Seton Hall
WSOU Sports Staff Super Bowl LVII Predictions
Date: February 11, 2023By: The WSOU Sports Staff
NFL
After yet another wild NFL season, it is finally time for Super Bowl Sunday, where the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will meet at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. With the game kicking off in just a few hours, we here at WSOU want to give our predictions on who we think will take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the final seconds tick down!
John Makuch: Eagles 32, Chiefs 17
Sometimes a Super Bowl matchup happens in a way where one team has this physical edge that the other team cannot stop. This is BIG-12 vs SEC football, and usually, the SEC team comes out on top.
That SEC team is the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has a quarterback in Jalen Hurts that can grind out games with his running ability, but also has the weapons to throw it to some big playmakers such as AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.
Mahomes has plenty of weapons on his side, but the defensive presence of guys like Fletcher Cox, Hasson Reddick, James Bradberry, and many others may just be too much when the lights shine their brightest.
With how great Mahomes is as a quarterback, Kansas City will always have a shot, but the Chiefs will struggle to run the ball against this defensive unit, and struggle to stop the run against this behemoth of an offensive line.
John Makuch is the News Director here at WSOU and can be reached at john.makuch@student.shu.edu.
Justin Nicosia: Chiefs 34, Eagles 26
This year’s Super Bowl is one of the most intriguing in recent memory – the NFL’s top two scoring offenses will face off in a battle between two of the best quarterbacks in the sport: Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.
I’ve said since September that the Super Bowl winner would be the team that comes out of the AFC, and I’m sticking by that. Mahomes is far and away the best quarterback in the NFL. While his ankle would have been a cause for concern two or three weeks ago, the bye week between the Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl plays well into Kansas City’s favor.
What the Chiefs may lack on their roster (the Eagles have a more well-rounded team), they make up with Mahomes’ remarkable talent, playoff experience, and coaching. They’ve made two of the last three Super Bowls, with Mahomes winning MVP in the 2020 edition.
And as talented a coach as young Nick Sirianni is, he’s nowhere near the football mind of Andy Reid, who’s made four Super Bowls and won two.
Justin Nicosia can be reached at justin.nicosia@student.shu.edu.
Spencer Gonzales: Chiefs 33, Eagles 28
A lot of predictions on this list are going to tell you that this Eagles team is just too good to be stopped, with a defense that will wash Mahomes and an offense that will control the clock all game long. While Philadelphia deserves their flowers for such an amazing run thus far, their record isn’t as sterling as it may seem.
The regular season saw the Eagles beat up on average and below-average opponents week after week, with their biggest wins coming against playoff teams in the Vikings and the Jaguars in the first four weeks of the season, well before either team had put their pieces all together.
I don’t even need to mention the conference championship round win, a game in which San Francisco didn’t have a signalcaller that could throw more than 10 yards downfield for almost the entire second half.
When pitted against star quarterback play, this defense is known to struggle, giving up 40 points in a Week 16 loss to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys and 33 points against a declining Aaron Rodgers.
So imagine what two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes will do on the game’s biggest stage, a stage he is more than familiar with in the past four seasons. To count out the undisputed best quarterback in the NFL after an MVP season is downright disrespectful, and I think that Mahomes and the Chiefs will silence the doubters when they raise the organization’s third Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.
Spencer Gonzales is the Sports Web Editor and an Assistant Sports Director here at WSOU and can be reached at spencer.gonzales@student.shu.edu.
Bobby Steiner: Eagles 28, Chiefs 24
Patrick Mahomes was recently named the 2022 NFL MVP. However, here’s a stat for you: the last nine reigning MVPs to play in the Super Bowl lost. Mahomes will keep this game close, as he will lead the NFL’s top passing offense against the team that led the league in passing yards allowed. It’s an unstoppable force vs. an immovable object.
Isaiah Pacheco is a solid rookie running back, but Philly already shut down some elite backs in the playoffs.
The deciding factor is the Eagles’ offense against the Chiefs’ defense. Jalen Hurts has had a breakout season, with weapons like Davonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and Dallas Goedert.
Kansas City in response is eighth in rushing yards allowed but is 18th in passing yards allowed and last in passing touchdowns allowed. Pro Bowler Miles Sanders will go up against that rush defense, and Boston Scott shouldn’t be underestimated.
Bobby Steiner can be reached at robert.steiner@student.shu.edu.
Brian Henderson: Eagles 31, Chiefs 21
This is my nightmare scenario for the Super Bowl. I am not a huge fan of the Chiefs, so I’d prefer not to root for them, but as a Giants fan, seeing the Eagles have the craziest and easiest path to a Super Bowl maybe ever is a shame.
That being said, I can’t deny that the Eagles are an incredible team this year. I know Chris Jones is having a DPOY caliber year, but I think the Eagles are still going to run all over the Chiefs and control the clock. Mahomes will work some magic and get the Chiefs a few scores, but I just can’t see them winning this game. Mahomes’s injury muddies the waters even more for the Chiefs.
Again, it pains me as a Giants fan to say it, but the Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl 31 to 21.
Brian Henderson can be reached at brian.henderson1@student.shu.edu.
Chris Kiely: Chiefs 31, Eagles 23
The NFL is always labeled a "copy-cat" league. Before he would depart for the Texans, 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans showed the gameplan against the Eagles' bread and butter this year. They crowded the box a heavy amount that resulted in the Eagles running less than three yards per carry and having only one explosive passing play.
I expect Mahomes will definitely feel the harassment by the Eagles front four in the first half but will add another chapter to his already storied career in the second half.
It will end with Jalen Hurts having a fourth down play, similar to what Burrow went through last year. In doing so, Mahomes will extend his legacy of joining the rarified air of being a quarterback with multiple Super Bowls. In years time, we are going to look back and ask why was Jalen Hurts a favorite against Patrick Mahomes.
