The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ historical past quest meets the Philadelphia Eagles’ revenge tour in Tremendous Bowl LIX.
The Chiefs, led by the highest coach-quarterback combo within the league in Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, wish to develop into the primary NFL crew to tug off the three-peat. However they have not felt like a juggernaut for your complete season — their plus-59 level differential throughout the common season could be the fifth-lowest by a Tremendous Bowl champion ought to they pull out the win. Nevertheless, they went 12-0 in one-score video games and are coming off their greatest offensive efficiency of the yr after scoring 32 factors to take down the Buffalo Payments within the AFC title recreation.
That arrange a Tremendous Bowl rematch with the Eagles, who rode a season for the ages by working again Saquon Barkley and a dominant protection to a 14-3 regular-season document.
Philadelphia has been fueled not simply by arguably the most effective roster in soccer however by bitter endings to the final two seasons. After a heartbreaking 38-35 loss to the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LVII, the Eagles stumbled down the stretch and misplaced six of seven final yr, resulting in the ouster of each coordinators and questions on coach Nick Sirianni’s job standing.
“You carry these two chips in your shoulder,” left sort out Jordan Mailata mentioned, “and make it possible for s— would not occur once more.”
Mahomes (3 passing TDs) and Jalen Hurts (4 whole TDs) have been each at their playmaking greatest in Tremendous Bowl LVII. This marks the fourth occasion of a quarterback rematch within the Tremendous Bowl. Every of the earlier three have been received by the QB who got here out on high within the first recreation.
Can Hurts and the Eagles flip the script? Here is a more in-depth take a look at Eagles-Chiefs, Spherical 2:
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Boomer, Booger preview Chiefs vs. Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LIX
Chris Berman and Booger McFarland take a look at how the Chiefs and Eagles match up forward of their showdown within the Tremendous Bowl.
What’s totally different concerning the Eagles since they misplaced to the Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl two years in the past? What do they do higher and worse?
The addition of Barkley has been huge. Choose any variety of his home calls to see simply how a lot of a game-altering menace he has been in his first season in Philadelphia. He has seven touchdowns of 60-plus yards this season, essentially the most in NFL historical past.
The Eagles’ major again in ’22 was Barkley’s backfield accomplice at Penn State, Miles Sanders, who ran for nearly 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns that yr to make the Professional Bowl. However what Barkley has carried out has been transformational for this offense. He wants solely 30 yards to go Denver Broncos HOFer Terrell Davis for many speeding yards in a season, together with playoffs.
Sacks have been the bread and butter of the ’22 Eagles protection: that they had 70 of them, the third-most all-time. Haason Reddick and Co., although, have been neutralized by the Chiefs offensive line and the famously slick subject at State Farm Stadium in Tremendous Bowl LVII. This yr’s group, led by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, shouldn’t be as prolific speeding the passer (41 sacks) however has influence gamers in any respect three ranges, together with defensive sort out Jalen Carter, All-Professional linebacker Zack Baun and rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. It is a disciplined, bodily group that has a penchant for producing turnovers. — Tim McManus
Ought to the Eagles be fearful about Landon Dickerson’s damage and their inside offense lineman?
The damage statuses of Dickerson (knee) and heart Cam Jurgens (again) can be price watching carefully within the lead-up to the Tremendous Bowl.
Jurgens didn’t begin within the NFC Championship in opposition to the Washington Commanders however was referred to as into motion when his substitute, Dickerson, was sidelined for the second half.
Jurgens appeared stiff as he made his manner off the sector to the locker room after the sport Sunday however indicated he’d be good to play in opposition to the Chiefs. Dickerson, usually the crew’s left guard, didn’t present an replace however has routinely performed via damage throughout his time in Philly.
The Eagles have top-of-the-line assistants in soccer in offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who has a well-established document of getting essentially the most out of his gamers and having the backups able to play. The offensive line carried out nicely in opposition to Washington with Tyler Steen filling in at left guard and Dickerson and Jurgens splitting time at heart.
Now they should cope with top-of-the-line defensive tackles within the recreation in Chris Jones. He’ll take a look at the steadiness of that inside offensive line. — McManus
Which participant is probably to be liable for masking Travis Kelce, and what may very well be the Eagles’ plan there?
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can have solutions to disrupt the discharge for Kelce and match/carry inside vertically when the Eagles play their zone protection ideas. Philly will account for him on each snap.
In true man protection conditions — particularly on third down — I may see Fangio utilizing rookie slot nook DeJean because the matchup for Kelce. DeJean has the power to problem Kelce via the discharge, together with the short-area velocity to shut on the throw. Plus, DeJean’s instincts can put him able to undercut the break and make a play on the ball. He’s nonetheless on the lookout for his first profession interception, however he has damaged up eight passes this season, together with the playoffs. — Matt Bowen
What do the Eagles want from receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to enrich the run recreation?
