We’re here. This is the moment everyone has been waiting for. This game is absolutely chock-full of amazing storylines, whether it be the Kelce Bowl, the Andy Reid revenge bowl, or the Sirianni revenge bowl (did you know that he coached for Kansas City?) – but we all know the main reason this game means so much. It’s the god damned Super Bowl. This is it. Win, and be a part of history. Lose, and fade into the background. How can the Birds pull this off? Let’s find out.
Chiefs’ Strengths
Patrick Mahomes
Let’s not beat around the bush here. Should Patrick Mahomes – a 27-year-old – retire today, he would be regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and a surefire hall of famer. The things he can do when healthy (and apparently when not) are jaw-dropping. The mobility, the arm talent, the processing, everything. It’s all at an elite level, and there’ve been very few teams who have been able to stop (or even slow) Mahomes at any point in his career. He’s almost indisputably the best and most valuable player in football.
Offensive line
If there’s one offensive line that can claim to hold a candle to the Eagles’ unit, it’s the Chiefs. The rebuilding of this group that took place post-2020 was absolutely astonishing, as players have been added at every position to bolster Mahomes’ protection. Orlando Brown and Joe Thuney are solid veterans who anchor the left side in both pass protection and run blocking, while the two second-year players in Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith cover the rest of the interior with elite center and guard play respectively. There’s somewhat of a hole at right tackle with Andrew Wylie, but overall, this has been a more than effective unit so far this season.
BIG stars
This is a bit of a cheeky way to highlight these players, but the truth is that it’s impossible to look at the Chiefs success over the past half decade without mentioning guys like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. These two anchor their offensive and defensive units, providing game-breaking ability in their respective roles. Travis Kelce has proven to be effectively unguardable, with the route running savvy of a top wideout and the frame of a bull moose. The same can be said with Chris Jones, whose combination of speed and power makes him the center of attention on every snap he’s on the field for. Without these two, the Chiefs would be a demonstrably different team, and they’re lucky to still have them playing at an elite level.
Eagles’ Strengths
Offense
I mean, we know the drill here. Starting up front, Jeff Stouland’s offensive line is like nothing we’ve ever seen in the NFL before – a unit that is simply unmatched in every aspect of their game. With the best tackle duo in the league, the best center in football, and a criminally underrated guard combination, these guys will chew you up and spit you out no matter what you try to throw at them. One could also make the claim that the rest of the offense is helped by an MVP signal-caller and his array of potent weapons, who haven’t even needed to be used because of the dominance of the Eagles run game and the first half beatdowns they’ve laid on opponents so far this postseason. When on, this is a legendary unit.
Defense
Jonathan Gannon truthors, rejoice! This defense has reached its potential, and it’s glorious. With a historically potent pass rush, a linebacking corps with two underrated stars, and a secondary with no weak links (no, I refuse to acknowledge any Reed Blankenship slander) it’s no wonder this defense has been the best of the postseason. Have they played a quarterback like Mahomes? No, but unfortunately they don’t choose who they play. All that matters is they play to their potential for one more game.
Chiefs’ Weaknesses
Exploitable defense
When you look at the Chiefs defense on paper, it’s easy to see that the Eagles offense has a few clear matchup advantages across the board. Outside of Chris Jones, the pass rush is pretty thin – Derrick Nnadi hasn’t been getting it done on the interior this year, and the edge duo of George Karlaftis and Frank Clark has been average at best. The same can be said in the secondary, where the Chiefs are starting two rookie corners and veteran Lajarius Sneed, who while certainly not bad, are really not ideal to face any sort of potent passing attack with star veteran wideouts. The only notable stars on the backend are Nick Bolton and Justin Reid, who on any other team would probably just be above average starters. There’s room to feast on these young players, and that’s been shown by teams like the Broncos and Texans earlier this year.
Mahomes ankle/mistakes
There are two current “weaknesses” in Patrick Mahomes’ game at the moment. One is his tendency to make “hero ball” mistakes, which ordinarily can’t be considered a weakness, because along with the bone-headed interceptions come three or four plays that only Mahomes could possibly pull off. However, when compounding his tendency to put the ball in harm’s way with his apparent limited mobility stemming from an ankle sprain, it’s easy to see how his antics could lead to opportunities for the Eagles to steal points away from the Chiefs’ offense.
Eagles Weaknesses
Untested against elite QB play
No, the Eagles were not “gifted” a Super Bowl appearance. Win or lose, this team is absolutely amazing. However, it isn’t unfair to point out that the Eagles defense is yet to face a true elite Quarterback on the level of Mahomes, Allen, or Burrow. These guys have torn up opposing defenses all year, so expecting a perfect performance from the Birds D isn’t a great idea.
Keys to victory
Exploit Mahomes’ limitations
It’s been a pretty common sentiment throughout Mahomes’ career that blitzing him is a BAD idea. Allowing Mahomes to break the pocket and make magic on the run is how many teams have lost games against the Chiefs – but this one could be different if Mahomes’ ankle looks like it did against the Bengals. The pass rush NEEDS to make Mahomes uncomfortable if the Birds want a shot to slow down this offense.
Don’t get cute
This offense can do it all. Let them. Run the ball often and hard, and let Hurts air it out if his shoulder allows him to. Feed your stars, and let them take over this game.
Score Prediction
Obviously, I can’t predict a loss for this Eagles team in the Super Bowl – and honestly, I don’t think we will lose. This team has the culture, talent, and leadership to win it all. It’s going to be a close one for sure, and I expect both offenses to make waves throughout the game. Whatever the result, it’s been a great ride.
Fly Eagles Fly.
Score: 30-27 Eagles
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
