EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Falcons HC Mike Smith names his Super Bowl favorites and reveals the only way to beat them
With December right around the corner, the NFL's playoff picture is starting to get clearer and the Super Bowl is not far off. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins have emerged as the teams to beat in the AFC. The Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings have been the top dogs in the NFC.
The Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers can be considered dark horses who could upstage the current favorites. They are all optimistic that they can make it to the Super Bowl at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 12th.
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But who among these can be considered the favorites to hoist the Lombardi trophy in 2023? Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith has already made his pick. Smith joined host Reggie Roberts on Sportskeeda's BallFather Podcast last week and claimed that the Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat this season.
Mike Smith believes the Chiefs will win the Super Bowl
In an interesting and illuminating discussion, Smith said the following:
"I've called I've been calling the Chiefs to the Super Bowl, and to win the Super Bowl for the last couple of weeks. They're the best team. They're gonna play some close games, but they're gonna find a way to win. You don't want them to have the ball last. That's scary because if they have it last, they're gonna go down and if they need three, they're gonna get three. If they need seven, they're going to find a way to do it."
Smith added that the Chiefs' offensive prowess, built by head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, can overpower any defensive scheme:
"Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy have got all the answers. I'm telling you, [if] you put it out there defensively, they're going to figure it out. And they're going to find ways to score."
The Chiefs' defense isn't as potent as their offense and Smith believes that the way to beat Kansas City is to keep up with their offense and match them point-for-point:
"You better hope that you can stay up with them [offensively], because that's your only chance of beating them."
Watch the entire podcast episode below:
The Chiefs are averaging 29.6 points per game this season, which ranks first in the NFL. But the Chiefs' defense has also given up 22.1 points on average, which ranks 16th in the league.
The Chiefs can score at will, but their defense can also be leaky. While they are among the best teams in the league, there's a chink in their armor that can be exploited in the postseason.