Patrick Mahomes hurt or not is the best quarterback in the league. He deserves that MVP recognition, as he willed his team to a 3 point win in Super Bowl 57. The play of the game was the 20 yard scramble on the last drive. It sure looked like his ankle was perfectly fine as defenders chased him as he ran. Mahomes in winning his second Super Bowl is put an elite category of quarterbacks that have one more than one Super Bowl, and he’s only 27!

What Eagles defense? The reason the Eagles lost his game was because of their defense. They could not stop for the life of them the Chiefs in the second half. The pass rush could not get to Mahomes and Travis Kelce was having a field day. The Eagles defense needed to step up in this game and they didn’t.

Jalen Hurts has arrived, if the haters were still out there. The Eagles did not lose because of Hurts. He was accurate passing and ran the ball when he had to. The only mistake he made was the fumble as he was running in the first half. Other than that pretty flawless.

Coaching: Andy Reid proved to everybody that he is one of the smartest coaches in the league. There were two touchdown plays where they did the same thing and totally fooled the Eagles defense. This reminds me of the teacher schooling the student in a big boy type game. Coaching was a big part of this game and why they won.

All and all this was a great game to watch with one team executing a lot better. The Chiefs should be early favorites to win again next year.

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What Eagles have to do to win: The Eagles have so many weapons on both sides of the ball. On offense, they need to keep the Chiefs off balance. They need to run, run, run and use the read option. Just like the Chiefs they don’t want to drop back and pass every play and have Chris Jones coming up the gut. Jalen Hurts must know when to tuck the ball and run. He can’t make the mistakes he made against the Commanders in their first loss. On defense, they need to get to Patrick Mahomes early and often. We think that Mahomes’s ankle will be good, but they need to make his life miserable. They need to be careful though and maybe only rush 4 dlineman, blitzing Mahomes probably won’t work. Minimize there mistakes and they should win.

What Chiefs have to do to win: Run, Run, Run, Run, screens, and quick passes (extension of the run). That’s their key to the game for a few reasons. 1. It keeps the Eagles high flying offense off the field. Chiefs won’t likely win in a track meet. 2. The run will set up the pass to Travis Kelce and the other talented receivers. You will see a lot of screens, quick passes to the outside and have the receivers run. This will neutralize the Eagles pass rush. It looks like Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be in this game which will bode well for the Chiefs.

As talented as the Eagles are, they’ve had a fairly easy schedule this year with the exception of a few games. They haven’t had a huge test this year but Sunday will be one. It’s the veteran coach against the young coach, who will out coach who? I’ve gone back and forth on this one and on paper Eagles all the way. I wonder how they will play if there punched in the mouth early. If the Eagles go down 14-0 can they play the drop back and pass game to come back. I don’t think so because there bread and butter is running with both their running backs and quarterback.

Super Bowl Prediction:

Chiefs 31 Eagles 28

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If you notice 31 points happens to be a very friendly number when guessing the outcome in the Super Bowl. In the past 12 years 31 has hit 4 times. Meanwhile 34 has hit 2 times. These games tend to not be low scoring and I don’t anticipate that to happen in Super Bowl 57. We have two prolific quarterbacks with a number of key weapons. As we dig deep in the game coming up between the Chiefs and Eagles let’s look at what to expect for scoring.

I anticipate a few field goals getting kicked, although these coaches also like to go for it on 4th down. I think it will depend on where they are on the field. The Eagles have a very formidable defense that will try to disrupt Patrick Mahomes as much as they can. This makes the running game very important in this game for them. Not just for that reason but also it keeps the Eagles high-flying offense off the field. In fact, the running game will be important for both teams. With that said, I expect the Chiefs to put three touchdowns and two field goals. Mahomes is to good and in this spotlight on two weeks rest he should find Kelce and his other options three times. With that math, Chiefs will be at 27.

Now let’s look at the Eagles side of the ball. Run, run, run will be the ticket for them, and that includes both Jalen Hurts and their running backs. With Chris Jones on the Chiefs side of the ball, dropping back to pass isn’t the best option for them. If this happens I anticipate them having three touchdowns also, two running and one passing. Eagles will not kick any field goals in this one as they love to go for it on 4th down, and Nick Sirianni isn’t just sitting back getting three points. With that math, Eagles will score 21 points which will not be enough against the experienced quarterback and hall of fame coach led Chiefs. When your getting your bets ready for a chance to win a large prize remember a few things.

