Patrick Mahomes will throw for more yards than Jalen Hurts at Super Bowl LIX, but the Kansas City Chiefs cannot afford to give Saquon Barkley the space to run in New Orleans.
Those are the thoughts of The Hurry Up Podcast, as the incumbent champions prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles once again at the Caesers Superdome on Sunday, February 9.
Two years after the Chiefs kick-started their hold on the Vince Lombardi Trophy with a 38-35 win over their rivals, the pair will meet again with the biggest prize on the line.
If it lives up to their last marquee matchup at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, then the makings of a modern classic is there for the taking, with fans set to be entertained once more.
As the anticipation grows DAZN’s The Hurry Up podcast are releasing daily specials in the countdown. Watch now for free on the DAZN platform/App or YouTube, or subscribe via your regular podcast provider.
So ahead of the game, who better to discuss just where Super Bowl LIX will be won and lost – and what to keep an eye on – than with The Hurry Up trio of Andre Dixon, George on Sports and Ash & The NFL.
Mahomes will beat Hurts for yards thrown
In the most anticipated quarterback matchup of the year during the AFC Championship game, Mahomes out-threw Buffalo Bills rival Josh Allen when it mattered most.
But against a different kind of QB who prefers to run the ground himself in Hurts, the Hurry Up team expect that it will be the Chiefs man who racks up the most air-miles.
Ash: I’m going to say Patrick Mahomes for more yards thrown. I think Hurts is going to run the ball more, and I think Mahomes is going to utilise his wide receivers more.
I will also happily say Patrick Mahomes will throw for over 230 yards.
Andre: That’s not Hurts’ game at the moment. He hasn’t got the personnel to do it. He’s only got really maybe two options outside. I would definitely say it’s going to be Mahomes.
George: It will be Patrick Mahomes, because the Kansas City defence are going to stop the run. They’re going to take away what you can do best on the other side of the ball.
That’s going to be Saquon Barkley, so Jalen Hurts is going to be forced to throw the ball and you’re going to see a lot of good defence from Kansas City. It’s going to be Mahomes.
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Barkley can be the gamebreaker – but how many rushing yards?
Eagles running back Barkley is arguably coming off the kind of season that makes a Hall of Fame pick down the line, and a Super Bowl ring would ice the cake on a terrific year.
The Hurry Up team believe the Chiefs must shut down his threat if they want to nullify Philadelphia at their most dangerous, needing the one-score masters at their defensive best.
George: Barkley will go for over 110 yards. I can’t give a specific number.
Andre: It will be under 110. At the end of the day, they’re going to shut him down. They’re going to take away your best asset. They’re going to shut him down.
They have to watch out for what he did last time. You should be asking about Hurts. Hurts is probably going to get more running yards.
Ash: No, you see, give him a bit of space and we’re going to see. 114 rushing yards for me. I’m sort of against both teams, which makes me neutral.
Expect the unexpected for the first touchdown
With both teams likely to be keen to strike straight out of the gate, there will be a lot of pressure on the big name receivers to find a way to the line for the early breakthrough.
But that likely opens the door for one of the less starry names on either to bag the opening touchdown of Super Bowl LIX, with the Hurry Up team offering some rogue picks.
Ash: I think the Chiefs are going to win the toss, and they’re going to defer, so the Eagles are going to start. I have a sneaky feeling they won’t get a touchdown on the opening drive.
So then it will go back to the Chiefs. I’ll put a wild one out there. Jonah Hopkins. They’ll put more people on Travis Kelce, so Hopkins it is.
George: I’m going for Dallas Goedert, Eagles tight end. He’s coming on big in the playoffs.
Andre: I’m going for the Chiefs and Isiah Pacheco.
Prince and Rihanna the GOAT of halftime shows
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for NFL
Kendrick Lamar will make history as he headlines for a second time – and the first time solo – at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show this year, hot off a blockbuster 2024.
But he will still have some way to measure up against the best performances to ever grace the event, with one clear favourite
Andre: There is no show better than Prince ever. Maybe people say Michael Jackson, but he stood quiet [on stage] for too long. I’m going to campaign for Coldplay to do it again.
George: I’ll say Rihanna was definitely up there. Rihanna was absolutely the one.
Ash: I’ll say Dr. Dre. Katy Perry was the worst for me. Coldplay was actually good.
Read part two of the Hurry Up Podcast Super Bowl preview on Friday on DAZN News.
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