The Official DOL Super Bowl LVII Pick (subject to change prior to kickoff)

I'd conservatively guess (the only time I ever am) that I spent over 15 hours on this graphic this week because I am obsessed with making them and never feel finished no matter how much detail I put in.

​The 2022 NFL season ends this Sunday when either the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles wins their 2nd Super Bowl of the last decade (unless Christian McCaffrey has anything to say about it). Whoever wins Super Bowl LVII will become the most recent franchise to win multiple Super Bowls (surpassing the 2nd leg of the Patriots' double dynasty that won Super Bowl XLIX, LI, and LII). The Eagles last won in 2017 ('18), and the Chiefs ended their 50-year title drought in 2019 ('20).

Both teams still contain some core pieces for their last championship while mixing in plenty of key contributors that weren't around the last time they hoisted the Lombardi.

Super Bowl LVII marks the first time since the Eagles' last appearance (SB LIII) five seasons ago that both #1 seeds reached the year's final game. Since the NFL first implemented playoff seeding in 1975, #1 seeds have met in the Super Bowl 13 times, with the NFC holding a substantial 9 to 4 edge.

Of course, all the narratives and history mean nothing once the ball is kicked off. Everybody who pays attention to football knows this is the first-ever matchup between brothers ON THE FIELD. Who could forget the Florence + the Machine "No light, no light" Harbaugh Blackout Bowl in 2013 (2012 league year)?

Even though I just said narratives mean nothing for the sake of blog structure, I don't believe that for one second. Narratives matter, and we've got some great ones going into this game. This season, en route to leading me to my first fantasy championship, league MVP Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have been a lethal combination, showing that the Chiefs will be just fine without Tyreek Hill. MVPs, of course, have not fared too well in 21st-century Super Bowls. League MVPs are 0-9 in the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show on Turf won Super Bowl XXXIV.

As a Patriots fan, I want the Eagles to win. Even though there's a different coach and quarterback from Super Bowl LII, there are enough returning pieces where it can make the Pats' shady loss easier to take. If that core of Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, the kicker, and surely a few others guys too (nope..it's just them...s/o my brain for knowing all five without looking it up), win again it won't exactly be like losing to a dynasty, but like a dynasty adjacent. 

Meanwhile, if Mahomes gets his second ring at just age 27, he'll have a chance to match or beat Tom Brady's record seven Super Bowl rings. I respect Mahomes as the best QB in the league, but this game is huuuge for his legacy. Yes, he's already won a Super Bowl, but he wasn't Patrick Mahomes good in it, and then in 2020, his Chiefs got their asses kicked and didn't even score a touchdown, despite boasting the league's 5th highest-scoring offense. If he plays poorly and falls to 1-2 in Super Bowls, obviously, there's still plenty of time to turn it around, but you know the media talk heads (and yours truly) will milk that storyline. Who would've guessed Aaron Rodgers would still have just one after 2011? Mahomes could easily follow the same path.

There's plenty at stake for Andy Reid as well. Probably more so than Mahomes since he's got age on his side. Yes, Andy's high key lost a lot of weight, but the man is still nearly 65 years old with a track record of loving burgers. That's not ancient by today's standards, but a 2nd ring, in addition to the 5th most wins in league history, would put him in the conversation for one of the best coaches of all time (if he's not there already). He's gonna pass Tom Landry on the all-time wins list next season. A second championship would do an awful lot to help erase those big-game choker labels that still haunt Reid, even with a ring already. That second ring is what separates you from the pack.

Then there are those Philly scumbags. I've been discounting them all year, and here they are...back in the big game again. Jalen Hurts played like an MVP this year. Philly's D has a record four guys with double-digit sacks. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are probably the 2nd best WR duo in the NFL after Chase and Higgins. Unlike KC, the Eagles can run the ball conventionally. Kansas City finished 20th in rushing yards but 7th in rushing TDs, while Philadelphia's ground game was 5th in yards and 1st in TDs.

The Eagles have looked dominant these playoffs. They've only allowed 14 points (although they got lucky to play a QB-less 49ers). Hurts hasn't had to be who he was for much of the regular season and, like Mahomes, is banged up. Philly's going to need more out of him to compete with the Chiefs' offensive firepower, although you can run on this Chiefs D.

