Philadelphia vs Kansas City in Super Bowl 57: One Final Look. We are a little more than 24 hours from kickoff for the big game. Here's one final preview just in case you haven't had enough stats, numbers and trends thrown at you already.
PHILADELPHIA (16-3) vs KANSAS CITY (16-3) at Glendale, Arizona Sunday, 6:30 p.m. EST, Fox
Eagles -1.5 Total 51
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Eagles 10-9, Chiefs 7-11-1.
SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 5-4.
LAST MEETING: Chiefs defeated the Eagles 42-30 on Oct. 3, 2021, in Philadelphia.
Andy Reid is a highly successful NFL head coach who has a reputation for being one of the best in the league. In his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, he led the team to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance, but was unable to win a championship during his 14-year tenure in Philadelphia.
However, in his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, Reid helped turn around a struggling franchise and led the team to the playoffs in four of his first five seasons in Kansas City, including a Super Bowl championship in 2019.
This Super Bowl victory marked the first time in Reid's career that he won a championship as a head coach and solidified his legacy as one of the best coaches in the NFL.
A victory in the Super Bowl over the Philadelphia Eagles would certainly be a significant accomplishment for Andy Reid and would add to his already impressive legacy as a head coach in the NFL.
Legacy Legacy Legacy
Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to win their second Super Bowl championship in four seasons. They have had an impressive record in recent years and have consistently been one of the top teams in the league.
The Chiefs' success can be attributed in large part to the play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Under the guidance of Andy Reid, Mahomes has continued to develop and improve, and his ability to make big plays has been a key factor in the team's success.
Brotherly Love
The Kelce brothers, Travis of the Chiefs and Jason of the Eagles, will become the first brothers to play against each other in a Super Bowl. It's always special to see siblings face off in a big game, and this particular matchup will certainly be a highlight of the game.
The Super Bowl will feature two Black starting quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Eagles, which is a significant moment in the history of the NFL and a testament to the league's increasing diversity.
Philadelphia vs Kansas City - A Classic Game In The Making
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are indeed evenly matched. The Chiefs led the NFL in scoring offense and total yards, and the Eagles were third in both categories. The Eagles have an edge on defense, with the No. 2 ranked unit in the NFL, while the Chiefs are ranked 11th.
However the Chiefs have shown that they have the ability to overcome challenges and put up points against even the strongest defenses.
Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts both had impressive seasons and finished first and second, respectively, in voting for the AP NFL MVP.
Both players have been dealing with injuries, with Mahomes playing the AFC championship game with a badly sprained ankle and Hurts missing two games late in the season with a shoulder injury. Despite these challenges, both players have shown their resilience and determination to lead their teams to victory.
Well, that's it! Coverage begins on ESPN-SWFL at 2pm on Sunday. We will recap it all on Monday during the Shemon and Sheppard Show. One last time for the record I have KC-30 Philadelphia-27. Enjoy the game kids!
2023 Hall of Fame Class Announced; Zach Thomas Finally Gets In
We now know the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class. Among the highlights of the class include Miami Dolphins legendary linebacker Zach Thomas. Defense leads the way with 7 of the 9 members playing on that side of the ball. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber gets in after a 16 year career with the Bucs. A pair of Jets players get in with cornerback Darrell Revis and defensive tackle Joe Klecko. Adam Schefter tweeted that the Jets having 2 players being inducted makes them a prime candidate for the Hall of Fame Game that will kick off the 2023 preseason. DeMarcus Ware, Chuck Howley, and Ken Riley round out the 7 defensive payers that will be inducted. Just one offensive player punched his ticket; Brown tackle Joe Thomas. And coach Don Coryell gets in after 14 season coaching the Cardinals and the Chargers.
Zach Thomas
Miami Dolphins fans have been banging the drum from Zach Thomas to get in for years. The cry for Thomas only got louder when former Bears LB Brian Urlacher go in over Thomas in 2018. Thomas finished his career with more tackles, forced fumbles, and All-Pro awards than Urlacher. I am not here saying Thomas should get in over Urlacher. They are both on the list of some of the greatest middle linebackers off all-time. What doesn't make sense to me is why Urlacher got in on his first year of eligibility while Zach had to wait 9 years to get in. In a very classy move by Urlacher, he seemingly made it a point to talk about Zach Thomas. The former Bears player went on the Pat McAfee Show and said that it is a travesty that Zach is not it.
The 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
So Miami Dolphins fans finally got their guy into Canton. So here in the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class as it has been announced and Zach Thomas finally gets in. Here is a look at
Ronde Barber, CB (Buccaneers 1997-2012)
Barber finished his career with 47 interceptions- tied for 47th most all-time. Barber joins Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and John Lynch as hall of famers fro mthe 2022 Super Bowl winning defense.
Don Coryell, head coach (Cardinals 1973-77; Chargers 1978-86)
The mind behind the "Air Coryell" offense. The Chargers under Coryell did something very few other football teams in the world were doing; pass to set up the run. He was well ahead of his time even though he never won the Super Bowl.
Chuck Howley, LB (Bears 1958-59; Cowboys 1961-73)
Howley's career was basically over after a knee injury while with the Bears in 1959. Howley returned to West Virginia to run a gas station before coming back to the game with the Dallas Cowboys. Legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry once said of Howley, "I don't know that I've seen anybody better at linebacker".
Joe Klecko, DT (Jets 1977-87; Colts 1988)
A member of the "New York Sack Exchange", Klecko lead one of the fiercest defensive fronts in NFL history. in 1981 Klecko accounted for 20.5 sacks. However sacks would not become an official stat until the following season.
Darrell Revis, CB (Jets 2007-12, 2015-16; Buccaneers 2013; Patriots 2014; Chiefs 2017)
Arguably the best corner the NFL has seen since Deion Sanders, Revis Island was where receivers would go to die (in a football sense). His stats are not gaudy, but that's because for a majority of his career quarterbacks simply looked the other way.
Ken Riley, CB (Bengals 1969-83
Riley never played cornerback before his time with the Bengals. He was a quarterback at Florida A&M, but at the time black quarterbacks were non existent in the NFL. Riley has the th most interceptions in league history with 65. Ken Riley passed away in 2020 after suffering a heart attack.
Joe Thomas, LT (Browns 2007-17)
Joe Thomas getting in on his first year of eligibility was a no brainer. Thomas is the only offensive lineman in league history to be voted to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls to begin his career. His streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps is believed to be the longest streak in league history. He allowed 30 sacks in 6,680 pass-blocking snaps. That is .004% sack rate. He was selected to the 2010s All-Decade Team and was 1st team All-Pro 6 times.
Zach Thomas, LB (Dolphins 1996-2007; Cowboys 2008)
Zach Thomas has some great "tackling fuel" as Bobby Boucher would say. He topped 150 tackles in a season six times, and led the NFL in tackles twice. He averaged 9.7 tackles per game in his 168 games with the Dolphins. He ended his career with 17 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, and 20.5 sacks. Thomas is long overdue.
DeMarcus Ware, LB (Cowboys 2005-13; Broncos 2014-16)
When you're the all-time sack leader for the Dallas Cowboys, you're a sure fire hall of famer. Ware narrowly missed out on getting into the Hall last year, but punched his ticket in his second year on the ballot. Ware got his lone Super Bowl with the Broncos when they beat the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.