Sunday, December 22, 2024
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Everything you need to know: Predictions, in-depth preview and nuggets

Super Bowl LVII kicks off on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Philadelphia Eagles. These franchises are used to the big stage, as the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV after the 2019 season and are making their third appearance in the big game in four years. The Eagles are also recent champions, winning Super Bowl LII following the 2017 season. These two teams have been atop the heap all year, as they were the top seeds in their respective conferences. Super Bowl LVII represents the first meeting of top seeds in the Super Bowl since the Eagles’ aforementioned Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots.

Our NFL team has you covered with everything you’d ever want to know for Chiefs-Eagles, including team previews, bold predictions and game picks. We also provide betting advice from our sports betting experts, game plan breakdowns from our analysts, and in-depth statistics from the ESPN Stats & Information team. We look at the two quarterbacks, the head coaches, key rookies and some X factors as well. We even preview the officiating, halftime show, injury report and top Super Bowl MVP candidates.

It’s all here in a handy one-stop cheat sheet. Let’s dive in, starting with an overview of the exciting matchup.

Jump to:
Preview | Picks | Biggest question
Stats to know | Bold calls | QBs
MVP watch | Matchup | Rookies
Betting advice | Injuries | Coaches
Season review | Officiating | Halftime

Previewing Chiefs vs. Eagles

When: Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Television: Fox
Depth charts: Chiefs | Eagles

The Eagles were in shambles a little over two years ago. At 4-11-1, they were being excoriated for playing third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld in a game with playoff implications. Coach Doug Pederson, three years removed from a Super Bowl title, was about to be fired. Franchise quarterback Carson Wentz had been unsettled by the decision to draft Jalen Hurts and melted down behind a battered offensive line. Wentz, too, would be gone within months.

Now, the Eagles are back. Howie Roseman, the general manager many fans wanted out the door alongside Pederson and Wentz, rebuilt the roster in record time. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie nailed the head-coach hiring of Nick Sirianni. Hurts, who was in the middle of a 7-for-20 day before being benched for Sudfeld in that Week 18 game, has grown into a superstar.

Of course, there’s life after getting fired by the Eagles. After the 2012 season, Andy Reid was run out of town by Philadelphia fan base. Reid immediately went to Kansas City and revitalized the Chiefs. Plus, when he linked up with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, he suddenly figured out how to win in the playoffs! Reid’s Chiefs have won one Super Bowl and are back in their third title game in four years.

When Reid joined the Chiefs, many coaches on the previous staff were let go. One of them was Sirianni, a 31-year-old wide receivers coach who had joined the staff under Todd Haley and stuck around for the brief tenure of Romeo Crennel. It has been too long for this to be a revenge game for either coach, but let’s not pretend that what happened in the past doesn’t add at least a little bit of fuel to the fire. — Bill Barnwell, senior NFL writer

Read more: Barnwell’s ultimate previewInsiderFirst look at Super Bowl LVIIWhich team has the roster edge?InsiderFiveThirtyEight’s Super Bowl coverageThe road to Super Bowl as told by off-field antics


  • ESPN’s FPI is almost split down the middle, as it has the Chiefs winning 51.8% of the simulations to 48.2% for the Eagles. The Chiefs are favored to win by an average of 0.5 points.

  • This matchup is a showdown between the top two teams in FPI, with the Chiefs (13.1) in first and the Eagles (13.0) in second. The Chiefs are No. 1 in offense (Eagles are second), and Philadelphia is No. 1 in defense (Kansas City is ninth).

  • The Chiefs started the season at No. 7 in the FPI, while the Eagles were No. 9 in the preseason. No. 7 was the Chiefs’ lowest FPI rating of the season, while the Eagles’ was No. 10 in Week 4.

  • In the preseason, both the Eagles and Chiefs had a 7.5% chance of making the Super Bowl, with Kansas City given a 3.9% chance to win it to Philadelphia’s 3.4%.


Who wins the game?

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0:37

Why Kezirian is picking the Eagles to win Super Bowl LVII

Doug Kezirian breaks down why he thinks the Eagles will dominate the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVII.

We asked 71 experts to weigh in on who will win. The Eagles were picked by 45 of them (63.4%), while the Chiefs claimed 26 votes (43.4%).

