Super Bowl LIX Preview and Pick

Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans features the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. It is a rematch from Super Bowl LVII which the Chiefs won 38-35 two years ago. The Chiefs are going for their third straight Super Bowl, which has never been done before. The Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the third time in eight seasons but have an overall record of 1-3 in the Super Bowl. Both the Chiefs and the Eagles were two of the top contenders in the entire NFL this year, so it is not a surprising Super Bowl matchup- at all. As I always like to do, I'll first take a look at the storylines that surround the game, then give a preview and make a pick.

Super Bowl LIX Storylines:

I) The Chiefs Three Peat: The Chiefs are looking to do something no team has done in the Super Bowl era: Complete a three-peat. The Steelers of the 70s, the 49ers of the 80s, the Cowboys of the 90s, and even the Patriots in their two-decade run never pulled off the three peat. The Chiefs are on the verge of doing that with a win this Sunday and that would be a very significant historical moment in the history of the Super Bowl.

II) The Mahomes/Reid Legacy: Patrick Mahomes in only 29, and he is on the verge of winning his fourth Super Bowl title. He has already put himself in the conversation of the greatest QB of all time, and if he pulls of the three-peat, it is just going to add to it. Andy Reid is on the verge of winning four Super Bowls as a head coach, and he is getting close to overtaking Bill Belichick and even Don Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history. 

III) Revenge of the Eagles:  Philadelphia has been one of the best and most successful NFL franchises over the last 20 years. They are consistently a contender in the NFC and almost won the Super Bowl two years ago against the Chiefs. They only have one Super Bowl title to show for it. This is a huge opportunity to get revenge on the Chiefs from a few years ago and give the city of Philadelphia their second Super Bowl title. The 49ers couldn't get revenge in the rematch with the Chiefs last year, but now Philly gets their shot.

IV) The Boring Super Bowl Matchup: Let's face it: This Super Bowl matchup isn't exactly ripe with anticipation and excitement. It just isn't. All year long, the Lions were the team everyone wanted to see in the Super Bowl for the NFC. The Bills were the sentimental team in the AFC. EVERYONE wanted to see a Bills-Lions Super Bowl, but we didn't get that. We got the Chiefs once again, and we got the Eagles. People are tired of the Chiefs. They are tired of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Outside of Philly/South Jersey, no one likes the Eagles or roots for the Eagles. No one likes their obnoxious fanbase. It is a Super Bowl that no one really wanted to see. It has the real opportunity to be a really good and close game, but there's not a lot of juice there otherwise. There were other Super Bowl matchups that presented a much more interesting set of storylines, but this one doesn't have that. 

Super Bowl LVIII

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Last Week's Playoff Record: 1-1

Overall Playoff Record: 4-7-1

Overall Total Record: 148-128-11

A Case for the Chiefs: All year long the Chiefs have escaped with close wins all season long. They have found a way to survive each week. It just feels inevitable that they will find a way to win a close game. It feels like all year they are on a mission to finish it off and get the three peat. You can't bet against Patrick Mahomes, and you know he will find a way. The coaching edge leans heavily in favor of Andy Reid over Nick Sirriani. You also have to love the matchup with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo going up against the Eagles offense. The Super Bowl has been around almost 60 years and we are due for a team to win three in a row. 

A Case for the Eagles: They might have the better team overall. Pound for pound the Eagles have the advantage. Their talent on the roster is better than KC. Saquon Barkley can just take this game over by himself and win the game with an epic performance. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has a lot of experience going up against Reid and Mahomes. Maybe the Chiefs luck runs out and the Eagles pick them off in a close game. 

Prediction: Kansas City (-1.5) over Philadelphia: The Chiefs pull out a close game late and complete the three peat and win their third straight Super Bowl, their fourth in the past five years, and their fifth in franchise history. 

Final Score: Chiefs-27 Eagles-24