1. These games tend to be higher scoring.
2. 34 and 31 are popular final score predictions for teams.
3. Your safe to guess the score between 24 and 34 for each team.

Good Luck!

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:

CHIEFS 27 EAGLES 21

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How will the Chiefs slow down the Eagles rushing attack?

The Eagles once again ran all over their opponent scoring 4 rushing touchdowns. They totaled 148 yards on the ground against the leagues best defense. Jalen Hurts really didn’t need to do much through the air as the Eagles dominated the line of scrimmage. Stopping the Eagles rushing attack will no doubt be the #1 game plan for the Chiefs going into the Super Bowl. The issue will be if they load up to stop the run Hurts has the ability to beat them on the deep ball.

How will injuries play a role?

A bum ankle didn’t stop Patrick Mahomes from delivering in the clutch. You could see it affect him on some throws but he is a baller and delivered on several key plays down the stretch. I am not worried about Mahomes for this game as he will have plenty of time to rest but the Chiefs have other injury concerns. L’Jarius Sneed went down early in the game with a hand injury but was ruled out later due to a concussion. If Sneed were to miss this game it would be a huge blow for the Chiefs. He is arguably there best defender and is critical in the passing game. The Chiefs are also dealing with injuries at the wide receiver position as we wait to see the status of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman.

Can the Eagles stop Travis Kelce?

Travis Kelce is the key to the Chiefs offense. Everybody knows this so why is he so hard to stop? Kelce has great instincts and is a master at finding open space. Also the chemistry between him and Mahomes is the reason they have so much success. Mahomes has the ultimate trust in him. The Eagles will no doubt try to disrupt him at the line of scrimmage with their talented defensive line. They can only hope to disrupt the rhythm and keep everything underneath.

Andy Reid vs. Nick Sirianni

Andy Reid will look to hoist the Lombardi trophy vs his former team. Reid coached the Eagles for 14 years before jumping ship to lead the Chiefs. He had success during his time in Philadelphia but they never won the big one. On paper Reid vs. Sirianni seems like a mismatch. Reid will be a Hall of Famer one day and Sirianni is coaching in just his second season but this isn’t a complete mismatch. Sirianni has found the right buttons to push for his team and they seem to really rally around him. Let’s see how this plays out on Super Bowl Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes vs Jalen Hurts

Two MVP candidates, two of the best quarterbacks in the game and it all comes down to this. Mahomes vs. Hurts will be a heavyweight battle and I for can’t wait to see who comes out on top. Mahomes has been here before so the stage won’t be too big for him. Hurts looks to continue his amazing season by leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. If Mahomes is fully healthy you have to give the Chiefs the upper hand but not by much. The Eagles and Jalen Hurts have mastered the RPO offense and will look to continue their winning ways as they aim for the ultimate prize.

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By: Jake Rajala

The 2022 NFL season is mightily approaching and it’s nearly time for Carrie Underwood to deliver an intense preview for Sunday Night Football. Each NFL team has a clean slate in pre-season and every NFL ring leader wants to inject their team with an aspiration of reaching the Super Bowl. Although, there are undoubtedly many NFL squads that are superior to other NFL teams. With that stated, I’m going to untwine the 10 best Super Bowl contenders in 2022.

Buffalo Bills

Let’s be honest – the Buffalo Bills are the most well-rounded NFL team in the league. The Bills have a Thor-like figure at QB with Josh Allen, as he possesses an unusual combination of arm talent and running ability. The Bills GM Brandon Beane also nicely brought in RB James Cook and TE O.J. Howard to aid Allen.

Of course, the Bills pass rush will really shine with the future Hall of Famer Von Miller – who picked up his second Super Bowl ring last season. I trust that Ed Oliver and Gregory Rousseau will take the next step in the upcoming season, too.

According to The Lines, the Bills carry the best odds of winning Super Bowl LVII.

