Reporting from the Superdome
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Tyler Dragon likes to show up for game days at least two hours early. Not because he has to warm up his passes and sprints on the football field, but rather to prepare for the stories he'll type from the press box as USA TODAY's NFL correspondent.
On Sunday, he'll arrive at the Superdome in New Orleans with plenty of time to spare ahead of Super Bowl 59. If you haven't heard already, the Kansas City Chiefs are up against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL's biggest annual match-up. For the Chiefs, Sunday marks an attempt for an unprecedented consecutive three-peat victory. The Eagles want greatness — and the pleasure of unseating a rival.
👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for USA TODAY subscribers (that's you!). This week, we talk with USA TODAY's Tyler Dragon about covering Super Bowl 59 from New Orleans, and how both teams are chasing history. Don't miss a moment: Follow Tyler here for live Super Bowl updates 🏈
But before we kick things off, here are a few stories I've read this week from USA TODAY:
Two teams vie for a chance at history
Many people don't realize the Super Bowl is more than just the fleeting hours of the game and a 15-minute halftime show. USA TODAY's Tyler Dragon arrived in New Orleans on Monday for a full week of player events, special access to the halftime performers and a chance to anticipate every pass and down the teams will attempt on Sunday.
The week kicked off with Super Bowl Opening Night, where Dragon heard from star players like Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. The players took to the NFL stage to greet fans, stir up support and make their mark ahead of the game. Opening Night set the tone for the days to come, full of fan experiences, tailgates, merch hand-outs, performances, meet-and-greets and special panels hosted by coaches and players.
"It's literally an entire week," said Dragon, who has made a New Orleans hotel his temporary Super Bowl home base. "But I've covered the Olympics, I've got it."
Both teams have a chance to leave their mark. Kansas City could be the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. If Mahomes leads his team to victory, he's likely go down as one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Dragon said. Philadelphia has the chance to win two Super Bowls in one decade. Either way, NFL history will be made: The match-up is also only the second time in the league two Black quarterbacks are starting at the Super Bowl against each other.
Your guide to halftime:Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar takes the field
After reporting on a flurry of events this week comes the big moment. On Sunday morning, Dragon will get on a bus to New Orleans' Superdome (two hours before kick-off). Once seated in the press box, he'll pull up his game prep: The plays that could happen and the players that could execute them, ready to be published for USA TODAY readers at a moment's notice.
Dragon has done his research: He's strategized myriad possible avenues each side could take.
"The Eagles could try to keep the ball out of Mahomes' hands and establish a ground game with a lot of pressure," Dragon said. "But the Chiefs may go after Eagles' running back Saquon Barkley to force Philadelphia to pass a little more than they are accustomed to."
And his job isn't done after the trophy is possibly won. He'll race from the press box to the field, where players will remain for interviews. He'll go from one player to the next, asking them about their takeaways from the competition into the night. If he could talk to anyone, it would be Barkley, who is yards away from the all-time rushing record in regular season and playoffs. He wants to know how Barkley feels about potentially breaking that record.
"You can make the argument this may be the best individual season for a running back in history, nobody has done what Barkley has," Dragon said.
But if you're a more casual football fan, there's still something in the big game for you, Dragon said. The iconic Super Bowl ads will deliver celebrity faces (Paris Hilton for Frank's RedHot?!) and memorable moments (like Snoop Dogg's call to action against racism). And, of course, there's the opportunity to cook favorite tailgate food. Queue the buffalo chicken dip.
"Enjoy the event in its totality!" Dragon said was his advice. "I miss the commercials, I don't see them because I'm focused on the game, but I love to laugh."
Also get up and dance during the halftime show, Dragon said. Grammy-winner Kendrick Lamar is taking the field with singer-songwriter SZA for what is sure to be a hype performance featuring Lamar's iconic lyricism and the duo's emotional hip-hop melodies.
"Even if you may not love rap music, enjoy the event itself and what these artists do," Dragon said. "There's no other concert with this many eyeballs, or any other moment for many artists than those 15 to 20 minutes. It's something all artists dream of."
If it were up to Dragon, we'd all have a holiday for the Monday after the Super Bowl to rest our voices from screaming at our televisions and recover from a night of stress-eating tortilla chips. But alas, if you must go to work or school on Monday, definitely participate in Super Bowl fever so you're not missing out, he said.
"This is football's ultimate game," Dragon said. "There's something for everybody in the Super Bowl."
Read more about Super Bowl 59 from USA TODAY:
Thank you
I'll be heading to prepare my buffalo chicken dip and order some wings (the Super Bowl is about the food for me!). Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert
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