Super Bowl 2023: Chiefs vs. Eagles breakdown by position. Which team has the edge?
Super Bowl LVII is set. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in what looks like a good matchup.
BetMGM believes the Eagles hold the edge, but not by much. The spread is -1.5 in favor of Philadelphia, meaning the oddsmakers believe the two teams are pretty evenly matched, but the Eagles are slightly better.
Is that actually the case, though?
How does each team really stack up against each other? Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the two teams playing in Super Bowl LVII.
Quarterback
Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
Eagles: Jalen Hurts
Hurts entered the season as one of the bigger question marks on the Eagles and has stepped up his game in a major way. He posted career bests in a number of significant stats, including completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns and interception rate. Hurts deserves a ton of credit for his development ... but he's going up against Patrick Mahomes. Since taking over as the Chiefs' starter, Mahomes has led the team to the Super Bowl in three of five seasons. He already has a Super Bowl ring and an MVP award and could have two of each by the time next season rolls around. He's the best player in football.
Edge: Chiefs
Running backs
Chiefs: Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones
Eagles: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott
Pacheco had an encouraging rookie season after being a seventh-round draft pick and McKinnon is a crucial part of the Chiefs' passing game. Sanders, however, really broke out in 2022, rushing for a career-high 1,269 yards and 13 touchdowns and making the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Gainwell and Scott usually get a series or two per game, and the Eagles' offense still operates at a high level.
Edge: Eagles
Wide receivers
Chiefs: Juju Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore
Eagles: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins
Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling have their moments, but Brown and Smith might be the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. You could maybe argue the Chiefs are deeper, but both Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney got hurt in the NFC championship game and their status is unknown for the Super Bowl. Even if the Chiefs were operating at full strength, the Eagles' one-two punch sets them apart.
Edge: Eagles
Tight end
Chiefs: Travis Kelce
Eagles: Dallas Goedert
Goedert is a really solid player who gets overshadowed by the Eagles' elite wideouts and running game. Unfortunately for him, he's going up against Kelce, who is already one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Kelce received even more defensive attention this season after Tyreek Hill left, and still put up fantastic numbers.
Edge: Chiefs
Offensive line
Chiefs: Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Andrew Wylie
Eagles: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson
Both offensive lines performed well this season, per PFF's data. But the Eagles boast arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. The team's protection was a bigger question when Johnson missed time late in the regular season, but he returned in the playoffs and hasn't missed a beat. Dickerson left the NFC championship due to an elbow injury, but he's expected to wear a brace and play in the Super Bowl.
Edge: Eagles
Defensive line
Chiefs: George Karlaftis, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, Khalen Saunders, Mike Danna
Eagles: Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Ndamukong Suh
Jones was PFF's highest-rated defensive player during the 2022 regular season, so that's a big point in favor of the Chiefs. The rest of the line graded fairly low by PFF's standards. Frank Clark managed five sacks in the regular season, but failed to make the Pro Bowl for the first time since joining the Chiefs. The Eagles may not have Jones, but Graham is good in his own right. Combine him with Hargrave and Sweat, both of who graded out well this season, and the Eagles have a deeper rotation.
Edge: Eagles
Linebackers
Chiefs: Nick Bolton, Carlos Dunlap, Willie Gay
Eagles: T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Haason Reddick
The Chiefs boast an average squad at linebacker, with Bolton being the standout player. Dunlap is a long-time veteran who is still solid and Gay is a fine player. The Eagles have two potential stars at the position in Edwards and Reddick, who made his first Pro Bowl in 2022.
Edge: Eagles
Secondary
Chiefs: L'Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, Juan Thornhill, Justin Reid, Jaylen Watson
Eagles: James Bradberry, Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, Marcus Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Sneed is dealing with a concussion and his status is unclear for the Super Bowl. He and McDuffie make up a solid pair of starters on the outside and Reid is still a strong option at safety. Watson played 100% of the snaps in the AFC championship game, though didn't rate that well in the regular season per PFF. Slay is one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL and Bradberry is no slouch on the opposite side of the field. Reid gives the Chiefs better safeties, but Slay's presence shifts this position to the Eagles.
Edge: Eagles
Special teams
Chiefs: Harrison Butker, Tommy Townsend, Justin Watson, Isiah Pacheco, Skyy Moore
Eagles: Jake Elliott, Bret Kern, Britain Covey, Boston Scott, DeVonta Smith
Butker is consistently one of the best kickers in football. He also provides value on kickoffs, where he posted the longest kickoff average this season. Elliott is a good player who attempted only 6 field goals this season because the Eagles' offense was so efficient. This isn't a knock against Elliott, it's just a bizarre stat. Kern didn't have a team until late in the season and Townsend's punts travel 10 yards farther on average. If Toney is healthy, he's probably the most dangerous returner on either team. If not, the position is mostly a wash.
Edge: Chiefs
Head coach
Chiefs: Andy Reid
Eagles: Nick Sirianni
Remember when Sirianni got ripped apart for giving an awkward answer in his first press conference with the Eagles? Yeah, he's come a long, long way. Sirianni is undoubtedly one of the best coaches in the NFL now and a likely candidate to take home the Coach of the Year award after the season ends. Reid has won that award three times and has made it to three Super Bowls during his career, winning one of them. This will be a fantastic coaching matchup, but only one man involved could retire after Sunday's game and get into Canton.
Edge: Chiefs
