After 284 games of NFL football, here we are with one game left in the season: Super Bowl 59. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in a highly anticipated rematch of Super Bowl 57 — a matchup offering much to football fans.
Here are the matchups to watch:
Eagles Pass Game vs. Chiefs Blitz
The Chiefs have one of the strongest defensive lines in the league, led by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He’s known for his sophisticated blitz schemes that puzzle even the best quarterbacks. How will Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ quarterback, and the Eagles passing game handle this pressure?
When the Chiefs and Eagles last matched up in the Super Bowl two years ago, Hurts had an incredible pass game, throwing the ball over 300 yards throughout the game. However, as they head into Super Bowl 59, the Eagles are the team who have struggled to throw the ball in a way they did not in 2022.
Hurts hasn’t thrown over 300 yards since week three, and the Eagles sometimes lack the quick hitters and initial reads needed to combat a blitzing defense. In the NFC Championship, the passing game was humming against the Washington Commanders, with Hurts throwing 246 yards. However, it had struggled in the playoffs. In the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Rams, who send blitzes similar to the Chiefs, Hurts was sacked seven times and only threw 128 yards.
For the Eagles to win, it will be crucial for the Eagles to have a consistently good passing game against Spagnulo’s elite defense and blitzing scheme.
Eagles Rushing Attack vs. Chiefs Defense
How do you stop Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ run game? This question has kept opposing defensive coordinators up at night all season, and it’s easy to understand why. The Eagles were second in the league in rushing yards this year. It was Barkley’s brilliance, Hurts’ speed and a dominant offensive line that made their run game nearly impossible to stop.
I think it’s unrealistic to expect any team to completely stop Philadelphia’s dominant run game, but the Chiefs may be equipped to at least slow them down a little bit. Led by superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones and other key contributors in stopping the run, like defensive end George Karlaftis and linebacker Nick Bolton, the Chiefs were the eighth-ranked run defense in the NFL this season.
If the Chiefs can’t figure out a way to at least stifle Barkley in the run game, the Eagles will likely be able to control the game and play at their pace, keeping the ball out of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ hands. So, as crucial as it is for the Eagles to have a response to the Chief’s pass defense scheme, it’s just as crucial for the Chiefs to have an answer for Philadelphia’s run game.
Chiefs Wide Receivers vs. Eagles Defensive Backs
In Super Bowl 57, the Chiefs defeated the Eagles due to an unstoppable offensive attack. The Eagles could not get a stop in the game, largely because there was seemingly always someone open for the Chiefs.
However, this time around, the Eagles have a wildly different group of defensive backs, mostly due to the addition of star rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean in the offseason. The Eagles are now a shutdown defensive unit, ranking first in the NFL in pass defense under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s brilliant defensive plan.
This time, it will be interesting to see if Chiefs wide receivers like Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy and Juju Smith-Schuster will be able to create separation from the Eagles’ elite secondary. I suspect that it’ll be much tougher sledding on the perimeter for the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.
The more favorable matchup for the Chiefs is likely with tight end Travis Kelce lining up against the Eagles linebackers, especially Oren Burks, who’s subbing in for an injured Nakobe Dean. The Commanders and Rams had a lot of success going to tight ends over the middle in Philadelphia’s previous two playoff games despite neither team possessing a talent like Kelce. Especially in third and fourth down situations, expect Kelce to be Mahomes’ prime target.
What a Win Means for the Chiefs
The Chiefs are looking to become the first team in the history of the NFL to win three straight Super Bowls. Especially in today’s ultra-competitive league, this would put this Chiefs team in unprecedented waters. Even the dominant New England Patriots of the 2000s and 2010s never achieved a three-peat, despite winning six championships in that time. If the Chiefs win, the 2020s for the Chiefs will go down as the best run a team has ever had. On top of winning three straight Super Bowls, they also won four in six years.
A Chiefs win would also cement Patrick Mahomes as the second-greatest quarterback of all time, behind only Tom Brady. If Mahomes gets four Super Bowl rings, including three straight at the age of 29, he’ll be on his way to becoming a hall of famer. But even with a win, Mahomes would still have a long way to go to top Brady’s legacy, especially since Brady beat him in both of their playoff matchups.
What a Win Means for the Eagles
Since Nick Sirianni took over as the Eagles’ head coach and Jalen Hurts took over as their starting quarterback in 2021, the Eagles have gone 53-23 (including playoffs), won two division and NFC titles, and have made the playoffs all four seasons of the duo. Winning the Super Bowl would be the cherry on top of this successful run and would make the Hurts-Sirianni duo the best in franchise history.
A championship would secure Saquon Barkley’s season as arguably the best season for a running back in NFL history. Barkley is just 29 yards away from breaking the record for most rushing yards in a season (including playoffs), so he will likely be in the record books regardless of the Super Bowl’s result. However, a Super Bowl win would make this season feel like the best we’ve ever seen from a running back, especially with how many explosive plays he’s had this season.
My Prediction
By all accounts, this should be a classic game between two incredible teams — just as a Super Bowl should be. My prediction? Eagles over Chiefs, 27-21.
I see it being a nail-biter of a game with each team going back and forth, grasping for control in a heavyweight fight. Ultimately, though, I believe in the Eagles to get key stops more than I do the Chiefs. The Eagles’ defense has been incredible all year, and although the Chiefs seem unbeatable, the Eagles’ defense will reign supreme in the big game.
However, it could easily go either way — Mahomes could prevail against the Eagles again and collect yet another ring. That is the beauty of this matchup, which should have all NFL fans eager to see it unfold.
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