Los Angeles Rams

It’s true that many NFL fans would find it boring to picture the Los Angeles Rams winning their second-straight Super Bowl ring. Nonetheless, Sean McVay and Les Snead found a way to maintain a stunning, Super Bowl-contending roster this off-season. As widely enunciated, the Rams brought in the mythical Bobby Wagner and the athletic freak Allen Robinson. Barring an illogical late-game comeback from TB12, I foresee the Rams representing the NFC in Super Bowl LVII.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The GOAT of athletes, Tom Brady, is most likely gearing up for his last ride in 2022. The Bucs still showcase fantastic weaponry for Brady — as they have Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Playoff Lenny, Rachaad White, Russell Gage, and the ole-reliable Cameron Brate. The Bucs defense carries an intimidating, top-tier front seven – which is led by Lavonte David and Shaq Barrett. The Bucs also brought in Akiem Hicks (3.5 sacks, 9 QB hits in 9 games last season. Ray Lewis once commanded that his squad would leave everything out on the line in his final playoff gauntlet & I anticipate Brady’s brotherhood also leaving everything out on the field for him in the 2022 playoff tournament.

Los Angeles Chargers

I feel an infinite amount of passion for the Los Angeles Chargers direction. I expect the Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who has impressively climbed the ladder over the past two seasons, to have his best single-season output in 2022. I would be shocked if the Chargers don’t have one of the best pass defenses in football after they inked J.C. Jackson and highly gifted pass rusher Khalil Mack in the recent free agency period. After the Cincinnati Bengals surprised the NFL world last season, I believe the Chargers will turn heads in the 2022-2023 season.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals had an under-dog, Rocky Balboa-like attitude in their journey to the Super Bowl last season. The Bengals rightfully upgraded their offensive line for Joe Burrow – as they brought in La’el Collins and Alex Cappa. I imagine that Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will take care of their part in the passing game. On the flip-side, I have confidence in the Bengals ability to make life miserable for opposing passing offenses. The former Saints DE Trey Hendrickson unleashed 14 sacks in 2021 – after unveiling 13.5 sacks in 2020. It won’t be easy for the Bengals to return to the Super Bowl, but they have more beef than last season and unlimited potential on offense.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have a healthy Michael Thomas, a likely un-suspended Alvin Kamara in 2022, and potentially a Top-3 defense in the NFL. The Saints also know how to defeat the ageless wonder in Brady better than any other club. Most impressively, the Saints have the faces on defense (Tyrann Mathieu, Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, and Marshon Lattimore) that can make life hell for opposing QBs in the pivotal playoff contents.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs always have a chance to win the Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes at QB. The Chiefs don’t only display Mahomes, but they also yield the Top-3 TE Travis Kelce and the shiny and illustrious WR JuJu Smith-Schuster on offense. On defense, the Chiefs will ask their three-time Pro Bowl DT Chris Jones and three-time Pro Bowl DE Frank Clark to constantly harass opposing signal-callers.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have their John Lennon-like QB Aaron Rodgers, but they shipped away their two-time All-Pro WR Davante Adams. I may have expressed more confidence in Mahomes after KC traded away Hill. Although, the Chiefs weapons are still more potent than the Packers receiving weapons. The Packers will likely have growing pains at the WR spot, but A-Rod should find ways to make his magic work in big moments. The Packers secondary (led by Jaire Alexander) will be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.

Indianapolis Colts

I am a big fan of the Indianapolis Colts new look from a season ago. Matty Ice has a ton of gas left in the tank and his friend Jonathan Taylor will also stride for his second-straight All-Pro season. The Colts defense leveled up this off-season with the additions of Yannick Ngakouye and Stephon Gilmore. The Colts may not have a young QB with a rocket launcher arm, but they are quite well-rounded and I believe they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos can break down opponents by a thousand cuts with their dual-threat QB Russell Wilson and their superb RB duo (Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams). The Broncos WR group isn’t less than dangerous after Tim Patrick’s ACL injury. DEN portrays Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and the electric wideout KJ Hamler. The Broncos defense wasn’t able to reunite with Von Miller, but the Broncos defense can still lean on the first-year Bronco and speed rusher, Randy Gregory, and veteran edge-rusher Bradley Chubb to bury opposing signal-callers in the dirt.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs possess a greek god-like quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, but it shouldn’t overshadow their other talent in the backfield. They have a superb running back duo with Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Ronald Jones. CEH had a bit of a bumpy sophomore season — as he only accumulated 646 total yards and 6 combined touchdowns. It should be noted that he missed seven games last season. The Chiefs 2021 first round pick garnered a pedestrian 64.3 grade by PFF. He will set his sights on bouncing back and even squashing his rookie statistics (1,100 total yds and 5 total TDs) in 2022.

