• What a game!! The two best teams in football battling back and forth all night!! Some of the best players in the League, doing what they do best on the biggest stage possible!! This game had it ALL. As fans, it was a bummer how it ended, although the holding call on James Bradberry was the correct call. He even said it was the right call in post-game interviews. However, If you were like me, you never wanted this game to end. It truly was a CLASSIC, and given the talent paired with the coaching staffs on these teams, they're both set up to be two of the best teams in the league for years to come. I, personally, learned several things during this game and wanted to share them with you guy's and get your thoughts. So let's talk about it....

What We Learned

Patrick Mahomes is the Best Player in Football

• This guy never ceases to amaze me. The plays he makes and his understanding of the game is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!! His competitive nature is second-to-none. He lays it ALL on the line every single week for his guy's, and as long as #15 is on the field, they believe they have a chance. I've never seen a team feed off each other as much as this Kansas City team does. They play for each other on every single down, and that all goes back to their "Field General". He's been playing on one leg for basically a month now, but put in the work with training staff to make sure he could be on the field with his guy's when it mattered most. Even when he came up limping after being tackled by T.J. Edwards right before halftime, he managed to put in yet another GUTSY performance to propel his guys to another Championship. His numbers were modest, by his standards. He was 21/27 for 182 yards with 3 TD's and 0 INT's, with a near perfect QBR in the 2nd Half. However, the biggest stat on the night, for me, was Mahomes rushing 6 times for 44 yards. Including a 26 yard scramble down to the Philadelphia 17-yard line with just under 3 minutes left in the game. In my opinion, that was the play of the game, and helped set up Harrison Butker's game-winning field goal with 11 seconds left. If Patrick Mahomes never played another down of football, he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. It's unreal what he's accomplished already at the ripe-old age of 27, and it seems the future has nothing but good things in store. It's still a little early to start calling him the GOAT, but if the second half of his career is anything close to the first, we'll have no choice but to put him in the conversation.

Jalen Hurts is a Top 5 QB in the League

• The one person the Eagles can't blame for the Super Bowl LVII loss is Jalen Hurts. Yes, I know he had a fumble that resulted in a scoop-and-score for Kansas City, but he can't block for himself too. An Eagle's O-Line that has been among the best in the League all season, gave up just 2 sacks in the game but they proved to be critical. However, Hurts was still a magician all night. Throwing the ball, he was 27/38 for 304 yards with 1 TD and 0 INT's, while rushing 15 times for 70 yards and 3 TD's. Becoming only the second player to rush for 3 TD's in the Super Bowl. Terrell Davis is the only other player to accomplish that feat. When his team needed their biggest drive of the season, trailing 35-27 with just over 9 minutes left in the game, Hurts delivered. Going 75 yards in 8 plays, capping the drive off with a 2 yard TD plunge. Hurts then made a beastly run for the two-point conversion, fighting through Chief's defenders to get the score. Hurts has been one of my favorite players going back to his days with the Crimson Tide. Even being a HUGE Tennessee Vols fan, I've always had the utmost respect for how Hurts plays the game. When he was benched in the National Championship for Tua Tagovailoa he showed supreme maturity and leadership. Tua would lead Alabama to an overtime victory over Georgia, and who was the first person on the filed to celebrate with him? Jalen Hurts!! When most kids in his spot would have sat alone on the bench and pouted, Hurts was the ultimate TEAM player. This guy is SPECIAL, and I love the way he approaches the game. This will not be the last time you see him in the Big One. The sky may be the limit for this Philadelphia Squad, as GM Howie Roseman has done an excellent job setting them up to be strong for the foreseeable future. Even with all the STUDS on this team, they'll still go as their QB goes. We saw what a difference maker he was when he had to miss two games late in the season with a banged-up shoulder. The Eagles lost both of those games, and really struggled in spots on the offensive side of the ball. In my opinion, if he's healthy, Jalen Hurts will win the MVP at least once in the next the 3 seasons. These Eagles aren't going anywhere, and Hurts is a BIG reason why.

Travis Kelce is the best TE in Football, but Dallas Goedert ain't no Slouch!!

