The Battle for the Gridiron Crown: A Super Bowl LVII Preview between the Chiefs and the Eagles

Alex Benjamin
Feb 10, 2023
16 min read

By Alex Benjamin

I apologize in advance for the length of this post but I covered everything. This is two weeks in the making. I hope you enjoy!

Super Bowl LVII is here. I’m so excited to watch Rihanna perform. It’s her night. But for real, the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are heading back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in franchise history to take on a team that knows a thing or two about the big stage. The Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years and are looking to take advantage of their experience. The Eagles, on the other hand, will be relying on their 4-man rushing attack and their offensive line to give them the edge.

Only 1.5 points separate these two teams, according to the spread. It’s the sixth time that the two number-one seeds have made it all the way. I can’t wait till these two teams clash this Sunday because they are undoubtedly the two best teams in the NFL. When a team starts off 8-0 like the Eagles, they receive a ton of praise and conversation. However, starting in Week 10, the Chiefs moved into the first position in the AFC and kept winning. The best quarterback in football is also on their team.

The two teams are both led by talented quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. It’s going to be awesome to watch two finalists for the MVP trophy vie for the Super Bowl trophy. The MVP winner has not won the Super Bowl since 1999, and it will be interesting to see if this streak continues this year. The QBs' combined age is 51 years and 337 days, which also makes them the youngest QBs to square off in the Super Bowl (NFL.com).

This highly anticipated match-up features two of the NFL's top offenses, with the Chiefs having the number one scoring offense at 29.2 points per game, while the Eagles are close behind at 28.1 points per game.

One of the biggest drives in games like this will be the answers and not necessarily who scores but who can answer back after a bad play. This means that the pressure will be on both Mahomes and Hurts to not only make plays but to respond effectively to any mistakes they make.

As a football fan, you don’t want to miss this Sunday’s showdown. Let's take a closer look at the teams, their strengths, and what to expect from Super Bowl LVII.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the NFL’s most explosive teams this season. With a high-powered offense and a defense that’s been solid all year, the Chiefs are ready to make their mark on the Super Bowl stage. Mahomes, the league’s MVP, will be looking to lead his team to their second Super Bowl victory since he arrived.

On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles are a well-rounded team that boasts a potent defense and a balanced offense. Led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles have been able to overcome injuries and adversity to make it to the big game. With a strong running game, a great offensive line, and a defense that’s been able to pressure quarterbacks all season, the Eagles are ready to give the Chiefs a run for their money.

So, what can we expect from Super Bowl LVII? For starters, it’s going to be a high-flying, fast-paced game filled with big plays and plenty of excitement. With two of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks leading the way, there’s no telling what kind of fireworks we’ll see on Sunday. Additionally, both teams have shown that they’re not afraid to take chances, so expect to see a few trick plays and gutsy calls. So, get ready for some big hits, big plays, and a whole lot of excitement this Sunday.

Let’s take a look at the keys to the game

The Chiefs have been on a roll this season, and Patrick Mahomes has been leading the charge. The Chiefs have made it to five AFC Championship games and three super bowls. Mahomes gets better each game despite losing the cheetah, Tyreek Hill. Half of his wideouts were out and he put the team on his back, literally. Mahomes led the league in passing, and his success will be put to the test against the Eagles' fewest passing yards allowed. The last time these two stats matched up in the Super Bowl, both defenses dominated, with an average margin of victory of 31 points. Mahomes will have to overcome the fiercest pass rush in the game from the Eagles' defense to keep his team in the game. If Patrick Mahomes gets the ball out in 3 seconds he’ll be fine. However, he doesn’t do that. He has the most confidence in himself and his teammates to make a play. When you give Kelce an extra second, trouble happens. He’s going to make plays and wait in the pocket which could hurt Mahomes. The Eagles' game plan must focus on making Mahomes uncomfortable and taking advantage of any opportunities to get at him.

