Super Bowl 57 is here. The matchup is set and two of the most dominant teams all season long will finally have a chance to square off for a chance to become eternal.
The Philadelphia Eagles made it to the Super Bowl allowing only 14 total points in 8 quarters of playoff football. That’s playoffs, not regular season football. You could argue that the NFC may be the weaker conference, but playoff domination cannot be ignored. They easily handled the division foe Giants 38-7, and made quick work of the short-handed 49ers to the tune of 31-7. Everyone expected a better game against San Francisco, and I think that is what leaves such a sour taste in most fans’ mouths. After racing out to a quick 7-0 lead, the Eagles smelled blood early. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan did what he could throughout the game, but what can you ask for after losing your starting QB just plays into the game and being forced to play your 4th string QB?
The Kansas City Chiefs had their own obstacles to overcome, and they had a bit more resistance along the way. They limped out of the divisional round with a 27-20 win over the Jaguars and an injured star quarterback. It wasn’t clear whether Patrick Mahomes would make it back for the AFC Championship game because his ankle injury would normally warrant a 3-6 week resting period. But he was able to get comfortable enough to play against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. As long as Burrow and Mahomes are around, Cincinnati and Kansas City are going to be seeing a lot of each other in the playoffs. Throw Josh Allen in there and we have ourselves a new generation of playoff rivals. The Chiefs have struggled with Cincinnati over the past few years, and the Bengals were not afraid to let it be known. Any time an elected official is authorizing a paternity test in that manner, you better back it up. (If you’re not familiar with this, Google Cincinnati Mayor). They deployed some of the most disrespectful and out-of-pocket trash talk, and they fell just short of backing it up. The idea of poking the bear and bulletin board material are much more than theories. Respect your opponent and you won't get clowned for losing, especially in the manner they did. A moment's worth of undisciplined football is the reason why the Bengals didn't get a shot at overtime. An absolute selfless play by Mahomes to scramble on a bum ankle and pick up a first down quite literally won them the game. The Chiefs pulled it out 23-20.
Mahomes’ ankle appears to be nearing 100%, which is great news for the quality of the upcoming Super Bowl. If he can evade pressure and allow plays to develop, there will be avenues to expose the Eagles defense. Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator for Philadelphia, typically plays a zone shell to keep plays in front of DBs. This forces opposing offenses to string together several correct play calls, checks, and reads to be able to successfully move the ball. This also allows the pass rush to pin their ears back and go after the opposing QB in passing situations. If the opposing QB is anything less than perfect, mistakes will almost assuredly be made. The problem for the Eagles is that Mahomes has been the closest thing to perfect in the league this season, and his offensive line has done a great job at keeping him clean. If the Chiefs can only allow 1-2 sacks, their chances of beating the Eagles skyrockets.
The Eagles MUST have two players bracketing Travis Kelce on key downs (3rd and passing downs). If they allow him to achieve a free release off the line, it is going to be a long game for the boys in green. Andy Reid will need to run the ball. It's not fair to expect his line to Playbook Sports repel the Eagles’ pass rush – that just set multiple NFL records – for 60 minutes; he will need to mix things up. The Chiefs need to make the birds earn their pass rush attempts. The Eagles know all too well that Reid can get trigger happy with the pass and abandon the run if there aren't immediate results. If Mahomes has to throw the ball 40+ times, the Chiefs are playing with fire. The Eagles are going to have to torture Kelce in his releases, and pressure 15 into hero ball hoping he makes a mistake.
The Eagles offense can give it to you any which way. Every eligible player on the field can hurt you and they might have the most composed human on the planet at QB. Poise can carry you a long way in this league. They take care of the football and have talent littered throughout the roster. If I’m the Chiefs, I’d be in Cover 1 or Cover 0 almost every play. They need to pressure Hurts up the middle. If Chris Jones can maintain the level of play we have seen in the playoffs this year, he can single handedly take over this game. Problem is he is going to see a combination of double teams from the most cohesive O-line in the league. The Eagles also have a Kelce (their center), and much like his brother, he is the best player at his position.
The Chiefs are going to have to score first; if the Eagles score first they will transition into bully ball. If the Chiefs can take the early edge, they’ll force Hurts to outduel Mahomes in a shootout. The Eagles have made a living out of using all four downs to get 10 yards every series. The Niners were correct in their approach early in the game: heavy disguise into a zero blitz on 3rd and 4th downs. Jalen looked uncomfortable when he was faced with those looks early. Multiple stunts through zone blitzing can also push Philly out of their comfort zone and into obvious passing situations. The Eagles must understand that no lead is safe; with Mahomes on the other side, the game is never out of reach. Play through the whistle until you see all zeros.
This is shaping up to be a Super Bowl for the ages. Let the games begin.
Prediction
Eagles 27-Chiefs 23 and the Super Bowl MVP will be Jalen Hurts.
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