Madden simulation predicts Eagles beat Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The last two Super Bowls played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., were instant classics. If EA Sports’ Super Bowl LVII prediction plays out on the field, this year’s game will be more of a dud.
The video game company released its “Madden NFL 23” Super Bowl prediction on Monday with the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-17.
EA Sports’ video begins with Chad Johnson driving through the desert before virtual versions of Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes pop up on the side of the road. Johnson then says, “This can’t be for real,” before we’re taken inside the stadium.
The game starts with Eagles kicker Jake Elliott booting the opening kickoff to Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (who is unlikely to play in the game, according to head coach Andy Reid.) Instead of showing the full game, the rest of the video shuffles between highlights and key performers.
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Mahomes wound up with a stat line of 29-for-39 passing with 249 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson hauled in the interception as the Eagles held the Chiefs to 17 points, tying their season-low.
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On the other side of the ball, NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist Chris Jones racked up four tackles and two sacks against Hurts, but the Chiefs’ defense was ultimately overmatched. Star Eagles receiver A.J. Brown went off with eight catches for 114 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown reception over Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Hurts came away with Super Bowl MVP by going 26-for-33 with 282 yards and two touchdowns through the air to go along with 88 more yards and another score on the ground.
While the simulation bodes well for the favored Eagles, there’s a silver lining for Chiefs fans. EA Sports predicted a 24-21 Super Bowl LVI win for the Cincinnati Bengals in last year’s simulation, and the Los Angeles Rams flipped the script by picking up a three-point victory in the actual game. In fact, the Madden simulation has been right only once in its last five tries.