Read more: ESPN staff predictionsMadden’s Super Bowl simulationChris Berman’s Swami Sez


Biggest questions

Can the Chiefs protect Patrick Mahomes and his injured ankle? The Eagles led the league in sacks by a wide margin and usually don’t have to blitz to get to the opposing quarterback. They rank first in both pass rush win rate (52%) and sack rate (11%), along with fifth in pressure percentage (33%). And Mahomes doesn’t figure to be as mobile as he was during the regular season given his recent high ankle sprain. Consistent pressure on Mahomes ruined the Chiefs’ chances of winning Super Bowl LV against the Buccaneers two years ago, but the Chiefs have upgraded their offensive line since then. They will need their linemen — who lead the league in pass block win rate this season (76%) — to play well if they’re going to give Mahomes a chance. — Adam Teicher, Chiefs reporter

How important is the Eagles’ pass rush in this game? Philadelphia racked up 70 sacks during the regular season — third most in NFL history — while becoming the only team to have four players reach 10-plus sacks in a season since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Edge rusher Haason Reddick has led the way with 19.5 takedowns, including the playoffs. He took over the NFC Championship Game with two sacks, three pressures, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the first half alone and knocked 49ers QB Brock Purdy out of the game on a strip sack. The Eagles boast the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL thanks in large part to the work up front, but Mahomes is the best quarterback they’ve faced in the postseason by a wide margin. If they can win the matchup up front and get after a hobbled Mahomes, the Eagles have a very good chance of leaving Arizona as champions. — Tim McManus, Eagles reporter

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Canty: Eagles’ D-line has to put pressure on Mahomes

Chris Canty breaks down why the Eagles’ four-man rush has to put pressure on Patrick Mahomes if they hope to win Super Bowl LVII.


Key stats to know

Team stats: Chiefs | Eagles

  • The Chiefs averaged the most passing yards per game during the regular season (298), while the Eagles allowed the fewest passing yards per game on defense (180). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s just the third Super Bowl matchup to feature the No. 1 passing offense against the No. 1 passing defense. In the first two instances, the defensive team won convincingly, with the Seahawks beating the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII and the Buccaneers topping the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

  • Wondering how even this game is? The Chiefs and Eagles have the same record (16-3). They’ve scored the same number of points (546). And they have the same number of All-Pros (six). Both the Chiefs and Eagles didn’t trail in a game this postseason. According to Elias, this will be the first Super Bowl where both teams entered without trailing at any point during their postseason run since Super Bowl XXXIX in the 2004 season between the Eagles and the Patriots.

  • Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts have been the two best quarterbacks passing from the pocket this season in a variety of categories. Including the playoffs, Mahomes is first in Total QBR (72.7) and second in TD-INT ratio (37-8). Hurts is second in Total QBR (69.5) and first in TD-INT ratio (21-4). Additionally, Mahomes has the most touchdown passes from inside the pocket, while Hurts has the highest completion percentage (66.5%). Mahomes led the NFL with 5,250 passing yards during the regular season. No player has ever led the league in passing yards and won the Super Bowl in that same season.

  • This will be the first Super Bowl matchup between Black starting quarterbacks. Mahomes will start his third Super Bowl, and Hurts will be the eighth different Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl. And at a combined 51 years, 337 days of age on Super Bowl Sunday, they will surpass Joe Montana and Dan Marino (Super Bowl XIX) as the youngest Super Bowl quarterback matchup of all time.

  • Wide receiver A.J. Brown had an Eagles single-season record 1,496 receiving yards this season, the sixth most by a player to reach the Super Bowl in history. This season, the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce led all tight ends in receptions per game, receiving yards per game and yards after the catch per game, including the playoffs. (Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert ranked top five in all of those areas as well, including second in yards after the catch per game.)

  • Including playoffs, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has 17.5 sacks this season, which is the third most by a primary defensive tackle in a season since the stat became official in 1982. He has already recorded eight pressures as an interior defensive lineman this postseason.

  • Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce both reaching the Super Bowl marks the first time that brothers have opposed each other. In Super Bowl XLVII, John and Jim Harbaugh became the first brothers to coach against each other.