• Travis Kelce passed Rob Gronkowski on Sunday night for 2nd all-time in postseason TD Receptions. Catching his 16th playoff TD of his career, trailing only the great Jerry Rice (22). Kelce had 6 receptions for 81 yards and a TD putting up another stellar performance when his team needed it most. However, I want to talk about the TE that was on the other sideline last night. Dallas Goedert had 6 catches for 60 yards, but didn't find the end zone. Sure, that's a fairly pedestrian stat line, but what you don't see are the multiple clutch plays Goedert made on 3rd Down to help keep scoring drives alive for his team. I don't think Philly utilizes this guy near as much as they should. With weapons all over the field, Goedert gets pushed to the wayside sometimes. However, the Eagles HAVE to find a way to get him more involved. He's a mismatch nightmare for most defenses. At 6' 5" 256 lbs, the South Dakota State product has tremendous athletic ability. Philadelphia can look no further than the team they played last night, on how to get your TE more involved. No team in the NFL gets their TE's involved in the game plan better than the Chiefs. Using Kelce to create mismatches in the secondary, opening up one-on-one opportunities for other guy's in the offense. It's clearly not a bad strategy, as Kansas City led the league in Total Offense and Scoring in 2022. The Eagles offense is very dangerous, in it's own right, but getting Goedert more involved is a must going forward. This guy is a Top 10 (maybe Top 5) player at his position, and when given the chance, consistently puts up big numbers for his Squad. I'll go with a BOLD prediction right here... Dallas Goedert will be in the Top 3 for receiving yards by a TE next season!! However, that all depends if the Eagles can realize what a BEAST this guy is, and learn to incorporate him in the offense the way he should be. Only time will tell...

Andy Reid is the GOAT

• I'm sold at this point, Andy Reid is the GOAT!! He's now the winningest coach for two different franchises (Philadelphia, Kansas City), and the way he develops players is rivaled by none. Yes I know everyone will say "What about Belichick?", but I honestly don't think there is even an argument. Belichick, with Tom Brady, had some of the greatest teams of all-time. You can't deny their 7 Super Bowl Titles together. However, without Brady, Belichick is just 79-87, and I don't see the Patriots showing any real signs of life going forward. They aren't Super Bowl contenders by any stretch. Although Reid never won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, he still won 6 Division Titles and went to 5 NFC Championship games. He only went to 1 Super Bowl, which he lost to Belichick and Brady's Patriots, but the way he revived football in Philly and built a winning culture should certainly be noted. In Kansas City, he's drafted and developed players who will eventually be in the HOF, and created a Championship culture that very well may end up being a "Dynasty". His Chiefs have gone to 5 straight AFC Championship games, winning 3 of those. They've won 2 of the last 4 Super Bowl's, and look like their built to succeed for years to come. The love that Reid's players have for him should be a testament to his legacy. Before last night, I wasn't sure if he could be called the GOAT just yet, due to his struggles in the "Big Game", but with a victory in one of the most exciting Super Bowls we've ever seen, it's safe to say he's silenced his critics. The craziest part is, the best may be yet to come.

Conclusion

• Both of these teams gave us a show for the ages. With outstanding players littered throughout these rosters, these squads aren't going anywhere. They both should be Championship contenders for several years going forward. Nick Sirianni is the right man for the Job in Philly, and his players love and respect him just as much as Reid's do. I truly believe this Philadelphia squad is set up to be a juggernaut for a while, but it hinges on the health of a couple key players. If they can stay healthy, with all the pieces in place, I see Philadelphia winning another Super Bowl sooner than later. As for Kansas City, they're on top of the mountain looking down on everyone else. However, getting to the top is easier than staying there. When you're #1, you're always gonna get EVERYONE'S best shot to knock you off that pedestal. Can Reid's Crew rise to occasion? I guess we'll see, but it should be understood, as long as #15 is out there slinging it to #87, The Chiefs will be one of the Top Dogs in the NFL.

Hope you guy's enjoyed this. I'd love to hear your opinions and feedback!! That's always appreciated!! Now that Football is over, it's time to jump into College Basketball with both feet!! March Madness is fast approaching, and it's been one of our most profitable times of the year here at Sportspicks in recent years!! We're excited and ready to grow those betting accounts some more!! Until next time, just know I appreciate you guys!!

Good Luck and Stay Safe!!

-Crickett