After a hiatus, the Two Sides series is back! In this edition, sport writers Dan Bruton and Laurence Piper argue who will come out on top at Super Bowl LVII.

Make sure to vote in the poll at the bottom of this page for who you think will win!

Philadelphia Eagles (Laurence Piper)

The Philadelphia Eagles enter Super Bowl LVII much like the last time they won it back in 2018: as underdogs. Not necessarily because they aren’t expected to put up a fight, but in the sense that at the beginning of the season, I don’t think anyone truly thought they would get this far. They were predicted to finish around the middle of the pack after an average 9-8 2021 campaign, which saw them lose in the Wildcard Round. Their quarterback Jalen Hurts faced questions over his ability to not just be elite in this league but whether he was the right man for the Eagles to build around going forward given how the NFL has been dominated by explosive offences and dynamic QBs in recent years.  

However, Hurts has been formidable this season, leaving the doubters well and truly silenced. He finished the regular season 14-1 as a starter with the 4th-best Quarterback Rating (QBR) throwing 22 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions. He also had 13 Rushing TDs, which was a league-high for QBs.

If the Eagles are to pull off the win this Sunday against the powerhouse Kansas City Chiefs, they will need Hurts to play his best and go toe to toe with the MVP favourite Patrick Mahomes. I think the threat Hurts poses on the ground could prove to be the deciding factor in this QB matchup. 

The offensive weapons this Eagles’ team has are arguably better than that of the Chiefs. They traded for star wide receiver A.J. Brown early in the offseason, who finished in the top five for receiving yards to form a formidable receiving corps alongside fellow WR Devonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. This essentially leaves the Chief’s defence with a ‘pick your poison’ situation.

On top of that, the Eagles’ running back Miles Sanders finished 5th in rushing yards with 1,269.  So, if the Eagles’ Defence can’t contain the Chiefs’ Offence, they certainly have the weapons to compete in a Super Bowl LVII shoot-out.  

But I don’t believe it will come down to a shoot-out purely because of how stacked this Eagles Defence is. They lead the league in sacks with 70 this season, becoming the first team in NFL History to have four players with 10+ sacks. The next best is the Chiefs with 55 this season.

Going up against the league’s most prolific passing offence (297.8 yards per game), the Eagles boast the best passing defence allowing only 179.8 yards per game. They also finished 2nd in total yards allowed per game and 3rd in turnover differential. This means that not only does the Offence look after the football, but their Defence gets after the QB and takes the ball away. There is a famous saying in football that Offence wins games but Defence wins Championships, and the Eagles’ defence is certainly of a Super Bowl-winning calibre. 

My Super Bowl LVII prediction: 28-17 Eagles Win.

Kansas City Chiefs (Dan Bruton)

This is not new for the Kansas City Chiefs. They have been here before. 

Appearing in two of the last three Super Bowl matchups, and winning one of them, the upcoming Super Bowl offers Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs an opportunity to add to their already formidable legacy.

Make no mistake, this will not be easy. The Philadelphia Eagles come into the game on the back of a comprehensive dismantling of the San Francisco 49ers. However, despite the Eagles having arguably the more complete team, the sheer star power at the disposal of Chiefs’ Head Coach Andy Reid means that this is their game to lose.

Chris Jones has enjoyed a stellar season as the centrepiece of the Chiefs’ defence. Alongside 15.5 sacks, Jones managed to bring down Joe Burrow on a third-and-eight with 44 seconds remaining that turned out to be crucial in deciding the AFC Championship. The Eagles’ offensive line is among the best in the NFL, however players such as Jones have the potential to wreck even the most carefully prepared game plan.

On the other side of the ball, Travis Kelce has surely cemented his claim as the best tight end in the NFL. But with a regular season stat line of 1338 yards (8th in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns (2nd in the NFL), is he really just a tight end? Kelce is quicker than any Eagles line-backer, yet has the physical abilities to dominate their defensive backs. The Eagles simply do not have the resources to keep up with Kelce whilst also accounting for the rest of the Chiefs’ receiving core. 

Finally, it is impossible to ignore quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In the Championship round, Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, all whilst nursing an ankle injury. At times against the Bengals, Mahomes’ play seemed near effortless. If that was Mahomes at 75% fitness, imagine how he’ll play after two weeks of recuperation. Expect Mahomes to continue his MVP level of performance this Sunday and ultimately lead the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl victory in four years.

The Eagles will undoubtedly present a stern challenge for the Chiefs. However, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes are all players with the rare ability to turn any game on its head. The Eagles can plan all they want, but when it comes down to a 1-on-1 matchup with the Super Bowl on the line, it’s hard to bet against the Chiefs.

My Super Bowl LVII prediction: 27-24 Chiefs Win.

The Birmingham Lions are hosting a Super Bowl LVII watch party this Sunday (12th February) from 10:30pm at Felsons, which is part of Walkabout on Broad Street. Entry is £3, but there will be a raffle, food and other fun activities. Feel free to reach out to Dan or Laurence for more information! 

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