It’s Sunday, Feb. 9, and Super Bowl XIV is finally here.
This year’s much anticipated game features two qualified teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, who’ve had very different seasons and stories. The Chiefs are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories against the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, leaving the Eagles to be the underdog.
Despite the Eagles having seen overall success for almost a decade, they haven’t been able to match that same stride they had in 2017, the year of their most recent Super Bowl victory.
The Chiefs started their season hot, earning a 9-0 record. After picking up their first loss against the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, they finished the season strong, going 6-1 with a final 15-2 record.
The Chiefs’ constant success has drawn mixed opinions from football fans. Many villainize them due to their success. The Chiefs have also been deemed the beneficiaries of several questionable calls by referees.
Rampage interviewed members of the RHS community to see who they were rooting for this Super Bowl Sunday. Surprisingly, the majority said they were rooting for the Eagles, despite most of those asked are also fans of the Giants, Philly’s rival. It’s rare to see a fanbase root for a rival, but it’s common here due to the stigma around the Chiefs.
Go Chiefs
“I would love to see Kansas City lose,” said Jacob Torsiello, who teaches history at RHS. “By no means am I an Eagles fan, but I would love to see Saquon win.”
The Chiefs are led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a two-time MVP. The consensus is that he’s the best player in the league, having led the team to three Super Bowl victories in the past four years and seeking a third consecutive win today. Another big part of their team is Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, also known as star tight-end Travis Kelce. With a good offensive line, strong defense, and an elite coaching staff they’re a dream team.
“I believe the Chiefs will get the job done,” sophomore Drew Milberg said. “I have faith in Mahomes and think he will show up.”
Go Eagles
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have gone through a lot to get to this point. The team was in this same position just two years ago. The Eagles started slow at 2-2, but once everything clicked, they never turned back, winning 12 of their last 13 games and finishing with a 14-3 record. This left them as the No. 2 seed in the National Football Conference (NFC).
Even though the Eagles are underdogs, they still have a star-studded team. Their leader has been their running back, Saquon Barkley. He was acquired in the offseason from the Giants and has proven to be worth it, with 2,005 rushing yards and 13 regular-season touchdowns.
Behind him is Jalen Hurts, a young, raw quarterback, along with a talented wide receiver core. The defense, who is led by their secondary, has been one of the best in the league. If anyone would be able to defeat the Chiefs, thwarting their Super Bowl trifecta, it would be the Eagles.
“I am most excited to see the rematch between the two,” freshman Lucas Fontes said. “Hopefully, the Eagles win this time, though.”
Besides a few outliers, it seems most of RHS wants Philadelphia to get the win. Despite this, they believe the Chiefs are just too good and will win for the third consecutive season.