Bold predictions

Haason Reddick will get multiple sacks to help the Eagles shut down the Chiefs. Philadelphia led the league in pass rush win rate this season, and Reddick was a key reason why, registering 16 sacks during the regular season and 3.5 more in the playoffs. What makes the Eagles’ pass rush so imposing is its ample depth, with four players recording 10 or more sacks, and it will make it hard for the Chiefs to concentrate on any one player. Even though Kansas City’s offensive line was tops in the NFL in pass block win rate, its strength is on the interior. So Philadelphia might target offensive tackles Andrew Wylie and Orlando Brown Jr. on the edge. Expect Reddick to be lined up in spots to disrupt Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing game similar to what he did to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. — Eric Moody, NFL analyst

Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon will combine for 80-plus receiving yards. Eagles cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay will stifle Kansas City’s outside receivers, and that will let Philadelphia’s defense throw extra attention to the middle of the field in trying to slow down Travis Kelce. That leaves the running backs as potential outlets for Mahomes, who might have to rely on them more than usual. Plus, with Mahomes likely less mobile than normal because of his ankle injury, the Chiefs will want to use the running backs as escape valves to avoid taking sacks at the hands of the Eagles’ pass rush. The result? A big day receiving-wise for the two Kansas City backs. — Seth Walder, analytics writer

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0:44

How the Chiefs’ run game can exploit the Eagles’ weaknesses

Mike Tannenbaum breaks down how Isiah Pacheco and the Chiefs’ run game could be the X factor in Super Bowl LVII.

Patrick Mahomes will more than double his rushing output from the past two games combined. It’s no secret that Mahomes has been navigating a right high ankle sprain since the divisional round, and it showed in the AFC Championship Game. In obvious pain at times and with his directional mobility clearly limited, Mahomes netted only 8 yards rushing, 5 of which occurred on the fateful third-down play on the final drive. But his ability to last the entire four quarters and be just mobile enough to make key plays only one week post-injury hints at Mahomes’ potential with another two weeks of recovery under his belt. Coach Andy Reid will try to catch the vaunted Eagles defense off guard by factoring Mahomes into key run situations, which should provide the edge the Chiefs need to secure the win. — Stephania Bell, NFL analyst


The quarterback matchup

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Mahomes had another MVP-quality season. He had his second career 5,000-yard season and led the NFL in touchdown passes with 41. He is well seasoned on the NFL’s biggest stages, given that this will be his 14th postseason game in five seasons as a starter. He is 10-3 so far in those contests. His ankle is a concern, but Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdown passes in the AFC Championship Game with the injury. He also scrambled on the Chiefs’ final offensive play, which led to a Bengals late-hit penalty that put Kansas City in position to kick the winning field goal. Mahomes joins Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks to start in three Super Bowls within their first six seasons, and he now has the most playoff touchdown passes (32) and passing yards (3,902) by any quarterback before his 30th birthday in NFL history. — Teicher

Jalen Hurts, Eagles

Hurts, a surprise second-round pick by the Eagles in 2020, has taken a major leap in his second year as the full-time starter. He put together an MVP-caliber regular season, throwing for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdown passes to six interceptions while rushing for 760 yards and 13 scores. The biggest improvement in his game has been as a pocket passer. Over his first two seasons, Hurts ranked 28th in completion percentage and 29th in touchdown-to-interception ratio inside the pocket. This season, he was first in both categories, per ESPN Stats & Information research. A big question surrounding Hurts is the health of his throwing shoulder. Prior to spraining his SC joint, he was completing 67% of his passes, compared to 61% since his return. And his off-target percentage on passes of 20-plus yards has jumped from 35% to 50% since the injury. — McManus

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Why Joe Fortenbaugh is taking the under for Jalen Hurts’ passing yards

Joe Fortenbaugh breaks down why he is taking the under for Jalen Hurts’ passing yards in the Super Bowl.

Read more: How Hurts silenced his criticsMahomes: Historic matchup with Hurts ‘special’Jeffrey Lurie on Hurts’ looming extension: Nothing left to proveThe QB battle that unlocked MahomesSting of LV loss Mahomes’ motivation to get back to Super BowlStacking NFL QB bargains: Super Bowl starters at the top


Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: Miles Sanders. The Eagles’ offense is predicated on its dominant run game, and their starting running back can cap his breakout season with a late-game score. Sanders has had multiple touchdowns in four games this season.

