Welcome to the SCN Super Bowl Special. What does this have to do with systems contractors, you ask? Absolutely nothing. Well, except that our own Mark J. Pescatore and Wayne Cavadi watch entirely too much football, and then like to talk about it between writing assignments. As it turns out, they each have a different rooting interest this year. Here’s what they think will happen during Super Bowl LVII.
Why will the Philadelphia Eagles will win?
Mark: It’s important to note that I don’t have a dog in this race, as my beloved Miami Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. So, when you can’t root for your pro team, you root for your college team. In this case, that’s Jalen Hurts, who went 26-2 at Alabama before he transferred to Oklahoma. (Yes, Bama fans still claim him as one of our own, and we don’t care what you think about that. Roll Tide.) That’s also DeVonta Smith, who was on the receiving end of the greatest play in college football playoff history against Georgia (Google it: 2nd and 26 Tua).
Then comes the next tier of loyalty: fantasy football players. I drafted A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert from the Eagles this season, but only had Isiah Pacheco from the Chiefs for part of the season.
[Super Bowl Bound Eagles Revolutionize Video Distribution with Visionary]
Wayne: Are you going to provide anything resembling actual analysis?
Mark: Yeah, I’m just warming up. Patrick Mahomes is an absolute blast to watch, already a Hall of Fame lock in only his sixth season, and I think Travis Kelce might be the only tight end who measures up to Tony Gonzalez. The Chiefs also have Coach Andy Reid, another all-time great.
But Hurts can hurt you with his arm and his legs (I doubt Mahomes will be scrambling as much as usual). Working behind center Jason Kelce, he ran for more than a dozen TDs in the regular season and threw for 22 more. The Eagles don’t scare you with their running game (except for Hurts, of course), but they should scare you with their receivers.
If that’s not enough, the Eagles defense is just nasty. They sack people a lot. And here’s an interesting tidbit: The Eagles signed defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in November. He may be in the twilight of his career, but I’ve seen this guy tackle people by literally extending his arm. When that is what’s coming off your bench, you are built for success.
Why will the Kansas City Chiefs will win?
Wayne: This could be one of the more fun Super Bowls of the past decade. Obviously, all eyes will be on Mahomes and that ankle, which looked like it held up pretty well against the Bengals. We are at the point where Mahomes is already in the conversation for all-time greats after leading the Chiefs to five-straight AFC championship games.
The Eagles’ defense is going to make things hard, but does anyone make things difficult on Mahomes?
Mark: Well, the Dolphins picked him off three times in one game back in 2020.
Wayne: Right, and the Chiefs still won the game. This season, look what he did against the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans—three teams all in the upper echelon of NFL pass defenses this year. But I think this will be about defense stepping up and, despite some gaudy numbers, the Chiefs defense is full of playmakers like Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, and Nick Bolton that can make that one big play.
[Super LED Displays for Super Bowl Sunday]
You mentioned fantasy, and I'm torn. On the one hand, the combo of Hurts and Goedert led my one team to a fantasy championship. On the other hand, Travis Kelce single-handedly propelled my other team that was full of injuries (and had Matt Ryan at quarterback throughout the playoffs) to the quarterfinals of a 3,000-team national tournament.
But really, I’m rooting for the Chiefs because of my DII roots. The Chiefs have three players that contribute from DII on their roster: Jody Fortson (Valdosta State), Brandon Williams (Missouri Southern), and Joshua Williams (Fayetteville State). The Eagles have none: I can draft a bunch of SEC and Big 10 players and win a championship, too.
What’s on the Super Bowl menu?
Mark: For football, I like to pull out the air fryer and cook up a batch of wings, which are then doused in Original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauce. I may not root for the Bills, but they sure have great wings up there. Some sort of chip product or cheese doodle variant is a necessity. When hosting, halftime cake is a tradition in my house as well. This year, though, I might just visit my neighbor, who has promised a menu featuring roast beef sandwiches.
Wayne: We are going to a friend's house so my daughter can play with her friend while the moms and dads watch the game on the big screen, so I am not in complete control this year. I imagine pizza will be involved with maniac kids running around, which means there will have to be a good assortment of snacks as well. If I was in control of snacks, it would be Club crackers and cheese tray and a veggie tray with dips. My contribution will be wings. Now, whether I stop and pick them up along the way and pass them off as homemade, that's another question for another time.
[Wayne Cavadi's Reflections of a Pro AV Newbie]
Wayne’s Final Score Prediction
Chiefs win, 38-35. Mahomes leads the game-winning drive with a little bit more than a minute left and one of those big playmakers on D (hopefully DII Joshua Williams), picks it off to save the game.
Mark’s Final Score Prediction
Eagles take it, 34-24. You can’t stop Mahomes, but the Eagles will contain him, in as much as allowing three TD passes can be considered containing someone. Plan on the Eagles recovering at least one fumble from one of its three sacks.
[Pescatore: How Fast Is Pro AV's Carousel of Progress?]
Wayne’s Super Bowl MVP
Travis Kelce, who has the dubious honor of playing against his brother, catches all three of Mahomes' touchdown passes and cements his legacy as the greatest tight end to ever play the game.
Mark’s Super Bowl MVP
The MVP tends to heavily favor quarterbacks. At least one rushing TD and a couple through the air will lock down the award for Jalen Hurts.
Wayne Cavadi has covered NCAA Division DII football for almost a decade. Mark J. Pescatore was taught how to throw a football by Earl Morrall at a church carnival.
