The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves as 1.5 point underdogs heading into Super Bowl LVII. Despite having a very talented roster and performing well this season, this will still be an uphill battle for the Chiefs. There are three players for Kansas City that will have to be playing at their best for the Chiefs to bring home their second Super Bowl in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Chris Jones
The first player that will have to step up against the Eagles is Chris Jones. In the regular season, Kansas City ranked 2nd in the league in sacks. They have kept up this elite level of play and currently rank 2nd in playoffs sacks as well. Jones is the driving force of the Kansas City pass rush. He led the team in sacks through the regular season with 15.5. Philadelphia has a very talented offensive line, and their blocking scheme likely will be based around neutralizing Jones.
Philadelphia is one of the toughest offenses in the league to gameplan against. Jalen Hurts is arguably the best dual threat quarterback in the league and if he can get things going on the ground, there has been little any defense has been able to do to slow them down this season. This is why it is crucial Jones is playing at his best and causing some chaos in the backfield. If he is able to get a few hits or hurries in on Hurts early on in the game, it could be enough to rattle him through the entire Super Bowl.
Travis Kelce
One of the biggest storylines coming into Super Bowl LVII is that it is the first time two brothers will face off on the NFL’s biggest stage. This will be Travis’s third Super Bowl appearance, and he has a reputation of stepping up when the lights are the brightest. In his two prior appearances, Kelce is averaging 10.5 targets, 8 receptions, 176 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. This could end up being Kelce’s biggest performance in a Super Bowl yet. Although the Eagles have a very talented secondary, there are very few teams that can slow down Kelce and Mahomes when the duo is on the same wavelength. If he can provide Mahomes with a consistent and reliable target through the game, it could be all that the Chiefs need to win the Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes
The final and biggest x-factor for the Kansas City Chiefs is Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the life and blood of this team. If he has even a subpar game by his standards, the Chiefs will likely be blown out. It may even take one of Mahomes’s best performances yet to lead his team to a victory. Philadelphia has proven to be one of, if not the best defense in the league this season. Pairing this with how many points per game they average, Mahomes will almost have to be perfect in this game. With him also playing through a lingering ankle injury, this will be a very tall ask, however, this would be far from the first time Mahomes has pulled a rabbit out of his hat.
