The Ringer’s NFL writers have made their Super Bowl picks between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Who will be right come Sunday night?
Nora Princiotti
Winner: Chiefs
Score: 27-24
MVP: Patrick Mahomes
The Birds rely on feeding Saquon Barkley, and Steve Spagnuolo’s defense can box him in just enough. Patrick Mahomes will scramble for two key fourth downs in the second half, and the Chiefs will narrowly make history with a three-peat. This is just what they do.
Sheil Kapadia
Winner: Eagles
Score: 24-21
MVP: Barkley
Does it feel good to pick against Mahomes? Of course not. But I think that the Eagles will be able to get off massive runs with Barkley, and their defense majors in not allowing explosive plays. This seems like it will be a tightly contested back-and-forth game that's not decided until the fourth quarter—or later. I think that the Eagles offense will get the ball at the end, needing a few first downs to ice the game, and they’ll come through, never giving Mahomes a final chance to steal it.
Steven Ruiz
Winner: Chiefs
Score: 23-17
MVP: Mahomes
I’m not making the mistake of picking against Mahomes in a big game. It also helps that this version of the Chiefs offense is built to go on painstakingly long drives—thanks mostly to Mahomes’s efficiency—which is the best way to counteract the bend-but-don’t-break style that Vic Fangio’s defenses play. Kansas City’s even got a good matchup on the other side of the ball, with Spagnuolo drawing up creative blitzes (to combat runs and passes) and coverage disguises that should give Jalen Hurts some issues when he’s operating as a pocket passer. I envision a low-possession game with Mahomes controlling the tempo through efficient, quick passing. If Spags’s defense can make one or two splash plays while preventing Barkley from ripping off big runs, the Chiefs should complete their three-peat.
Diante Lee
Winner: Eagles
Score: 27-23
MVP: AJ Brown
I’ll probably come to regret this pick, but the Eagles have advantages in too many matchups for me to ignore. Philadelphia’s skill-position talent applies pressure to defenses before the ball is even snapped, and its offensive line creates space against everyone it faces. If the top priority for the Chiefs defense is to load up the line of scrimmage and take Barkley away (which it should be), I can see the Eagles offense taking enough deep shots to tilt the game’s balance in its favor. And I think the Eagles defense is well designed to keep Kansas City’s passing game reined in. Maybe Mahomes can put his cape on and win the game himself, but that’s the only path I see to a three-peat—and I’m not sure that’ll be enough if the Eagles play their best game on Sunday.
Lindsay Jones
Winner: Chiefs
Score: 28-27
MVP: Travis Kelce
I picked the Chiefs in the preseason. I picked the Chiefs at the start of the playoffs. So it would be some cowardly bullshit to back out now. Simply put, the Chiefs have the best quarterback and head coach and offensive play caller in this game (the defensive coordinator matchup is a push), and even though the Eagles have a talent advantage at nearly every position, I find it impossible to pick against the most clutch postseason team of this generation. The Chiefs always find a way, and they’ll do it again here and make history. Just don’t expect me to be happy about a Harrison Butker game-winning kick.
Danny Kelly
Winner: Chiefs
Score: 27-23
MVP: Mahomes
The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the league, one of the best defensive lines, an excellent secondary, the best running back, a cheat-code short-yardage play in the tush push, and maybe the deepest roster in the NFL. They’re a prototypically built team that dominates in the trenches and finishes games with a top-tier pass rush and ground-you-to-dust run game. But I’ll still say basically the exact same thing I’ve said at this time the past two years: The Chiefs have Mahomes, so I’ll pick them.
Danny Heifetz
Winner: Chiefs
Score: 27-24
MVP: Mahomes
Mahomes is Michael Jordan. As much as I fear Jalen Carter versus Mike Caliendo and Devonta Smith on Chamarri Conner and Mahomes potentially needing Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy to know where the sidelines are, I am betting on Michael Jordan.