On the other hand, Kansas City is low-key lucky to be here. If it weren't for a terrible late hit in the closing seconds, it could easily be Cincy representing the AFC for the second straight year. But the Chiefs have been resilient. I hate to say it, but I get severe Patriot vibes from this team. Five straight AFCCGs. They lost one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league and arguably got better offensively. Patrick Mahomes is a magician with a football. Since he hasn't dealt with the wear and tear of having a role in the blocking game, Travis Kelce's been running wild in the middle of the field all year. Man, what a great pick by your boi at 15 overall.

I still don't know how I'm gonna bet. I don't like to put my action in too early. I've picked the first TD scorer correctly in the last two Super Bowls and am much more concerned with that, and my other props than this essentially pick 'em. I've been on the Eagles all week, and I guess I'd rather see them win to make the Pats' loss to them look better and keep Mahomes further behind Brady, basically what I said a few paragraphs ago, but I'm also a narrative guy til I die. The MVP streak has to end eventually, and if it's going to be somebody, Patrick Mahomes is a decent choice to pull it off. The Eagles' defense shits on Kansas City's, which makes me lead toward the Philly scumbags, but I am a plus-sign chaser. Even at +105, it's crazy to get Patrick Mahomes as a dog in the Super Bowl. It's currently 9:34 am, and I still need to figure out who I'm going to pick; as I said, my ticket will be prop heavy. Mahomes and Kelce losing the Super Bowl after winning me a championship would be tremendous. Everybody is picking the Eagles, fuuuck am I really about to choose the Chiefs? Damnit, I think I am. I hate this pick. I could very well change it by kickoff, and if I do, you know I'll be tweeting about it (FOLLOW ME HERE). I'm leaning toward either Kelce or Miles Sanders for first TD scorer, but I know their odds won't be that juicy. Even though he's sorta gimpy, I don't hate Mahomes to rush it in, either. He's more apt to run in the playoffs.

As we all know, I'm a great undiscovered writer and love this game, but rn I'm much more concerned with people appreciating my art. Yes, my photoshop collages are art because they make you feel, and I pour my heart and soul into them. Do you know how long the object selection tool takes to highlight the parts of the image I want? If it's a white dude in a white uniform or a black guy in a black uniform, forget it. That bitch loves to cut off hands and feet like it's frostbite. For example, the AJ Brown pic in the collage has no legs because the photoshop machine copied it weirdly, but you can't tell, thanks to my keen layering ability. Before I give my picks, let's look back at all the collages I've made these playoffs.

Super Wild Card Weekend

Divisional Round

Conference Championship Sunday

Football is a game of matchups, and one that will dictate this game is the one in the trenches. I can't wait to see Jason Kelce vs. Chris Jones and the Chiefs' o-line to face a defense with four double-digit sackers. It's such a cliche, but the front four is one of the most significant factors in Super Bowls. It's why the Patriots lost to the Giants twice and why Mahomes and the Chiefs didn't go back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. 

Let the record show that I want the Eagles to win. Even though there's bad blood between Boston and Philly (the sixers are a joke), I have a lot of respect for those greased-up scumbags. Both cities have similar vibes, and we both hate New York sports. While I don't consider myself a mush, my friends, mainly the ones in my fantasy league (that I won), say otherwise.​

Chiefs 27
Eagles 23

MVP: Patrick Mahomes

P.S.

I'm gonna make a TikTok about it later today once I get my brows did (ya boi is looking like Eugene Levy rn), but I wrote a blog in 2018 about how lame it is that the NFL got rid of unique Super Bowl logos. While the league still has a long way to go, at least this one has a little color and swag to it. I love the southwestern vibe. It's easy but plays.

Image Source

Double P.S.

Don't be scared to comment compliments about your favorite details in any of my football collages. Not to toot my own horn, but I think Cory Matthews in an Eagles t-shirt was a nice touch. And yes, that's KC BBQ and Philly Cheese Steaks as the background on the top.