| Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale Date: Sunday, 12 February Start: 23:30 GMT (16:30 MST) |
| BBC protection: Listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and follow dwell textual content on the BBC Sport web site and app |
Whatever occurs in Super Bowl 57, historical past will be made in Arizona’s state capital of Phoenix on Sunday.
It was thought the Buffalo Bills can be right here after the pre-season Super Bowl favourites had been carried into the play-offs by an emotional wave of assist.
But whereas their safety Damar Hamlin continued to get well from struggling a cardiac arrest on the area final month, the Bills had been stopped by the Cincinnati Bengals.
That bought final 12 months’s runners-up enthusiastic about the prospect of returning to the NFL’s championship recreation. Alas, the Bengals had been edged out in a thriller by the Kansas City Chiefs.
That ensured a rarity in that the Super Bowl will function the season’s finest two groups and finest two gamers as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs face Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
It will be the first Super Bowl to feature two black players as the starting quarterbacks. It will even be the first to function brothers on opposing groups. But which of them will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy is a tricky one to name.
If that is not sufficient, famous person Rihanna will make her first live performance in five years as she performs this 12 months’s half-time present.
You’ll have the opportunity to follow dwell textual content commentary on the BBC Sport web site and app, plus dwell commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live.
There will even be publish-match video highlights.
Super Bowl or the Kelce Bowl?
From the second the Chiefs booked their spot alongside the Eagles, Jason and Travis Kelce knew what was coming – a media circus.
They have tried to play down the significance of two brothers dealing with one another in the Super Bowl. After all, 53 gamers will go well with up for every staff on Sunday, and the brothers will by no means be on the area at the identical time.
That’s as a result of they each play on offence. Eagles centre Jason snaps the ball to his quarterback then blocks the different staff’s defence. Tight ends like Travis block too however the Chiefs star can also be one in all the NFL’s most prolific receivers.
But strive as they could, questions on the ‘Kelce Bowl’ hold coming throughout Super Bowl week. Now the brothers have embraced it. Their mom has even change into a star too.
Expect to see loads of Donna Kelce in her half-and-half jersey on Sunday, in addition to Jason’s spouse Kylie. She is closely pregnant with their third baby so will be accompanied by her nurse at the large recreation.
‘A particular second that hopefully lives on eternally’
Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts will change into the eighth black quarterback to begin a Super Bowl and goals to be the fourth to win it – after Doug Williams (1988), Russell Wilson (2014) and Mahomes (2020).
But this Sunday’s showpiece in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale will be the first the place each the beginning QBs are black.
Historically, black gamers have been steered away from ‘thinking’ positions similar to quarterback in the direction of ‘athletic’ positions similar to receiver due to doubts over their management qualities, however this landmark helps to additional bust that delusion.
“I feel it is historic,” Hurts mentioned on Opening Night, which kicks off Super Bowl week. “It units the basis for what’s to come.”
Mahomes added: “To be enjoying with a man like Jalen, who I do know is doing it the proper manner, it is going to be a particular second that hopefully lives on eternally.”
Coaches face their former groups
Mahomes, 27, is predicted to be named this season’s Most Valuable Player on Thursday forward of Hurts, 24, after each led their groups to a 14-3 document.
There had been then no main shocks in the play-offs so this 12 months’s Super Bowl will be the first to function the prime seed in every Conference since 2018 – when the Eagles beat the New England Patriots for his or her solely earlier Super Bowl win.
There is now a statue of the second Doug Pederson and Nick Foles known as the ‘Philly Special’ play which gave the Eagles victory, however each have already moved on.
A core group of veterans stay from Super Bowl 52, together with Jason Kelce, however in any other case the Eagles have efficiently rebuilt their roster. They handed Nick Sirianni his first head coach job in 2021 whereas Hurts is in his second season as a starter.
Kansas City even have latest Super Bowl pedigree – that is their third in 4 years – however their success has been pushed by the identical coach-QB partnership of Andy Reid and Mahomes.
In all 5 seasons as a starter, Mahomes has reached at the very least the AFC Championship recreation, however the Chiefs did have to rebuild their offensive line after failing to shield Mahomes as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers denied Kansas City a third Super Bowl win in 2021.
Reid, 64, will face his former staff after main the Eagles to 5 NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl in 14 years, earlier than taking cost of the Chiefs in 2013.
Sirianni spent 4 years teaching with Kansas City earlier than Reid introduced in his personal employees however the 41-12 months-outdated did acknowledge this week that Reid took the time to speak about his profession, reward him on his growth and need him properly for the future.
It’s definitely gone properly with the Eagles, and Sirianni’s aspect are slight favourites in the tightest betting since the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 – the final Super Bowl to be held at the State Farm Stadium.
Rihanna makes lengthy-awaited return
This is the fourth Super Bowl to be staged in Arizona – all in Phoenix – and the third at the State Farm Stadium, beforehand known as the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Nicknamed ‘the Big Toaster’ for its look, it has a retractable roof which is predicted to be open on Sunday – because it was in 2008 and 2015 – with this set to be Arizona’s warmest Super Bowl as the temperature is forecast to hit the mid-20s this weekend.
Phoenix can also be internet hosting a PGA golf occasion this weekend and a document 180,000 passengers are anticipated to move by way of Sky Harbor airport on Monday – 60,000 greater than a median day.
Fan occasions and tailgate events will be staged throughout ‘the Valley’, as the Phoenix space is thought, together with two hosted by 4-time Super Bowl winner Rob Gronkowski and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
There’s additionally a free-to-enter fan park which will maintain the first-ever official watch get together and stage a set by native band Jimmy Eat World.
Rapper Cardi B is doing two exhibits this weekend whereas nation singer Chris Stapleton will carry out Sunday’s nationwide anthem however the Super Bowl headliner is most positively Rihanna.
The Barbadian singer, 34, will carry out dwell for the first time since 2018 in what must be a memorable half-time present.
This 12 months’s Super Bowl stats
- Completed in 2006, the State Farm Stadium value $455m and has a capability of 73,000
- The US TV viewers is predicted to be about 100m (one in three US adults)
- The TV broadcast is ready to function 70 commercials, costing $7m for a 30-second slot
- The least expensive resale ticket prices about $4,400
- The American Gaming Association expects a document 50.4m to wager a complete of $16bn
- Patrick Mahomes could possibly be the thirteenth quarterback to win a number of Super Bowls
- Mahomes is also the seventh participant to win the NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP and Super Bowl in the identical season
- No participant has received the NFL MVP and Super Bowl in the identical season since Kurt Warner in 1999. Since then, 9 MVP winners have gone on to lose in the NFL’s title recreation.
