NEW YORK (AP) — You don’t have to be an American football fan, or even an American, to have heard about the Super Bowl. For the NFL faithful, the event is a final push toward the end zone following a season-long drive down the gridiron, each yard filled with shot nerves and high blood pressure. But for those who are just joining for the final sprint (and didn’t understand the metaphor in that last sentence), here’s everything you need to know to get caught up to speed.
Who’s playing?
Last year’s Super Bowl winners, the Kansas City Chiefs, will be playing against the Philadelphia Eagles.
If a Chiefs–Eagles Super Bowl sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Just two years ago, the two teams competed in Super Bowl 57, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes helped lead his team to victory.
What’s all this chatter about a ‘three-peat’?
This year, all eyes are on the Chiefs. Not just because Taylor Swift’s boyfriend is on the team ( though it helps ) but because they have the chance to do something that no team has ever done before: win three straight Super Bowls.
Can they do it? We shall see.
Gamblers are split in the early wagering on the Super Bowl. Sports betting site BetMGM has the Chiefs as the favored winners with odds at -130. The underdog Eagles have their odds at +110.
When is the game, and how can I watch it?
At 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 9, the two teams will face off at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will air on Fox, but for those without cable, the network will stream the game on Tubi, a free, ad-supported streaming service, for the first time.
How does football work again? What are the rules?
For all its ubiquity in the U.S., football is a surprisingly complicated sport. So let’s stick with the basics and talk through some terms you might hear on the broadcast.
There are two teams, and each one wants to score as many points as possible.
When a team has the ball, they will attempt to either run or throw the football down the 100-yard-long field in hopes of getting it into the end zone, thus scoring a touchdown, which is worth 6 points (a successful extra point kick after the touchdown would make it 7). The other team will seek to stop their opponent by either tackling the player with the ball, knocking the ball to the ground or intercepting the ball.
Teams have sets of offensive and defensive players. When a team has the ball, their offensive players take the field, pushing forward and protecting the player with the ball. The team without the ball has its defensive players take the field, attempting to stop their opponents from advancing. The team with the ball has four chances (called “downs”) to move 10 yards down the field. If they successfully advance 10 yards, the number of downs resets. If they fail, the ball must go to the other team.
There are a lot more details and exceptions, but these fundamental rules should help get you through the game.
Who are some key players to watch?
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, #26, helped lead the Birds to the Super Bowl and had an incredible season. He signed a $37.75 million, three-year contract last March and became the ninth player ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a regular season. He also set an NFL record by completing seven touchdown runs of at least 60 yards in the regular season and playoffs.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, #1, had a great Super Bowl against the Chiefs two years ago, but he lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the first half of Kansas City’s 38-35 comeback victory.
But that won’t cut it this time, especially not in Philadelphia.
As for the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, or as his teammates and coaches call him, “ Laid-back Pat, ” is one of the greatest in the sport. He already has three Super Bowl rings and is chasing a fourth, and is a two-time league MVP who is shattering records every season.
Travis Kelce, #87, has been ranked by AP as the NFL’s top tight end two years in a row. Kelce is Mahomes' most trusted pass catcher, so you can expect to hear the two players’ names mentioned in tandem a lot on Sunday.
Who are the coaches?
Nick Sirianni took the helm for the Eagles in 2021, his first time serving as head coach. He’s worked to fill the shoes of coach Doug Pederson, who led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2017.
Sirianni has the highest winning percentage among active NFL coaches and the fifth-best in NFL history. However, he’s often ridiculed for his sideline antics that can overshadow his coaching success.
The Chiefs’ Andy Reid is an NFL stalwart who’s guided the team for over a decade.
Reid is no stranger to the Eagles himself. Before joining the Chiefs, he coached the Eagles for 13 seasons and was the most successful in the team’s history. Go figure.
Despite leading opposing teams, Reid and Sirianni have something in common: At some point, Eagles fans wanted them both fired.
What if football just isn’t my thing?
You don’t have to keep your eye on the ball to enjoy the big game. Here are a few things to watch out for this year:
1. Fun ads: Brands are paying big bucks to keep the nostalgia train rolling. Former “When Harry Met Sally” costars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal will reunite for a mayonnaise commercial set in Katz’s Deli, and Chrises Pratt and Hemsworth will use their bromance (last seen on screen in “Avengers: Infinity War”) to promote Meta’s smart Ray Ban sunglasses.
2. The halftime show: Seventeen-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar will perform at this year’s halftime show, continuing his cultural domination with another victory lap following the release of his chart-topping “GNX” album and decisive triumph over Canadian rapper Drake in last year’s rap beef.
3. Taylor Swift's presence: While it’s impossible to know where the superstar will be on any given day, it’s safe to assume she’ll be in New Orleans on Feb. 9 wearing red to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
4.
Betting on the game: If you’re over 18 and in a state where it’s legal, you can become one of the many millions of Americans who bet on the big game. And if the game itself doesn't interest you, there are tons of other proposition bets that have nothing to do with football. They could be anything from what color the Gatorade will be when it’s dumped on the winning coach (a long-standing football tradition), to how long the national anthem run time will be and whether Kelce will propose to Swift at the end of the game. ( Yes, this is a real thing.)
Bridget Brown And Curtis Yee, The Associated Press
