We have arrived again at the most sacred of all points in the American sporting calendar. It is a monumental event that a hundred million people will tune into-albeit some just for Rihanna’s halftime show.  

What will transpire in Glendale’s State Farm Stadium on Sunday, in the middle of the vast and beautiful Arizona desert, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, will (hopefully) be the explosive culmination of the latest season of America’s favorite sport. 

It is Super Bowl LVII. 

I said hopefully because the NFL really does owe all of us a truly SUPER game after four years of mediocrity. The last really good Super Bowl came in 2018, when the Eagles outlasted Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 41-33 in Minneapolis. That occasion featured the most combined yards gained by both teams in a single NFL game and the fewest combined punts in a Super Bowl (one).  

Oh, and it also featured NICK FREAKING FOLES pulling off a touchdown catch-ironically after Tom Brady had failed to do so minutes earlier-and joining NFL lore with his Super Bowl MVP. 

What’s happened since then? 

The worst Super Bowl of all time (that unfortunately was in Atlanta and won by Tom Brady to add insult to injury), the potential second worst Super Bowl of all time (also won by Tom Brady after his defense bailed him out) and two Super Bowls that got good late (Chiefs-49ers in 2020 and Rams-Bengals last year) but that still could not make up for three quarters of mediocrity. 

And so I am begging the NFL-which was responsible for 82 of the 100 most watched TV broadcasts in the U.S. in 2022-to give the people what they want. It shouldn’t be too much to ask for. 

Kansas City is advancing to its third Super Bowl in four years on the back of its tenth consecutive winning season under coach Andy Reid. Despite the loss of star receiver Tyreek Hill, they still finished with the league’s best offense. MVP winner quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, predictably led the charge.  

Philadelphia, having just defeated its two previous playoff opponents by a combined score of 69-14, are excellent on both sides of the ball. Third in the league in points scored, eighth in points allowed and second in yards allowed, the Eagles sent an NFL-high eight players to the Pro Bowl, including QB Jalen Hurts, receiver A.J. Brown, center Jason Kelce (Travis’s older brother) and linebacker Haason Reddick, who led the league with 16 sacks.  

When the two teams meet, Reid will become the fifth head coach to face his former team (he coached the Eagles from 1999 to 2012). It will be the first Super Bowl to feature brothers playing against each other, which has earned it the informal nickname “The Kelce Bowl”. And it will be the first time two black quarterbacks will face each other, in Hurts and Mahomes.  

Without further ado, here are this newspaper’s predictions for the 57th Super Bowl, which, pitting the two best teams in the league against each other, desperately needs to deliver a show to go along with the usual triumph and heartbreak. 

Megan Dunn: Eagles by 5 

Philly has the better fanbase. They’re gonna bring that wild, passionate Northeast football love right down to the desert and prove once and for all that Kansas City only makes the Super Bowl so many times because it plays all its conference championship games at Arrowhead.  

Ilay Fainstead: Chiefs by 6 

Five words. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, who, despite being a tight end, is arguably one of the best wide receivers in the league. The Eagles have plenty of good players-the Chiefs have two Hall of Famers. 

Jake Fuller: Chiefs by 9 

Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the NFL right now. Even on one good leg, he led the Chiefs here with his usual display of sorcery. And given what happened to him the last time he played on this stage, he’s got plenty of motivation to go along with that talent, making him twice as dangerous. And watch out for Nick Bolton, who’ll show up and do Von Miller Super Bowl 50 things. The Eagles are good on paper but haven’t played a team that could match their caliber all season, which is not a great look. 

Katie Notch: Eagles by 7  

Patrick Mahomes might not be 100%, which doesn’t sit right with me. I’m just looking forward to a great, close game, and the Eagles are gonna come up with one more moment of brilliance than the Chiefs.  

Zach Pascuzzi: Eagles by 3 

Yes, the Eagles had a soft schedule this year. And yes, beating the New York Giants and a heavily banged-up 49ers team in the postseason cheapens the achievement that was beating them by a combined 69-14 just a little bit. But they are the better team. Jalen Hurts didn’t just set career highs in every measurable passing statistic to let Mahomes steal his thunder when it matters most. He’s the best rushing quarterback in the league too, bolstered by the best offensive line in the league. They have a better running back in Miles Sanders, more explosive receivers, and a better defense. It will still be close (remember that dude Mahomes?) but should also be low scoring, which will benefit the Eagles more.