NEW ORLEANS — Hype, hype, hooray.
It’s Tremendous Bowl week and meaning we’re going to analyze, dissect and debate each side of Tremendous Bowl 2025 till kickoff on Sunday night time.
These are two groups which might be acquainted sights within the Tremendous Bowl. The Chiefs are right here for the third straight 12 months and fifth time in six years. The Eagles are right here for the second time in three years and third time within the final decade. Which means there may be loads of acquainted floor that might be lined this week, however there are a couple of new faces, too (look away, Giants followers).
Listed below are the highest 10 storylines getting into the Tremendous Bowl:
Tremendous Saquon
Let’s get this one out of the way in which first as a result of it’ll dominate regionally. Giants followers could need to take a trip to a cabin within the woods with no WiFi, TV and even electrical energy. Tales on Saquon Barkley are going to be robust to keep away from this week.
Barkley bolted from the Giants and signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the rival Eagles.
Barkley led the NFL in dashing with 2,005 yards and scored 13 dashing touchdowns within the common season. He’s added one other 442 yards and 5 dashing touchdowns within the playoffs.
He’s the largest addition the Eagles have made since they had been final within the Tremendous Bowl and Barkley is charismatic, which suggests there might be loads of cameras and microphones heading in his route this week.
An official downside
The NFL goes to hate all of the discuss in regards to the officers getting into this recreation and whether or not they favor the Chiefs.
It has turn out to be a theme all season that Kansas Metropolis will get all of the calls and the playoffs have solely added gasoline to that perception after questionable penalties on the Texans within the divisional spherical after which a controversial fourth-down spot on Josh Allen and the Payments within the AFC title recreation.
Ron Torbert would be the referee for the Tremendous Bowl. He has not officiated a Chiefs recreation because the 2022 AFC Championship after they beat the Bengals.
Torbert and his crew might be below the microscope through the recreation and there might be loads of dialogue this week about whether or not the Eagles are dealing with the Chiefs and the officers.
Three-ring circus
It appears like some folks have Chiefs fatigue and others have turn out to be numb to watching them win a lot, however they’re on the cusp of an historic achievement.
No NFL staff has ever gained three Tremendous Bowls in a row. You must return to the Packers within the Sixties for the final NFL staff to win three championships in a row. Kansas Metropolis has an opportunity to raise their legacy in NFL historical past and do one thing no different dynastic NFL staff has carried out through the Tremendous Bowl period.
Howie’s heroics
Eagles common supervisor Howie Roseman has established himself as possibly the perfect within the NFL throughout his second act with the staff.
He already introduced a Tremendous Bowl to Philadelphia. Now, he’s going for his second and his offseason is an enormous cause the staff is right here.
The signing of Barkley and linebacker Zack Baun had been big. He additionally prolonged key gamers like A.J. Brown and Landon Dickerson. Then within the draft he landed Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean within the first two rounds, reshaping the Eagles secondary.
Travis and Taylor
The craze round Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce and girlfriend Taylor Swift shouldn’t be as excessive because it was final 12 months but it surely stays.
Fox goes to indicate Swift loads of occasions through the recreation and Kelce might be requested about her lots this week. The Kelce/Swift romance has performed a task in turning the Chiefs into the villains within the NFL. Many individuals are sick of listening to about them and seeing the pictures of her within the suite.
The final time the Eagles and Chiefs performed within the Tremendous Bowl it was the Kelce Bowl with brother Jason on the Eagles. Jason is now retired however he absolutely might be throughout TV this week.
The rematch
These two groups met two years in the past within the Tremendous Bowl and the Chiefs gained 38-35 in an incredible, back-and-forth recreation. The principle characters are nonetheless the identical with coaches Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni nonetheless in cost and quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts again for Spherical 2.
Again for 4
Reid has an opportunity to raise his legacy to a different stage with a win on Sunday. This may be Reid’s fourth Lombardi Trophy. Solely Chuck Noll and Invoice Belichick have ever gained 4 Tremendous Bowls as a coach. Reid is already thought-about top-of-the-line coaches of all-time. This may simply cement his standing additional.
Hurts so good
Jalen Hurts gained’t be essentially the most talked about quarterback on this recreation however there’ll nonetheless be loads of dialogue this week.
Hurts had his breakout season in 2022 when the Eagles acquired right here after which he took a step again in 2023 when his relationship with Sirianni appeared to bitter. Hurts rebounded this 12 months to steer the Eagles to 12 wins in 15 video games through the common season and three playoff wins.
GOAT looking
Patrick Mahomes can enter one other stratosphere along with his fourth Tremendous Bowl victory. Solely Tom Brady (7) would have extra. Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana each have 4 wins as nicely. The main target this week figures to be on how Mahomes didn’t have his finest season however nonetheless discovered methods to win. The Chiefs have gained 17 consecutive one-score video games and that speaks to Mahomes’ brilliance.
Talking of the GOAT
The Tremendous Bowl is as a lot a TV present as it’s a sporting occasion and there might be loads of concentrate on Brady, who might be calling the sport for Fox in his first 12 months as a broadcaster in a season that included considerations about his Raiders minority possession making a battle of curiosity.