Chris Kiely can be reached at christopher.kiely@student.shu.edu.
Matthew Soetebeer: Eagles 34, Chiefs 30
Christian Peterson/Getty Images
The Philadelphia Eagles have run roughshod over the NFC and have proven to be the most well-rounded team in football. They have continued to gain momentum heading into the Super Bowl, with dominant playoff victories over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.
Their offensive firepower featuring star quarterback Jalen Hurts, along with weapons like A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Miles Sanders will be too much for the Kansas City Chiefs to overcome. As ranked by Pro Football Focus, the Eagles have the top offensive line in the NFL, and they will provide optimal time for Hurts to get the offense rolling.
The Chiefs will post a strong fight, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his connection with the NFL’s best tight end, Travis Kelce. However, Eagles cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradbury will make it difficult for Mahomes to find different receivers in open space.
Matthew Soetebeer can be reached at matthew.soetebeer@student.shu.edu.
Justin Lotito: Eagles 44, Chiefs 20
This game will be a beatdown for Kansas City. Sure, the Chiefs have a solid roster with stars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones; they just aren’t as well versed as Philadelphia.
The Eagles seemingly have no weakness or holes on their roster. Their pass-rush is fierce, led by this season’s sack leader Hassan Reddick. Philadelphia also has an extremely talented secondary with guys like James Bradberry and Darius Slay.
Since Mahomes is playing with an already injured ankle, he will struggle against the talented Philly defense. On offense, the Eagles will be impossible to stop. Jalen Hurts before injury was on pace to win MVP. The Chiefs’ young secondary will have trouble stopping Hurts and the Eagles talented receivers.
All things considered; I see no scenario were the Chiefs pull this one off.
Justin Lotito can be reached at justin.lotito@student.shu.edu.
Alejandro Lopez: Eagles 23, Chiefs 20
There are times where we see two superstar quarterbacks matchup against each other and we think it is going to be an offensive show, then it actually ends up being a low scoring, hard-fought game.
I think this game will be very similar to Kansas City Vs Cincinnati, but I do not think Kansas City will come out of this one in the same column. The Eagles have been the best team in football all season and are continually doubted after every win despite always proving their doubters wrong.
They have not struggled at any point in these playoffs and while I do think this game will be close, I do not think that the two week rest will be enough for Patrick Mahomes’ ankle after he was forced to put as much pressure as he did on it against the Bengals. I see the Eagles taking a low scoring game 23-20.
Alejandro Lopez can be reached at alejandro.lopez@student.shu.edu.
Chris Jones: Chiefs 38, Eagles 35
What an unbelievable matchup we have for this year's Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The No. 1 and No. 2 scoring offenses of the regular season go head-to-head for the Lombardi Trophy.
This game is going to be a back-and-forth type of game, where the Chiefs will start off strong, but Jalen Hurts is going to do what he does best, which is run the ball.
These offenses are going to play completely different games, as the Chiefs will look to stick to their passing game with Patrick Mahomes at the helm, while the Eagles will look to their backfield with players such as Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell to take majority of the offense with a lot of quarterback reads.
But that Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid combination will be too much for the Eagles as they end up winning this one, 38-35.
Chris Jones can be reached at chris.jones@student.shu.edu.
Andrew Raccuglia: Chiefs 26, Eagles 20
With Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes both dealing with injuries, I believe this is going to be a very close, back-and-forth game. The Eagles may be a more complete team with the better defense, but I believe that the Chiefs will ultimately prevail because of postseason experience from Mahomes and coach Andy Reid.
The Eagles bullied through the softer competition while the Chiefs emerged victorious against tougher teams in the Bengals and (arguably) Jacksonville, which should better prepare them to hoist the Lombardi Trophy once again.
I would keep an eye out for Travis Kelce and AJ Brown, who are two of the most dynamic playmakers in the league, and their production could be the ultimate factor to the game’s outcome.
Andrew Raccuglia can be reached at andrew.raccuglia@student.shu.edu.
Nate Taylor: Eagles 31, Chiefs 27
The Philadelphia Eagles will be looking for their second super bowl in six seasons after having been ringless their entire existence prior to 2018. Who will get the better of the matchup between the Kelce brothers, in this Chiefs/Eagles matchup? It almost pains me to choose the Eagles, but nonetheless, I have to be unbiased and frankly I’m more confident in this Philly roster as a whole over Kansas City.
I expect Mahomes to outplay Hurts, but Hurts looked terrific last week vs an elite San Francisco defense and I admittedly am a little more of a believer in him now. I think we’ll have a high scoring game with two potent offenses, but I think somewhere along the lines that the Eagles defense will be too strong to not get at least one or two key stops, but you can never rule Mahomes out.
I think the Eagles win a tight game 31-27, and the city of Philadelphia will be torn apart once again.
Nate Taylor can be reached at nathaniel.taylor@student.shu.edu.
Joe Morales: Chiefs 24, Eagles 21
I wish the New York Giants were playing today. With that being said, this Super Bowl will not disappoint. Some might say both top seeds playing in the big game is boring, but these two teams are clearly the most talented in the league.
I think it'll be a low scoring contest. The eagles have held their playoff opponents to 14 points in two games, and their pass rushers will have a field day with Kansas City's offensive line and a roughed-up Patrick Mahomes.
On the other hand, Steve Spagnuolo leads a defense that is overlooked because of the firepower Kansas City has on offense. They're better than you think. If any team cracks 30 points, they will win. In the end, the Kansas City Chiefs will be hoisting their third Lombardi Trophy. It'll go down to the final drive, but the Chiefs will finish on top by a score of 24-21.
Joe Morales can be reached at joseph.morales@student.shu.edu.