The Chiefs' offensive line will be a key factor in this game, with Mahomes known for taking his time in the pocket. According to ESPN analytics, the Chiefs' O-line had the league's top pass-block win rate in the regular season (74.7%). The Chiefs allowed 26 sacks, the third least in the league, but the last time we saw them in the Super Bowl, Mahomes was running for his life. This could prove to be a problem for the Chiefs if the Eagles' pass rush is able to get to Mahomes. Making Mahomes uncomfortable will not be an easy feat, as he has proven to be resilient under pressure, leading the league in passing despite facing pressure 36% of the time. Part of the reason sack totals were so low is Mahomes' ability to evade pressure and now he is going to need that to dodge the Eagles' avalanche coming his way.

They can’t blitz, though. Mahomes can read defenses just fine against the blitz. Against the Bengals, Mahomes was 8-11, TD, and a 140.3 passing rating against the blitz. Blitzes are destroyed by Mahomes. He has been blitzed on 19.1% of his dropbacks during his five years as the Chiefs' starter, the lowest percentage of any passer during that time. Given that his 76.3 QBR versus the blitz is also the league's best over that span, defenses don't blitz him because they're afraid of what will happen if they do. A healthy Mahomes can evade pressure and find an open receiver. The Eagles have to get pressure with a 4 man pass rush, something they can do. (Stats from ESPN.com)

The matchups on the offensive and defensive lines will be critical to the outcome of the game. The Eagles racked up 70 sacks this year, third all-time, going against the third-fewest sacks allowed on the fifth most pass attempts. Haasan Reddick is a problem. Reddick single-handedly ended San Francisco’s season and he’s been a bad dude all year. Reddick usually goes up against right tackles. This means you, Andrew Wylie. Wiley allowed eight sacks this year. This is a great matchup for Haasan. Orlando Brown and Josh Sweat, who had 11 sacks of his own this season, will face off. The tackles will never get a break because they are busy trying to stop Brandon Graham who rotates in. And let's not forget the showdown between Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh, and Fletcher Cox vs Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Joe Thuney. This pass rush is relentless. I mean, it’s ridiculous how many guys they have that can get pressure. The Chiefs' o-line is not perfect, but it's much better on paper than the unit the Chiefs ran out in Super Bowl LV. It may be effective for the Chiefs to use a modified no-huddle in which they rush to the line, stop the Eagles from subbing, and then slow down at the line of scrimmage before snapping the ball. However, it would be unexpected if they used that tactic for the first time.

The Chiefs face a pass rush and secondary and that work wonderfully together. Philadelphia’s secondary faces the best offense in the NFL. Everyone knows that stopping Kansas City’s passing attack starts with stopping Travis Kelce. He can’t be stopped but the Eagles have to slow him down. Kelce should never be in single coverage. The Eagles must make sure there is always a safety behind him so don't ever allow him to go into a 1v1 situation. If he makes a catch, position a defender to meet him and another to follow closely in case he causes the first one to miss. They must put in a determined effort to prevent being defeated by the Chiefs' star player, almost as if they are daring someone else to beat them in their place. Kelce will be matched up against the Eagles' CJ Gardener-Johnson, who played both safety and slot at a high level, making him a formidable opponent. The Eagles held TEs to an 80.6 passing rating when targeted, which is 5th in the league (NFL). The Eagles will most likely be proactive in getting Kelce moving, though. Kelce is frequently hidden in the slot or behind a wide receiver by the Chiefs using motion and delaying the opposing team's opportunity to intercept him and giving him advantageous leverage possibilities as he begins his route. Before finally releasing Kelce into his route, the Chiefs will also use him to chip the edge rushers. This will slow down the rush, and it is more challenging to double-team him.

The Chiefs' passing attack has been put to the test, however. They've faced the seventh-toughest defensive schedule, and Mahomes has faced the top-15 pass defenses, the most of any NFL quarterback with nine games played against them.

Aside from Kelce, the Eagles' defense will also have their hands full with the Chiefs' wide receivers, particularly MVS, who has been a key player for the Chiefs despite some injuries. He has scored in every playoff game this season. Juju and Toney are expected to play for the Chiefs on Sunday so they will have some backup. Then you have guys who sort of fill out the picture but they are still important like Justin Watson.

Philadelphia held wide receivers to the fifth-lowest passer rating. Their third-ranked pass defense is led by Avonte Maddox, Gardener-Johnson, and Darius Slay who all held QBs to a rate below 80. The most underrated player on this Eagles' defense is James Bradbury, who put up elite numbers with the 2nd best coverage rate in the league.