R-Jo’s best season came in 2020 — where he ran angry for 978 rushing yds (including an 98-yard TD) and 7 rushing TDs. He posted the sixth best RB grade by PFF in the same season. Jones unveiled 428 rushing yds and 4 rushing TDs last season. PFF also gave him an 62.3 grade for his 2021 performance.

The Chiefs will also anticipate production from Jerick McKinnon — as he quietly made an impact for KC in the recent post-season — as he notched 300+ all-purpose yds. Jet signed a one-year deal to return to the Chiefs this off-season. Derrick Gore may be the odd man out, but he could stay on the practice squad. Gore had 256 rushing yards and 105 receiving yards last season.

The Chiefs had the 16th ranked rushing offense last season. They could certainly improve to a Top-10 rushing attack with R-Jo in their mix. A succesful Chiefs rushing attack in 2022 might just pin the Chiefs as Super Bowl LVII favorites.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts will look to take a step from 2021 to 2022 that is similar to the Cincinnati Bengals improvement from 2020 to 2021. The Colts simply believe they can be the next surprise AFC team to play in the big dance. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why the Colts goal of playing in Super Bowl LVII could come to fruition.

Strength of schedule

The Colts may not have the same overall talent as the likes of Cincinnati and Buffalo, but they certainly have an easier mountain to climb than CIN and BUF next season. The Bengals have the third-most challenging schedule, while the Bills have the 12th most difficult schedule next season. Meanwhile, the Colts have THE EASIEST schedule in the AFC in 2022-2023.

Stephon Gilmore

The Colts don’t only have an All-Pro LB in Darius Leonard, a behemoth in DT Deforest Buckner, and Frank Reich’s old pal in DE Yannick Ngakoue, but they also have a cream-of-the-crop CB by the name of Stephon Gilmore. It’s quite clear that the Colts have a well-rounded defense and I really expect Gilmore (who was ranked as the 14th best CB by PFF last season) to be pivotal against opposing WRs like Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, Ceedee Lamb, and Devante Parker.

Alec Pierce

Matt Ryan is unequivocally a more talented QB than Carson Wentz, but he will still need his play-makers to be tuned in for the duration of the 2022 season. I trust in Michael Pittman Jr playing like a 1,000+ yd WR, but I am a big fan of the potential for WR2 Alec Pierce. I expect him to be the cherry on top – as he should be quite productive with matchups alongside Jonathan Taylor and Pittman Jr. Louis Riddick of ESPN even believes that Pierce could win OROY.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins have arguably made more glamorous off-season additions than any other NFL team. There are countless NFL critics and Dolphins followers that believe the new-look Dolphins could be the next surprise AFC team to compete in the big dance. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine why the Mike McDaniel – Tua Tagovailoa sandwich and their impressive weaponry could compete in the big dance next season.

I am speed – Lightning McQueen

The Kansas City Chiefs second MVP in Super Bowl LIV was arguably WR Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs were down 20-10 halfway through the fourth quarter and the former blistering fast WR made a clutch catch on 3rd and 15 from Patrick Mahomes. The utterly obvious target on 3rd and 15 still made the catch and saved the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

All in all, one or two explosive plays are hard for any elite defense to prepare for and they make a big difference in the post-season. Outside of Hill being a routine playoff threat, Ja’Marr Chase really helped Cincy in the recent post-season, Percy Harvin was unstoppable in Super Bowl XLVIII, and Jacoby Jones was the Baltimore Ravens x-factor in their last Super Bowl journey.

Strength of schedule

The Dolphins should feel ecstatic about their 2022 competition, as they carry the 21st most difficult schedule next season. Meanwhile, the LA Rams have the most difficult schedule and the reigning AFC Champions Buffalo Bills have the 12th most challenging schedule in 2022. The Dolphins will also not only play the NY Jets twice in the season, but they should feel confident against the NE Patriots (as the Phins swept the Pats last season). If the Dolphins can win five games in their division, while squashing countless weak opponents, the Dolphins could have a nice seat in the post-season.

