The biggest keys of all: How the Chiefs can beat the Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII
The NFL postseason has come down to this: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
Both teams went 14-3 in the regular season and emerged as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. And Sunday night’s game features two of the NFL’s top offenses — the Chiefs ranked No. 1, the Eagles No. 3 — and scoring offenses (Chiefs No. 1 at 29.2 points per game, Eagles No. 3 at 28.1.
And this matchup is loaded with star power: quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones for the Chiefs; quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receiver A.J. Brown and outside linebacker Haason Reddick for the Eagles. All of them were either first- or second-team All-Pro selections.
And then we have All-Pro Eagles center Jason Kelce and Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, arguably one of the NFL’s biggest Pro Bowl and All-Pro snubs.
It’s no wonder this pairing has generated so much excitement.
“Listen, we look forward to the challenge of playing the Eagles,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said recently.
Which brings us to another point: Reid coached the Eagles for more than a decade before being fired and then hires by the Chiefs.
“Good football team, great football team,” he said, “and they’ve got tremendous talent. They’ve got good coaching and it’s a good organization. And I guess you don’t get to this point unless that’s the case. So they really do a nice job.”
The Chiefs are no slouches, of course. They’re making their third Super Bowl appearance in the past four seasons.
Will the Chiefs secure their second championship under Reid? Here are four essentials to monitor in that quest:
CONTAIN HURTS
Hurts isn’t the same quarterback the Chiefs faced in October 2021, when the Eagles’ signal-caller was still raw in his second season.
The 6-foot-1, 223-pound Hurts has come into his own as one of the NFL’s top dual-threat quarterbacks, throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns against six interceptions. He also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns on 165 carries.
The Chiefs must keep an eye on Hurts because of the number of RPOs (run-pass option) plays the Eagles incorporate with their quarterback.
“You know some quarterbacks we play are not going to run the football,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “So you take that out of your thinking, the pass rush is a little bit different, maybe the edge run support’s a little bit different. But when the quarterback can do what this quarterback can do, it brings it a lot more different issues.”
Given the stress Hurts can put on a defense, would the Chiefs be willing to place a spy, perhaps speedy linebacker Willie Gay Jr., on him?
“You got to keep an eye on him, for sure,” Reid said. “He is a great runner, but he can also throw the ball well.”
The Chiefs can’t pay Hurts all of their attention because running back Miles Sanders has rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on 269 carries, all career-highs, this season.
Whatever scheme the Chiefs come up with for Super Sunday, they’ll need to be disciplined.
PROTECT MAHOMES
When Mahomes takes the field Sunday evening, he will be a full three weeks removed from the right high-ankle sprain he suffered in the AFC Divisional Round win agsinst Jacksonville.
He played through it in the AFC Championship Game and has continued to put in full practices this week, saying he’s in a “good spot” with his recovery. Reid said he didn’t expect any mobility issues with Mahomes.
Which is good, since the Chiefs are facing a superior defensive line.
The Eagles totaled an incredible 70 sacks in 2022 with four players producing double-digit QB takedowns. Reddick led the way with a team-high 16 sacks, while defensive linemen Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham each tallied 11.
This won’t be an easy assignment for the Chiefs’ offensive line. The Eagles can generate pressure on Mahomes from the interior.
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and right tackle Andrew Wylie will all earn their paychecks on Sunday.
HOLD THE LINE
The Chiefs finished the 2022 regular season ranked a respectable 11th in total defense (328.2 yards allowed per game).
Kansas City was stout against the run, ranking 8th (107.2 yards allowed per game) and a respectable 18th against the pass (220.9).
But there’s a clear weakness with the Chiefs: red-zone touchdown percentage, where they ranked 31st at 67.3%. Worse, the Eagles ranked third in red-zone touchdown percentage (67.8%).
The Chiefs must find a way to keep the Eagles out of the end zone once they creep inside KC’s 20-yard line.
STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH
Statistically, Super Bowl LVII pits the NFL’s top passing offense against its top passing defense.
Philly’s Darius Slay and James Bradbury form a formidable cornerback tandem, while safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a team-high six interceptions to pace a pass defense that allowed just 179.8 yards per game.
But one could correctly note that the Eagles didn’t face a quarterback of Mahomes’ caliber in 2022 (the Chiefs’ signal-caller blasted the Eagles with 278 yards passing and five TDs in their meeting last season).
If the Chiefs’ offensive line does its part to protect their QB in the pocket, KC should stay true to what it does best: letting Mahomes throw the football.