However, there are some holes in this defense. According to research done by Warren Sharp, on passes thrown 1-9 air yards, the Eagles rank 17th in yards/att, 17th in success rate, 24th in first-down rate, and 26th in third-down conversion rate. Since Week 11, on passes thrown in fewer than 2.6 seconds, the Eagles' pass defense ranks 15th (they are the No. 1 defense if the QB holds the ball for over 2.6 seconds).

Another weakness in the Eagles' defense is the running backs, specifically out of the backfield. They will face a tough test against the Chiefs' Pacheco, who had 7 catches in the last game. The Eagles rank 19th in the NFL against running backs in the passing game. Mahomes hurt ankle or not, he uses his backs in the passing game.

The X-factor matchup will be Philadelphia's rush defense versus Kansas City's run game. The Chiefs don't run a lot but Pacheco did average close to five yards a carry and he's been a solid contributor on the ground since week 10. You can't ignore the violent running style of Isaiah Pacheco. He had a really rough go of it versus Cincinnati but maybe his fortunes turn versus Philadelphia, who allows 4.4 yards per carry. The Eagles allowed 121.6 rushing yards per game during the regular season, 16th in the league. They've allowed at least 115 rushing yards in six of their past seven games, including the playoffs. The Chiefs will have a depth of running backs to offer the Eagles different looks on Sunday, even if they might not have a mobile Mahomes to improve their run game.

There are other ways for the Chiefs to attack such looks and slow down the pass rush if they aren't going tempo. They can use the quick game and RPOs to swiftly take the ball away from Mahomes, pushing the Eagles to pursue receivers and tackle in tight spaces. When throwing within two seconds of the snap, Mahomes is the second-best quarterback in the league, but it restricts how explosive and inventive he can become later into plays. Overall, the Chiefs specialize in all the areas the Eagles have weaknesses. Looking up these stats, I wasn't expecting to see quite so many holes in the Eagles' defense. And I wasn't expecting so many of these holes to align perfectly with the main game plans of the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes offense. They pass from shotgun without play action at one of the greatest rates in the NFL, they throw 1-9 air yards at a top-10 rate, and Mahomes throws regularly in 1.5-2.5 seconds (Warren Sharp). Even if Mahomes isn't fully healthy, Kansas City's main concern is never truly the offense. It all depends on if the defense can uphold its half of the deal, which won't be simple against the imposing Eagles.

On the Eagles' side, Jalen Hurts will be the one to watch. Hurts has the potential to be the first dual-threat quarterback to win a Super Bowl, and his unpredictable running style will be a challenge for the Chiefs' defense. The Chiefs' defensive line, led by Chris Jones, will be tasked with stopping Hurts and the Eagles' rushing attack. Hurts is utterly unshakable in the pocket. He is remarkable when it comes to standing in the pocket and delivering an accurate throw, even when it means taking a hit. He can absolutely go around unblocked defenders when required. Every quarterback has a point where they will want to save his health for the next play, but he hits the ideal balance between self-preservation and playing in the pocket. Over the past two seasons, his pocket presence has increased significantly, which is fantastic for the Eagles. When Hurts is in rhythm and trusts where he's going with the football, he's extremely difficult to stop. It's not about Jalen Hurts however when it comes to a shootout happening. It's about what we've watched Philly do all season long. This is the toughest guard in the NFL when it comes to trying to figure out how are you going to defend this football team. Jalen Hurts legs dictates a lot about what you do. We are only two weeks removed from the number one defense looking like they had no idea what to do against the Philadelphia Eagles. The San Francisco 49ers were killing people but they had no clue how to stop the Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts is not going to drop back into the pocket and throw the ball 40 to 50 times and go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes because if you told me that there is a Three-Point Contest going on I'm gonna take Steph Curry and no one else and when it comes to throwing the football that is Patrick Mahomes.