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Mahomes. I know the regular-season MVP hasn’t won the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXIV, but Mahomes has defied everything this season. From retooling the offense post-Tyreek Hill without missing a beat to winning two playoff games on a bad ankle, Mahomes always finds a way.

Jason Reid, senior Andscape writer: Mahomes. Simply put, Mahomes is the league’s best player. He’s a generational talent at the game’s most important position, and he’s second to none as a leader. Any questions?

Seth Wickersham, NFL writer: Haason Reddick. The best way to stop the Chiefs’ offense is to pressure Mahomes without blitzing, and the Eagles’ dominant edge rusher will expose a Kansas City offense line that is good but not great.

  • Of the 71 experts who weighed in, 33 (46.4%) picked Jalen Hurts to win Super Bowl MVP. See all of our experts’ picks.

  • Hurts (+125) and Mahomes (+130) are the betting favorites at Caesars Sportsbook. Behind them, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is +1000 and Eagles receiver A.J. Brown is +1500. Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith (+2500), Sanders (+2500) and Reddick (+3500) are next in line.

Read More: Kelce ‘pretty sure’ Mahomes will win MVP


Inside the game plan

Keep your eyes on the edges in this game, where Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon can scheme for pass-rushers Reddick and Josh Sweat out of five-man fronts to get defined one-on-ones. Including the playoffs, Reddick and Sweat have combined for 32 sacks and 86 total pressures. They are impact players with disruptive traits who can create matchup issues in space against Chiefs offensive tackles Andrew Wylie and Orlando Brown Jr. And they should be able to limit Mahomes’ ability to extend outside of the pocket. — Matt Bowen, NFL analyst

Chiefs X factor: Chris Jones, DT

One place Hurts struggles is throwing on the run and outside the pocket. The best way to get him there? Interior pressure from Jones, who led all defensive tackles in pass rush win rate despite being double-teamed more than anyone else playing the position. It’s not an easy matchup, as Eagles guards Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo are solid in pass protection. But Jones is by far the Chiefs’ best pass-rusher and presents a crucial opportunity for the defense. Even if he doesn’t sack Hurts, he can significantly disrupt the Eagles’ passing game. — Walder

Eagles X factor: T.J. Edwards, LB

Edwards, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, linebacker Kyzir White, safety Marcus Epps and maybe cornerback Avonte Maddox could all qualify. In other words, the defensive collective that could be responsible for marking Travis Kelce in the middle of the field. The Eagles have lockdown corners on the outside, but the Chiefs’ biggest threat is Kelce in the middle. Edwards, who was the most frequent nearest defender on tight end targets this season, has allowed just 0.6 yards per coverage snap (well below the 0.9 average for linebackers) and has generated minus-5.4 receptions over expectation against, per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Walder

Under-the-radar impact player: Mike Danna, DE, Chiefs

Chris Jones deservedly draws the majority of defensive headlines for the Chiefs as one of the NFL’s best players, while defensive end Frank Clark has been one of the most productive sack generators in league playoff history. But Danna should not be overlooked as part of Kansas City’s wave of pass-rushers. He played about 41% of the Chiefs’ regular-season snaps and plays with an unmistakable energy. This game could well be decided in the trenches, and Danna has the juice to make a game-altering play with his pressure. He had five sacks and forced two fumbles this season. — Field Yates, NFL analyst

Read more: How Reddick morphed into an NFL game-wreckerPass-rushers Clark, Jones putting QBs on notice


Rookie report

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs

There’s a large field of Chiefs rookies to choose from, thanks to a fantastic 2022 draft class. Pacheco, a seventh-rounder who has the chance to really break out in this game, averaged almost 5 yards per carry this season en route to 830 yards and five touchdowns. He has the power and speed needed to keep the Eagles’ front seven off balance, and he runs with an aggression and burst rarely seen at 216 pounds. Pacheco could be leaned on to keep the Philadelphia pass rush from teeing off on Mahomes. — Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst

Reed Blankenship, S, Eagles

With a roster fully loaded with veterans, the Eagles haven’t seen much production from their rookie class. But the undrafted safety has been a great find for Philadelphia. He filled in at multiple spots in the secondary throughout the regular season, and his productive play has continued into the postseason; Blankenship has 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over two games. He will be called upon frequently on the back end to slow down Mahomes and the array of potent options in the Chiefs’ passing game. — Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst


