Super Bowl LIX First Look: When and Where to Watch, How Each Team can Win, and What to Expect

Well, we made it: There are only two teams left in the NFL playoffs, and the Super Bowl is set. The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 9 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s a rematch of the game we saw two years ago when the Chiefs won 38-35.

It’s likely to be another entertaining game, as both teams have earned their way to this point and seem evenly matched. The Chiefs opened as 1.5-point favorites according to ESPN, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that number flip toward Philadelphia by the time the game starts.

Let’s take a preliminary look at the Super Bowl matchup, how each team got here, and what we might be able to expect. This won’t be an in-depth breakdown, but it’s a nice primer before two weeks of nitpicking.

Game Time and Network: 6:30 p.m. EST on FOX

This is the most important thing; have to know when to tune in.

How did the Eagles get here?

Philadelphia entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed, opening against the seventh-seeded Packers. The Eagles took the lead within the first two minutes and never gave it up. It wasn’t necessarily an easy game, but Philly didn’t seem at risk of losing very often during the contest.

The Eagles hosted the Rams in the Divisional Round, walking away with a 28-22 victory. This was a closer game than the first round, with neither team leading by more than seven points until Saquon Barkley ran in a 78-yard touchdown with 4:36 left. The Rams made a final drive and could have won with a touchdown, but they never made it closer than the 13-yard line and failed on a fourth down attempt with 31 seconds remaining.

Philadelphia dominated much of the NFC Conference Championship Game. Washington had a great start, taking an 18-play drive down inside the red zone before settling for a field goal. Then Barkley ran in a 60-yard touchdown on Philly’s first play. The Commanders turned it over four times versus zero giveaways for the Eagles, allowing Philly to walk away with a 55-23 pounding.

How did the Chiefs get here?

Kansas City was the top seed in the AFC and received a bye in the first round. That’s the most efficient way for a team to get to the big game: have less chances to lose. Don’t ever believe anyone who says teams get too much rest or something similar; the best way to not lose is to not play the game.

They took on an overmatched Houston team in their first game and won 23-14. It stayed close for much of the contest, but Kansas City got a two-score lead in the fourth quarter and didn’t allow the Texans a chance at the end.

It was another classic AFC Championship Game, as Buffalo and Kansas City went down to the end and a three-point Chiefs victory, 32-29. The difference was more than one score for only about a minute-and-a-half of game time, otherwise within grasp for each team.

How can the Eagles win?

Barkley is the man. If the MVP voting included the playoffs, Barkley would probably win the award. After running for over 2,000 yards during the season, Barkley has added 442 more in the three playoff games with five touchdowns.

The defense is also a huge part of the equation. Philly gave up the fewest yards per pass attempt this season by a wide margin and were in the top 10 in least yards per rush attempt allowed. The Eagles allowed just 18.3 points per game in their first three playoff games.

The Chiefs were in the top 10 in least yards per rush attempt allowed and might have a chance to slow Barkley a bit, though they won’t stop him. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been fantastic protecting the football, throwing only five interceptions in the regular season and none in the playoffs, but he might have to make the biggest play of the game if Barkley is held somewhat in check.

How can the Chiefs win?

They’ve won two championships in a row and only lost one game with their starters this season. We can go on and on about them not being as strong as in past seasons or the refs being on their side, but the reality is that Kansas City just keeps winning.

The path is pretty clear: don’t turn over the football, Patrick Mahomes does his thing and makes a few clutch plays, and the game stays close until they can pull it out with a late score.

KC has a strong defense, though the offense wasn’t anything special. The O does enough while the D does much of the heavy lifting. The game is likely to follow a similar script as many Chiefs games, something that will make for a good game but a lot of eye rolling from fans if Kansas City wins again.

Other Notes

Kendrick Lamar is the halftime performer. I just turned 37, and I’ve officially passed the point of being too old to keep up with new music. If you’re still in your 20s and think you’ll be up on things forever, you won’t…you will turn into an old person who complains about young people.

The game being broadcast by FOX means we will get Tom Brady in ANOTHER Super Bowl. There haven’t been nearly as many complaints about Brady as there were about Tony Romo when he started commentating; the Brady/Kevin Burkhardt team on the call shouldn’t take anything away from the game.

Remember all the talk about how Nick Sirianni was going to lose his job when the Eagles fell apart in the playoffs? Don’t take the things ESPN and these other major outlets say too seriously unless it’s actually news.

I slightly favor the Eagles in this game. Their roster is so good on both sides of the ball with stars in place that they can keep up with the Chiefs and find impactful plays from multiple players. Either way, we should be in for an entertaining Super Bowl game.