The demise of Kansas City and Tennessee

The Chiefs had the most gifted QB in the NFL last season and the Tennessee Titans claimed the 1 seed in the AFC last season. The Chiefs sent their best weapon (Hill) to the Dolphins and they also lost the Honey Badger. Outside of the fading Chiefs, I am quite confident the Titans will not repeat as the one seed in the AFC. The Titans lost AJ Brown and Derrick Henry’s ability is moving further away from his OPOY version. It does make sense that the Bills (aka not the Chiefs, Titans) are listed as the common betting favorite to win Super Bowl 57. Perhaps the ascending AFC team in Miami with an improved QB and familiarity against BUF could be the next unsung AFC Champion.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Denver Broncos transitioned from a mediocre AFC team to a Russell Wilson-led Super Bowl favorite this off-season. Wilson is out of the wretched Seahawks island and he’s hungry for his second Super Bowl ring in Denver. With that said, I’m going to simply outline three reasons why the Denver Broncos could reach Super Bowl LVII.

The Broncos depth on offense

It’s obvious that Courtland Sutton and second-year RB Javonte Williams are expected to be superb contributors in 2022. Although, it should also be noted that the Broncos also carry tremendous depth at RB and WR. Melvin Gordon is an excellent 1B at RB, while Tim Patrick is a sleeper WR3 option. Patrick has 730+ yards without Wilson in each of the past two seasons without a quality QB. I expect him to be one of the breakout AFC WRs this season.

Strength of schedule

The Broncos might play in the wild AFC West, but they actually carry the 15th most difficult schedule next season. Meanwhile, the reigning Super Bowl Champions (LA Rams) have the most challenging schedule in 2022. The Broncos should feel ecstatic about facing a modest slate of opponents and even the Tyreek Hill-less Chiefs twice in the regular season. The Broncos also have the easiest strength of schedule among all AFC West squads.

Improved pass rush

Denver and Von Miller didn’t reunite this off-season, but the Broncos still have excellent horses at their edge-rushing spots moving forward. Bradley Chubb will return healthy (missed 10 games in 2021) and they expect a lot of production from the new speed rusher Randy Gregory, as well. The Broncos flexed the eighth-best pass defense last, but they could make more magic with their shiny, insanely athletic pass-rushing duo.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have witnessed the return of the prolific Tom Brady and they will attempt to win their second Super Bowl together in three years together. Brady has the presence of Ivan Drago, but he carries the same unshakeable chip on his shoulder that Rocky Balboa yields.

The Buccaneers will really need to climb a mountain if they want to win another Super Bowl in the near future. The Bucs have surreal competition spine-chilling competition in the NFC and they won’t have the same roster that won Super Bowl LV. Nonetheless, the Bucs could still have a positive and unique journey to win Super Bowl LVII. With that said, here are three reasons why they can win Super Bowl LVII.

• The rise of Joe Tryon

The Bucs didn’t win their last Super Bowl by dropping a 40 burger in each playoff contest. Of course, TB12 and his band of misfits were firing off all cylinders. Yet, it was the Bucs defense and front seven that made life very miserable for Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.

The Bucs will likely not have Jason Pierre-Paul (who could sign with Dallas) and Ndamukong Suh (who may retire), but they will be able to offer plenty of meat on the plate to the second-year pass rusher Joe Tryon. Their 2021 first-round pick ousted four sacks and 10 QB hits on a rotational role last season. Expect Tryon to take that common sophomore pass rusher leap and help Shaq Barrett constantly harrass NFC signal-callers next season.

• Scotty Miller

I really like the potential of the 24-year-old Scotty Miller. Kay Adams has gushed over Miller and I believe his coming-out party will be in 2022. The speed demon will replace Antonio Brown nicely in my opinion and he will offer a unique skill set in the Bucs offense. When the speedster Brandin Cooks played a year with Brady in 2017, he unveiled a career-high in YPC (16.6). His second regular season-best YPC is 15.1.

Miller spent a large portion of the 2021 season on IR, but I feel comfortable that the hungry wideout will be healthy and ready to be a big part of the Bucs offense moving forward. Arians will routinely be brewing up shots down the field to the third year wideout in 2022.

• The Von Miller-less Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay might have reeled in the shiny Allen Robinson and axed Robert Woods, but I believe the Rams will struggle to replace the mighty Von Miller. The former Rams sack artist had four sacks in the recent playoff gauntlet (2 sacks in Super Bowl LVI).

The Rams barely edged out the Brady bunch in the last postseason, as McVay’s squad won 30-27. The Rams will still have a lethal offense in the inevitable big showdown against the Bucs next season, but they will be without a star pass rusher across from Aaron Donald against the reigning NFC South champions.

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