It’s time for the biggest event in American sports, as the NFL season reaches its climax.
This year, the Kansas City Chiefs will meet the Philadelphia Eagles in the deciding game of the season.
Here’s everything you need to know about Super Bowl LVII (57 if you’re not au fait with Roman numerals).
Who is playing
The Chiefs played in the very first Super Bowl back in 1967, losing to the Green Bay Packers, but they won Super Bowl IV in 1970 over the Minnesota Vikings. They didn’t make it back to the big game for 50 years after that.
However, the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV to win their second title — then they made it back the following year but lost to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making this their third Super Bowl appearance in four years.
A win here would put this Chiefs team well on the way towards becoming an NFL dynasty.
The Philadelphia Eagles long pre-date the NFL, first playing in 1933.
They lost to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV in 1981, but their next crack at the title came nearly a quarter of a century later, when they lost to the New England Patriots.
In 2018, they got their revenge, beating the Patriots in a 41-33 shootout in Super Bowl LII, highlighted by a gutsy play call on 4th and goal. The Eagles called a trick play the “Philly Special”, where quarterback Nick Foles turned receiver to catch a pass in the end zone for a touchdown.
Who are the quarterbacks?
Super Bowls are often a tale of the quarterbacks, and this year’s game presents a fascinating contrast: Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts.
The match-up is particularly interesting when you include the fact both men are banged-up going into the Super Bowl.
Mahomes, the leading passer in the NFL, will be playing on an injured ankle, while Hurts, the dual threat passer-runner, has had to deal with an injured shoulder.
Including the playoffs, Mahomes has thrown 45 touchdowns and rushed for four, while Hurts has only thrown for 24 scores, but has rushed for 15, making him an ultra-dangerous runner when given space.
The pairing is a historic one in a Super Bowl — it will be the first decider where both teams are led by African-American quarterbacks.
Mahomes will be going for his second Super Bowl win, while Hurts will be trying to become just the fourth African-American quarterback to win the title, joining Mahomes, Doug Williams and Russell Wilson.
Players to look out for
While Mahomes’s ability to engineer scoring drives is key for Kansas City, it’s not just a one-man band.
Tight end Travis Kelce (see below) is a key option in the passing game, but Jerick McKinnon may also be vital. The speedy running back caught nine receptions for touchdowns this year, his longest catch being 56 yards.
Isiah Pacheco will be the main runner — he averages nearly five yards a carry — but he won’t be the match-winner. On defence, the Chiefs will rely a lot on pass-rusher Chris Jones to keep Hurts quiet.
For the Eagles, while Hurts may not be the best passer around, he has some weapons to use.
The wide receiving duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for nearly 2,700 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season alone, so they will keep the Kansas City secondary busy.
Running back Miles Sanders is the main man on the ground, particularly close to the end zone. The question for Philadelphia is — how much will they want Hurts to run the ball, when it potentially leaves him and his injured shoulder open to more big hits.
On defence, the Eagles are strong all around, but particularly against the pass, thanks to a crew that racked up a league-leading 70 sacks, well clear of the Chiefs in second place.
They will be hoping that the likes of linebacker Haason Reddick can make Mahomes’s life hell and stops the Chiefs’ aerial attack.
Brotherly rivalry as Jason and Travis Kelce make history
Never before in the 57-year history of the Super Bowl have two brothers played against each other.
Both men went to the same high school (Cleveland Heights) and college (Cincinnati) and have been coached in the NFL by the same man (Andy Reid) — albeit at different franchises.
The brothers also both have a Super Bowl ring each: Travis in 2019 and Jason in 2017.
Tight end Travis, 33, has been with the Chiefs his whole professional career and has eight Pro Bowl selections as part of a glittering career.
Offensive lineman Jason, 35, is also a one-team man, having earned six Pro Bowl selections as a member of the Eagles since 2011.
For mum Donna, it’s either win-win or lose-lose, depending on how you look at it.
She appears to be keeping her options open though, presenting both her sons with a box of cookies while wearing a split-allegiance top featuring both the Eagles and Chiefs jerseys.
“It’s just been amazing that they’ve both been able to get to this point in their careers and both enjoy the Super Bowl together,” Donna Kelce said at a Super Bowl week event.
“It’s just so amazing.”
Who will be the half-time entertainment?
Pop star Rihanna will be the star of the half-time show at Super Bowl LVII.
It will be a much-anticipated show as the singer, who has a string of number-one hits to her name including Umbrella, Diamonds and What’s My Name, makes her first live performance in five years.
She returned to music with two songs on last year’s Wakanda Forever soundtrack — one of them, Lift Me Up, has been nominated for an Oscar.
When is it?
The Super Bowl is traditionally played on a Sunday in the United States, but that’s Monday over here.
Super Bowl LVII will be played on Monday, February 13 (Australian time), in Glendale, Arizona.
The kick-off time is 10:30am AEDT if you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra or Hobart. In Adelaide, it will be 10:00am ACDT, in Brisbane it will be 9:30am AEST. If you are in Darwin, it will be 9:00am ACST, while in Perth it will be 7:30am AWST.
How do I watch?
Channel 7 has free-to-air broadcast rights in Australia. Their live game coverage will begin on Channel 7 and 7HD at 10am AEDT and the equivalent time in other states and territories (see time zones above).
In Perth, the game will be shown on 7MateHD (Channel 74). A preview program will screen from 9am AEDT and equivalent times on 7MateHD.
For those who have Pay-TV, ESPN is the host broadcaster in the US, and you can watch the game on ESPN (Channel 509) on Foxtel.
For people who want to stream the game, you can watch coverage with a Kayo subscription, or free on 7Plus.
You can also follow all the action on our ABC Sport live blog.
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