Super Bowl LVII: Everything You Need To Know

Super Bowl LVII is almost upon us, with Philadelphia Eagles set to take on Kansas City Chiefs in the annual showpiece game on Sunday 12 February.

Rihanna will add plenty of glitz and glamour during the half-time show, while on the field a close game is expected between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Philadelphia Eagles.

In this guide we will reveal everything you need to know about Super Bowl LVII (otherwise known as Super Bowl 2023), including how the two teams got here, players to look out for and much more.

Who Are the Super Bowl 2023 Finalists?

Philadelphia Eagles were the NFC champions for the 2022 National Football League (NFL) season. It was their 90th campaign and one of their most successful of all time, and a team coached by Nick Sirianni is now just one win away from securing a place in the history books.

The Eagles, who play their home matches at Lincoln Financial Field in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, play in midnight green shirts. They have been owned by Jeffrey Lurie since 1994, while general manager Howie Roseman has been with the franchise for 23 years.

Some of their most famous players of all time include the ex-safety Brian Dawkins, the former halfback Steve Van Buren and the legendary outside linebacker Chuck Bednarik.

Kansas City Chiefs were founded in 1959 and played their first NFL season the following year. They won the AFC in 2022 to secure a spot at Super Bowl LVII, which will be the third edition they have appeared in since 2020.

The Chiefs are based at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and their uniform is red and white. Established by Lamar Hunt, they remain in the ownership of their founder’s family, with Clark Hunt the current occupant of the chairmanship. Further stability is provided by Andy Reid, who has been employed as Kansas City’s head coach for the best part of a decade, while Brett Veach serves as the general manager.

The list of iconic Chiefs alumni includes former tight end Tony Gonzalez, ex-quarterback Len Dawson and Derrick Thomas, a legendary linebacker in his day.

Road to the Super Bowl

Philadelphia Eagles had an excellent season in 2022, for which Super Bowl LVII is the concluding game and grand finale. For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Eagles won eighth matches in a row at the start of the campaign.

They lost to Washington Commanders against the odds after that winning streak, but quickly bounced back to win their next five on the bounce. There were then back-to-back defeats by Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, before the Eagles beat New York Giants in week 18 to finish top of both the NFC East and the NFC Conference standings.

That earned them a first-round bye in the postseason tournament, after which Sirianni’s side thrashed the Giants 38-7 in the divisional play-offs. The Eagles then booked their spot in Super Bowl 2023 by winning 31-7 against San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Kansas City Chiefs did not start the season as quickly as Philadelphia Eagles. Two of their first six matches were losses, as they were bested by Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.

But the Chiefs soon found their form, winning 10 of their last 11 games to qualify for the play-offs in first place in both the AFC West and overall AFC Conference standings.

After a first-round bye in the postseason matches, the Chiefs beat Jacksonville Jaguars 27-10 in the divisional play-offs, before squeezing past Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the AFC Championship contest. That victory saw them through to the 2023 edition of the Super Bowl.

Previous Super Bowl Records of Finalists

Philadelphia Eagles have only won the Super Bowl once before. After finishing as the NFC champions in 2017, the Eagles beat New England Patriots 41-33 to scoop the trophy at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

It was a shock result. The Patriots were strong favourites going into the Super Bowl, which was their third appearance in the last four years. Tom Brady was in their line-up at quarterback and head coach Bill Belichick looked to have assembled an unbeatable team. But the Eagles dug deep to pull off a surprise win in front of over 67,000 fans inside the stadium.

The Eagles have suffered defeat on the biggest stage of all on two separate occasions. At Super Bowl XV, they went down 27-10 to Oakland Raiders at the Louisiana Superdome. In 2004, they were beaten 24-21 by the Patriots, on whom they would get their revenge 13 years later.

Kansas City Chiefs are two-time Super Bowl champions. Their first came in the final year before the AFL-NFL merger took effect in 1970, as they beat Minnesota Vikings 23-7 having finished the regular season as the AFL champions.

Their second success was much more recent. Kansas City were crowned AFC champions at the end of the 2019 season, before they went on to beat NFC champions San Francisco 49ers 31-20 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Andy Reid was the head coach for that triumph and he will hope to lead the Chiefs to victory once more this month.

The franchise has lost twice in the Super Bowl. At the end of the 1966 season, they were second best to Green Bay Packers in a 35-10 defeat. They also lost the showpiece event at the end of the 2020 campaign, suffering a 31-9 loss to Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Super Bowl LV.

Players to Watch

All eyes will be on Patrick Mahomes at Super Bowl LVII. To put it bluntly, it is hard to see Kansas City Chiefs emerging triumphant unless the quarterback turns in a world-class performance.

A post-season record of 10-3 demonstrates his quality, and there is little argument against the notion that he is currently the best player in the league. With Mahomes in their line-up, the Chiefs have a chance.

Philadelphia Eagles will look to Jalen Hurts for inspiration. The 24-year-old quarterback has also had a fantastic year, although a shoulder injury means he might not be at his very best in the Super Bowl.

However, there is no doubt that when Hurts is firing on all cylinders, he is one of the most valuable players in theNFL.

Predictions for the Super Bowl

This is the Super Bowl that many American football fans wanted to see. Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs were the best and most consistent teams throughout the regular season, which is why they both finished top of their respective conferences.

For that reason, this Super Bowl is hard to call – but taking everything into account, the Eagles probably have the edge. They have enjoyed a fantastic season and were more dominant than the Chiefs in the play-offs, which will give them plenty of confidence going into this game.

The Chiefs have a fine offence that can cause problems to any opponent, but the Eagles’ defence is strong and they are arguably a better balanced team from back to front.

Historic Match Stats

The head-to-head record between these two franchises shows there has been little to separate them over the years.

Their first meeting was extremely close, with Philadelphia Eagles ultimately edging out Kansas Chiefs 21-20 back in 1972. The Chiefs then won the next two clashes between the teams, in 1992 and 1998, before the Eagles tied the series with a 23-10 triumph in 2010.

Further victories followed in 2005 and 2009, but the last three meetings have all ended with the Chiefs in celebratory mood. They got the better of the Eagles in 2013, 2017 and 2021, and they will now be hoping to do the same at Super Bowl LVII.