A record-shattering running back. A potential three-peat. A team looking for redemption. A team looking to make history.
These are just a few of the things that will headline the Super Bowl LIX game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 9.
It’s a rematch of Super Bowl LVII from two seasons ago, when the Chiefs defeated the Eagles because of a controversial holding call against the Eagles’ defense. Philadelphia is looking to settle the score and with one of the most talented rosters in football combined with their motivation from recent heartbreaking playoff losses, they might just have what it takes.
However, the Chiefs have a track record of postseason success. They have appeared in five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three of them. If they beat the Eagles, they’ll have accomplished an unprecedented feat: winning three Super Bowls in a row. With Philadelphia on a revenge tour and Kansas City trying to make history, the stakes are higher than ever. But how did these two teams get here?
Philadelphia:
Any conversation about the Eagles has to begin with their running back, Saquon Barkley. His first season in Philadelphia has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Barkley led the NFL by averaging 125.3 rushing yards per game and totaling 2,005 yards across the regular season, only 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s regular-season record. When postseason stats are factored in, he’s just 30 yards away from topping hall-of-famer Terrell Davis for the most rushing yards across an entire season.
Barkley also dominated highlight reels everywhere, ranking second in the NFL with 17 20+ yard rushing plays and seven touchdowns of over 60 yards, the most in NFL history. In just one year with the Eagles, he’s already set the franchise record for rushing yards in a single season.
Even without Barkley, Philadelphia is far from a one-dimensional team. Contributing heavily to Barkley’s success is their offensive line, which is ranked as the third-best in the NFL. They’ve also helped give quarterback Jalen Hurts the time he needs to make passing plays. On top of that, the Eagles boast the best defense in the NFL, allowing only 278.4 yards of total offense per game. For reference, they are the only team to average fewer than 300 yards allowed. They have star players in every area of the field. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is a game wrecker against opposing offensive lines, and having a secondary with players such as Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Slay allows the Eagles to defend against whatever their opponents throw at them.
Philadelphia has abundant strengths on paper, but their offense has struggled in the passing game. Hurts threw for 131 and 128 yards in the teams’ first two playoff games, far below the NFL average of around 200 per game for this season. In fact, he’s only thrown for over 200 yards twice since Nov. 24, one of which was his most recent game, the NFC Championship against the Commanders. Hurts and the Eagles receivers will need to step up if they want to be more than just a team that runs the ball.
Kansas City:
The Chiefs always seem to find their way to the top of the pile in the NFL. Even though they aren’t as potent of an offense as they were in years past, they’ve made up for it with a top-10 defense led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo’s defense has been effective all year but especially dangerous so far in the playoffs, thanks to their success with the blitz. The Chiefs racked up eight sacks against the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round, five of which came in the fourth quarter. They weren’t quite as effective with the blitz in the AFC championship against the Bills, but the defense made plays when it needed to, holding off Buffalo to prevent them from scoring late in the game.
Spagnuolo has a great feel for where and when to call the blitz, and can disguise it within different coverage looks so that opposing offenses don’t know what to expect. Given that the Chiefs have faced the Eagles in the Super Bowl once before, it’ll be interesting to see how they attack Philadelphia’s offense this time around. The Eagles may have an elite offensive line, but injuries to center Cam Jurgens and lineman Landon Dickerson will give defensive tackle Chris Jones a chance to become a serious threat, opening up possibilities for Kansas City to bring more pressure and stop the Eagles on both rushing and passing plays.
The Chiefs offense hasn’t played quite as well as their defense, having a relatively low point differential of +59. However, the simple fact is they are even better this year than they were last year when they won the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. Last season, their wide receivers led the NFL in dropped passes. Now, they are equipped with veterans like Deandre Hopkins and dynamic rookies like Xavier Worthy who complement their excellent offensive line.
Though the Chiefs aren’t as impressive on paper as the Eagles are, they make up for it with their experience in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. In eight seasons, Mahomes has played the second most playoff games out of any active quarterback. He is second only to Aaron Rodgers, who has been in the NFL for 20 years. Another advantage the Chiefs have is their ability to win close games. They are 12-0 in one-score games this season, and that’s for a multitude of reasons, from playing well in the clutch to botched calls from referees and blunders from opponents. There’s no telling if those trends will continue in the Super Bowl, but if they do, then the Chiefs will find themselves in an extremely favorable position.
Conclusion:
The outcome of this Super Bowl will depend on which team is able to play to their strengths the most. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles losing if Barkley lights up the Chiefs defense. At the same time, the Chiefs can set themselves up for success if they keep the game close due to their ability to make the right plays at crucial moments, like third downs or late in the game.
Although both teams are talented enough for the game to go any number of ways, I’m predicting that the Eagles will win Super Bowl LIX. They’re coming off of one of their best offensive performances of the year, putting up 55 points on the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship. Their offensive line might be banged up, but should still be able to hold off their opponent’s defense and keep Barkley and Hurts from being tackled for a loss of yards. Mahomes is good at finding open receivers to throw to, but he’ll have to earn every completion against an Eagles defense that shouldn’t be expected to make many mistakes. As long as Philadelphia keeps up the momentum on offense, remains stingy on defense, and prevents any big errors or penalties, they should be able to soar to victory in the Super Bowl.
