeds in their respective conferences this matchup represents the first meeting of top seeds in the Super Bowl since the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots five years ago.
With kickoff fast approaching, here are five burning questions that have to be answered.
Can Jalen Hurts win the big game?
The narrative surrounding Jalen Hurts prior to this season was that the former Alabama and Oklahoma star quarterback couldn’t win the big game.
As a freshman at Alabama in 2016, at Alabama, Hurts struggled in a semifinal victory over Washington and in a title game loss to Clemson.
As a sophomore in 2017, Hurts completed 16 of 24 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns in a semifinal victory over Clemson, then was pulled in the first half of the national title game against Georgia and replaced by Tua Tagovailoa.
In 2021 after leading Philadelphia to a 9-8 record and the postseason, Hurts was 23-43 passing, for 258 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, with a 60 QBR in the Wild Card loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
Now an All-Pro quarterback and runner-up in the MVP voting, Hurts will need to be efficient against the blitz, making timely throws and using his legs to extend plays.
In three career NFL postseason games, Hurts is 54-92 passing for 533 yards (177.6 average) with three touchdowns, two interceptions, and four sacks.
The biggest question for Sunday centers around Hurts taking another significant step in the NFL’s biggest game.
Can Nick Sirianni hang with Andy Reid?
When Nick Sirianni was playing wide receiver at Division III Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, winning national championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002, Andy Reid was building the Eagles into an NFC powerhouse that advanced to four straight NFC title games.
Now 20+ years later, Reid has led the Chiefs to dominance after being fired in Philadelphia and sits behind Bill Belichick as the best coach on the planet.
Nick Sirianni knows football and he’s among the best young coaches in the game, but can the Eagles’ second-year head coach take down the guy that once fired him?
Can Jonathan Gannon get consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes?
The Eagles led the NFL in sacks this season (75) and they’ve harrassed the opposing quarterbacks in both postseason victories.
According to ESPN, the Birds rank first in both pass rush win rate (52%) and sack rate (11%), along with fifth in pressure percentage (33%).
Philadelphia allowed 18 or fewer points in 10 games, and they’ll attack the Kansas City offense line in waves with four+ defensive tackles and four+ pass rushers. The Eagles will look to bottle up the Chiefs’ running game as well, containing Iasiah Pacheco, while accounting for Jerrick McKinnon in open space.
Can Jonathan Gannon’s defense get organic pressure on Mahomes without sacrificing a linebacker or blitzing?
Can Eagles wide receivers win one on one battles?
The Chiefs like to play man-to-man and they’ll look to neutralize Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts with the pressure off the edge and designed zone-blitz schemes that prevent the All-Pro quarterback from being an equalizer.
That leaves A.J. Brown against L’Jarius Sneed, DeVonta Smith against Jaylen Watson, and Quez Watkins against Trent McDuffie.
Philadelphia was able to secure a 14-3 record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs because of a 1,000-yard receiving duo that dominated opposing cornerbacks this season.
Can Brown and Smith replicate that production on Super Bowl Sunday?
Can Shane Steichen sustain drives on offense?
Eagles’ offensive coordinator Shane Steichen looks like the favorite for the Colts’ job and what better way to cement his legacy than by forcefully breaking down the Chiefs’ defense with an efficient running game, and explosive plays made in the deep passing game?
Kansas City allowed 33 passing touchdowns during the season, ranking last in the NFL in the number of touchdown passes allowed.
Patrick Mahomes is a generational talent, but he can’t be dominant if he’s not on the field making plays.
The Chiefs were No. 1 in the NFL, averaging 413.6 yards of offense per game and if the Birds want to secure their second Super Bowl in the past five years, they’ll need a balanced dose of Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell, coupled with explosive plays featuring the trio of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.