How to bet Super Bowl LVII

Current line from Caesars Sportsbook: Eagles -1.5 (51.0)
PickCenter | What to know

Total passing yards for Mahomes: Over/under 294.5
Total passing yards for Hurts: Over/under 241.5
Total sacks by both teams: Over/under 5.5
Total touchdowns in the game: Over/under 5.5

Teams that have covered the spread in the Super Bowl have won the game outright in 12 of the past 13 Super Bowls, with the Cincinnati Bengals ending the streak last year by covering the 4.5-point spread but losing to the Los Angeles Rams. In Super Bowl history, favorites are 27-27-2 straight up. The past four Super Bowls went under the total, and unders are 28-26-1 all-time in the Super Bowl (excluding Super Bowl I). At a spread of 1.5, this would be the ninth Super Bowl to close with a line under a field goal and the fifth to close under two points. The closest Super Bowl spread is 1 (Patriots vs. Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX and Bengals vs. 49ers in Super Bowl XVI).

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Why bettors should take the over in Super Bowl LVII

Tyler Fulghum breaks down why he’s taking the over between the Chiefs and the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Patrick Mahomes enters the Super Bowl having been favored in all 13 career playoff starts, the longest streak by any quarterback to begin his career without being an underdog in the Super Bowl era. The Eagles were 25-1 when the season started, which would make them the biggest preseason long shots to win the Super Bowl since 2017 — the only other time the Eagles won the Super Bowl (40-1 preseason). — David Bearman, ESPN Sports Betting

Read more: Super Bowl XLII betting guideLiz Loza’s five props that popQB/RB propsWR/TE propsFantasy propsPrintable prop BINGO cardPrintable square pool


Who is in, and who is out?

Injury reports: Chiefs | Eagles

The Chiefs are confident they will have all of the wide receivers on the active roster available in the Super Bowl. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney both left the AFC Championship Game early because of injuries, but both have participated in practice and appear ready to go barring a setback. The question regarding Mahomes was never whether he was going to play but rather how effective he could be with his high ankle sprain. Coach Andy Reid said the quarterback had progressed to the point where he could physically handle everything the Chiefs have in their game plan. — Teicher

The Eagles are slated to have all 22 of their original starters on the field for Super Bowl LVII. A few players will be playing through injury, though. A big one to watch is left guard Landon Dickerson, who will be wearing a protective brace around his hyperextended right elbow. With Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones sure to line up over him, Dickerson will have to perform at a high level. Slot corner Avonte Maddox (toe) has been wearing a protective boot on and off in recent weeks but is expected to play. And Hurts has been dealing with a sprained throwing shoulder since Dec. 18 but is now two months removed from the original injury, so the Eagles aren’t placing any restrictions on their quarterback. — McManus

Read more: Chiefs activate RB Edwards-Helaire, WR Hardman to IREagles G Dickerson expected to play, source saysMahomes says ankle in ‘better spot’ heading into Super Bowl


Meet the coaches

Andy Reid, Chiefs

Reid will become the fifth coach to face a former team in the Super Bowl and first since Pete Carroll faced the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. He is 11-7 in the playoffs with the Chiefs (117-45 in the regular season), and his 21 career playoff wins are the NFL’s second-most all-time behind Bill Belichick (31). Reid is also the only head coach in NFL history to win 10-plus playoff games for two different franchises. One aspect of his coaching that is unique is his ability to hold his players accountable while also keeping it behind closed doors. His players and teams improve as the season goes on without any negativity or drama surrounding his team. And Reid did a great job with the Kansas City defense this year, as rookies Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Bryan Cook all contributed. — Mike Tannenbaum, NFL analyst

Nick Sirianni, Eagles

Sirianni is seeking to become the ninth person to win a Super Bowl within his first two seasons as a head coach, and at 41 years old, he could become the fifth-youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. Over two seasons, he is 23-11 in the regular season and won two of three playoff games. He is a young, energetic and relatable coach, and the Eagles seem to have taken on his personality. What has been extremely impressive is his ability to tailor the offense to Jalen Hurts’ strengths. That unit is efficient, mistake-free and — with the evolution of Hurts’ downfield passing accuracy — almost impossible to stop. Sirianni has also done a great job of identifying and hiring an outstanding staff, too, led by two young coordinators who should be head coaches themselves in the near future (defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen). — Tannenbaum

