There's no shortage of star players in Super Bowl LVII.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles -- the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively -- have ample talent, both offensively and defensively, which should make for an intriguing matchup Sunday at State Farm Stadium with the Lombardi Trophy hanging in the balance.
We asked our NESN Digital team to offer their Chiefs-Eagles predictions, along with MVP picks, but we also decided to go a step further and attempt to pinpoint who (or what) could be the biggest X-factor.
Sometimes, the X-factor flies under the radar. Other times, it smacks you in the face. There's always someone (or something) that makes the difference, though. And there are so many layers to this particular game, largely because it features the two best teams in football.
Alas, here are our X-factor picks for the final game of the 2023 NFL season.
Mike Cole: Jason Kelce, Eagles C
The Eagles' Kelce brother is almost so good that it's cheating to call him an X-factor. He's legitimately one of the best players in this game. That being said, if the Chiefs are going to line up Frank Clark in the middle of the line, I would guess Philly feels comfortable with Kelce trying to handle it. If Clark is neutralized, Kansas City's only real chance of winning is a shootout.
Ricky Doyle: Quez Watkins, Eagles WR
Thought about going with Kenneth Gainwell, the second-year Eagles running back who's popped in recent weeks. No team allowed more receptions to running backs during the regular season than the Chiefs. And only three surrendered more receiving yards to running backs. But instead, let's get real weird and roll with Watkins, a speedy third-year wideout who hasn't caught a single pass this postseason but possesses big-play capability that'll come in handy against the Chiefs' inexperienced secondary. Don't be surprised if Watkins -- Philadelphia's fourth option, at best, behind A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert -- finds the end zone for a lengthy touchdown.
Adam London: Haason Reddick, Eagles LB
The Chiefs didn't stand a chance in their Super Bowl LV loss to the Buccaneers. Why? Because Tampa Bay generated consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes and prevented the Kansas City offense from getting in sync. If Reddick can infiltrate the pocket on even a semi-regular basis, Mahomes and company could be in real trouble.
Sean McGuire: Chiefs pass-catchers
Besides Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes is limited with the skill players around him. The NFL MVP has been good enough to make it work -- and he is good enough to make it work -- but it feels like the Super Bowl always comes down to one or two field-changing, result-altering plays. It's tough to predict where those come from if Philadelphia locks in on Kelce during key downs and distances.
Jason Ounpraseuth: Nick Bolton, Chiefs LB
It's only the Chiefs linebacker's second season in the NFL, but he's already proven to be one of the most important players on Steve Spagnuolo's defense. He'll be trusted to make the key tackles to hold off the Eagles rushing attack. Philadelphia also had the most passes off RPOs and were top 12 in play-action passes this season. Bolton will have to lead the defense to hold off those actions and limit big plays.
Keagan Stiefel: Neutralizing Haason Reddick
The Chiefs' O-line is much improved from that trash unit they rolled out two years ago. Are they good enough to neutralize the best pass rusher on the best defensive line in football? That will be the test to see whether they can outpace the Eagles.
