Super Bowl 2023: Under-the-radar Eagles who could be key to victory vs. Chiefs

Super Bowl LVII will be headlined by some of the NFL’s biggest names, including MVP finalists Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. The matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles is chock-full of elite talent. But championships aren’t always won by the expected heroes. Year after year, the Super Bowl stage proves capable of spotlighting players who previously flew under the radar.

With that in mind, here are five Eagles who could emerge as surprise keys to victory on Super Bowl Sunday:

Miles Sanders is the top ball-carrier next to Hurts in the Eagles’ steady run game, but Gainwell has recently flashed shades of Corey Clement, the team’s change-of-pace weapon during the 2017 title run. After totaling 53 carries in the regular season, he’s already up to 26 in the playoffs, combining for almost 200 scrimmage yards in two games. More than that, he’s drawn crucial late-game reps as a go-to third-down option, showing extra fight after contact down the stretch.

All eyes are on A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles’ elite one-two duo out wide, and Dallas Goedert’s presence means Watkins will be Hurts’ No. 4 target at best. He’s been very quiet lately, shuffled out of the lineup in favor of Zach Pascal for run-heavier game plans, securing no more than one target in three of his last four games. But the speedy Watkins has also had some big plays in big spots, including a pair of prime-time scores. And the Chiefs’ pass defense has proven vulnerable.

Haason Reddick has been an absolute force headlining the Eagles’ NFL-best pass rush, manning the stand-up role in Jonathan Gannon’s flexible front. But Sweat is still nationally underrecognized as a traditional 4-3 edge, especially considering he’s coming off a career season (11 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 23 QB hits). He’s the guy most likely to go blow for blow with star Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in the trenches, and his persistence could end up swinging the matchup.