Read more: Inside the nine-hour interview that led Reid to the ChiefsSirianni still motived by Reid snubHow Reid saved the Chiefs


How the Chiefs, Eagles got here

The Chiefs went 14-3 this season and won the AFC West for the sixth straight season. It took Kansas City a little while to get going, as it started 4-2 with a puzzling Week 3 loss to the struggling Colts, a Week 6 loss to the Bills and come-from-behind home wins against the Chargers and Raiders in Weeks 2 and 5, respectively. A 44-23 victory at the 49ers (San Francisco’s last loss until the NFC Championship Game) in Week 7 seemed to kick the Chiefs into gear, as they won 10 of their last 11 games to grab the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The only loss in that stretch was a 27-24 loss in Cincinnati in Week 13, their third consecutive three-point loss to the Bengals. After dispatching the Jaguars 27-20 in the divisional round, the Chiefs had another chance at their Cincy nemesis. Despite Mahomes being hobbled by a high ankle sprain suffered against Jacksonville, his scramble (and an ensuing personal foul) in the final seconds set up Harrison Butker‘s game-winning field goal, as the Chiefs finally bested the Bengals with a 23-20 win to advance to their third Super Bowl in four seasons. — ESPN

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Stephen A. disagrees with Irvin over his Jalen Hurts take

Stephen A. Smith and Michael Irvin debate whether Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes will have the better game in Super Bowl LVII.

The Eagles also went 14-3, winning the NFC East for the first time since 2019 to make their second straight playoff berth. They started out as the league’s hottest team, staying undefeated more than a month longer than everyone else. Philadelphia won its first eight games before falling to the Commanders at home in Week 10. That loss was quickly shrugged off, as the Eagles rolled off five more wins to put them on the cusp of clinching the top seed in the NFC. But that had to wait, as Hurts suffered a shoulder injury in a Week 15 win over the Bears which knocked him out for two weeks, resulting in consecutive losses to the Cowboys and Saints to keep the NFC East in play. Hurts returned for the season finale against the Giants, which the Eagles won to clinch the division, homefield advantage and a crucial bye. The rested Eagles romped in their two playoff games, steamrolling the Giants 38-7 in the divisional round before the defense teed off on the 49ers in a 31-7 win in the NFC Championship Game, advancing Philly to its fourth-ever Super Bowl. — ESPN


What to know about the officiating

The appointment of Carl Cheffers as the Super Bowl referee has been met with a number of takes. Some of them are wrong, including the suggestion that his 2022 regular-season crew led the NFL in flags. When you include penalties that were declined or offset, his crew actually threw the NFL’s fourth-most flags in the regular season and was within three flags of five different crews. In essence, Cheffers led a crew that ranked in the top third of the most flag-happy NFL crews.

This will be Cheffers’ second Super Bowl in the past three seasons and his third in the past seven. The Chiefs surely remember that his crew threw 13 flags against them (11 accepted) in Super Bowl LV, and they didn’t love his call for roughing the passer against defensive lineman Chris Jones in Week 5 of this season. But the NFL clearly trusts him more than any other referee to handle its highest-priority game. — Kevin Seifert, Vikings reporter

Read more: Goodell defends officiating: ‘Never been better’Cheffers will be lead referee for Super Bowl LVII


Who is playing the halftime show?

Rhianna is making her highly-anticipated Super Bowl debut and her first on-stage performance since the 2018 Grammys. Her last album “Anti” dropped in 2016. She finished that year with 3.2 billion on-demand streams and further cemented her name in music history as one of the highest-grossing female artists of all time.

She has since taken a break from the music industry and focused on ventures that have made her a billionaire businesswoman. She started her two biggest ventures — cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty and lingerie brand Savage X Fenty — in 2017 and 2018, respectively. For Super Bowl LVII, Rihanna released a limited-edition Savage X Fenty line, which has been sold out since January.

Her top songs are Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Umbrella, We Found Love and Love on the Brain.

Read more: Rhianna logging long hours for Super Bowl halftime show


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