They’re going to want the sort of effectivity out of the go recreation they acquired within the NFC Championship when Hurts went 20 of 28 for 246 yards with a landing and no interceptions for a quarterback ranking of 110.1. It marked simply the second time since mid-November that Hurts threw for 200-plus yards.
Questions endured concerning the aerial assault for a lot of the season. The manufacturing didn’t match the sort of expectations that include gamers like Brown, Smith, Hurts and tight finish Dallas Goedert on the roster. However a lot of it was by design, because the teaching workers — armed with a dominant protection and floor recreation — leaned conservative with the go to maintain turnovers at a minimal. That strategy has labored fairly nicely: The Eagles have 10 takeaways to zero giveaways within the playoffs.
Hurts quipped after the NFC title recreation that Sirianni “let me out of my straitjacket just a little bit,” permitting him to air it out to Brown and Smith greater than standard. Sirianni ought to go into this matchup assured about Hurts on condition that his QB had top-of-the-line performances of his profession at Tremendous Bowl LVII (374 whole yards, 4 touchdowns) in opposition to Kansas Metropolis. Smith (7 catches, 100 yards) and Brown (6 catches, 96 yards, TD) have been an enormous a part of that.
They’re going to seemingly be referred to as on once more on condition that the Chiefs are certain to be centered on slowing Barkley. — McManus
How may the Eagles attempt to cease Mahomes, and can or not it’s totally different from two years in the past?
The lament from Eagles followers following the Tremendous Bowl LVII loss was due to the static appears supplied by then-defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. On passing downs, the Eagles largely rushed 4 and dropped seven into protection, and whereas they tried to combine up their appears between man and zone, they didn’t get the drop on Mahomes. The star quarterback hardly ever needed to maintain the ball for prolonged intervals, both discovering his first possibility out there downfield or rapidly working to an simply accessible checkdown. In all, 37% of Mahomes’ go makes an attempt in that recreation went into huge open home windows by NFL Subsequent Gen Stats’ charting — essentially the most of any recreation that season.
With Fangio within the constructing and two weeks to organize, it is simple to foretell that the Eagles’ protection can be extra versatile this time round. Plus, with Quinyon Mitchell and DeJean within the secondary, the home windows needs to be tighter, too. The Eagles are nonetheless largely a rush-four, drop-seven crew with Fangio on the helm, so a repeat of 2023’s efficiency — when Mahomes knew what to anticipate and the right way to beat it far too typically — is feasible. — Ben Solak
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Orlovsky applauds Stephen A.’s tackle the Eagles
Dan Orlvosky likes Stephen A. Smith giving a shout-out to the Eagles’ offensive line when discussing Saquon Barkley’s dominance vs. the Commanders.
What are you listening to about Kellen Moore’s probabilities to land the Saints’ head-coach job after the Tremendous Bowl?
Lots of people I speak to look to consider Moore is the main candidate for the Saints’ job. As a result of they did a digital interview with him previous to the divisional spherical, the Saints have been capable of interview the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in individual this week. The deadline for that interview would have been Sunday; after Feb. 2, coaches whose groups are enjoying within the Tremendous Bowl are prohibited from speaking to different groups about jobs till the day after the Tremendous Bowl (Feb. 10).
Sure, there may nonetheless be different candidates. However the Saints flew to Philadelphia to interview Moore in individual on Monday. Then on Tuesday got here phrase that Kliff Kingsbury and Mike McCarthy have been dropping their names from consideration. Until the Saints do some extra second interviews this week that are not presently on the schedule, Moore must be thought-about the sturdy favourite in New Orleans. — Dan Graziano
Who considerations the Eagles’ protection past Mahomes and Kelce?
Coach Andy Reid for one. They noticed his play-design prowess first-hand for 14 seasons when he was the pinnacle man in Philly, and bought diced up by it fairly good within the Tremendous Bowl loss to the Chiefs to finish the ’22 marketing campaign.
The protection goes into each recreation assured with Fangio on the helm. Mahomes, although, is 8-0 as a starter when opposing Fangio as a head coach or coordinator, together with playoffs. Their final assembly got here in final yr’s AFC Wild Card recreation in opposition to the Dolphins, which the Chiefs received 26-7.
The Eagles should respect the velocity of receivers Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown and know all too nicely from their final Tremendous Bowl matchup with the Chiefs that JuJu Smith-Schuster is a artful wideout able to making backbreaking performs in vital moments. He had seven catches for 53 yards in that recreation, and drew a holding name on cornerback James Bradberry within the closing moments that helped seal the win for Kansas Metropolis.
The Eagles have been stout in opposition to the run this season — they ranked fifth in that division throughout the common season (105.7 yards per recreation) — and should proceed to make certain tacklers in opposition to rugged backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. — McManus