The Eagles rushing attack is led by the four-headed monster of Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Jalen Hurts. Hurts has been crucial to Philadelphia's offensive performance in the postseason at the same time. Despite his lackluster production, the danger he poses to the other team's pass rushers and linebackers has led to explosive runs on the ground and simple completions in the air. Kansas City's play versus running backs and running QBs individually doesn't do much good. They have to play the RPO. The Chiefs gave up 4.7 yards per carry on RPOs, tied for 19th. The Eagles RPO isn't like any KC has faced, which could be a good thing or a bad thing. Philadelphia is 14-0 when gaining more than 100 rushing yards, while Kansas City loses ground to opponents who can commit to running the ball. Jalen Hurts doesn't need to force anything or take any big risks as long as the Eagle defense is doing its job; the run game should take care of the rest. Kansas City defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnola, has to come up with a game plan to try and stop it. The Eagles want to keep Mahomes off the field.

Both teams have strong linebacker corps, but the Chiefs have the advantage with Nick Bolton, who will be tasked with stopping the Eagles' run.

For Kansas City, the best way to disrupt the RPO is to have a defensive tackle who can penetrate the offensive line like Chris Jones. Jones versus Philadelphia's interior lineman will be key. Jones is a beast when you need your best players to step up to send you the Super Bowl. A finalist for defensive player of the year and he is having the best season of his career. There is no one who doubled more often in 2022-23 and he still led all defensive tackles in win rate. Chris Jones took the AFC championship into his own hands with 2 sacks on Burrow. But, he won't be the only one after Hurts.

Jalen will have to get away from a pass rush that hung up an elite pressure total. The Chiefs were second in QB takedowns in 2022 and put Burrowhead's face in arrowheads turf five times. The Eagles' offensive line will need to be on point to protect Hurts from the strong Chiefs pass rush, which was second in the league with 55 sacks. The Eagles' offensive line has struggled this season, allowing 44 sacks, but the Chiefs will have their work cut out for them. This season, the Eagles' commitment to "building through the trenches" paid off with the strongest offensive line in football. The Eagles only allowed a 22.9% pressure rate (NFL.com). The Eagles have two sacks allowed by guards, and Lane Johnson is a stud. However, Jordan Mailata is considered the weakest link, and Frank Clark of the Chiefs will be trying to take advantage of that side. George Karlaftis will also play a big role in stopping the Eagles’ pass O. Chris Jones will mostly go against one of the best centers in the NFL and the other half of the Kelce Bowl, Jason Kelce, who had zero sacks allowed. Hurts was the second-best quarterback when opposing defenses weren't able to get pressure, with Hurts' 80.1 QBR trailing only Mahomes. If the Eagles have a disappointing game on offense, it will be because he wasn't allowed to get comfortable.

Should you anticipate seeing a lot of blitzes versus Hurts in crucial scenarios? No. Steve Spagnuolo hasn't been as aggressive this season. His blitz rate, which was the 14th-highest in football, was on 26.8% of opponent dropbacks. When they faced Joe Burrow and Lawrence in the postseason, that percentage fell even lower, to 17.6%. Kansas City was blitzing more than 41% of the time throughout the postseason in their most recent trip to the Super Bowl (ESPN.com). Why did the Chiefs turn back? Their secondary players would be the most evident factor.

The Eagles aren't just an RPO offense. The Eagles have the ability to change their game based on what the defense is trying to take away. If they can establish the run early on against the Chiefs, it will put their defense on its heels and give Hurts more opportunities in the passing game. Regardless of whether Hurts passes or runs, his being outside the pocket will definitely complicate matters for Kansas City.

Hurts can easily throw from the pocket or scramble, but he has had a sub-73 passer rating in 3 of his last 4 games. The Chiefs should try to force the Eagles to pass, as a 4.8 yards per attempt will not cut it against KC. Over the last two games, Hurts' statistics weren't very impressive. Even with a 29-yard "catch" from DeVonta Smith on a fourth-and-3 play that should have been called incomplete, he has only run 20 times for 73 yards and completed 49 passes for 275 yards. Hurts left a few impactful plays on the field. In the Giants and 49ers games, he misfired on long touchdown throws intended for A.J. Brown. He has had an adjusted completion percentage of 59.9% after making his injury recovery. His two 1100-yard receivers will help though and they have good matches versus two rookie corners. A high-scoring game means the Eagles win not win. Hurts cannot go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs' corner, L'Jarius Snead, was banged up last game but will need to help stop the Eagles' two 1,100-yard receiving threats. Sneed is a major addition to the lineup. The Chiefs, who field the league's third-youngest defense overall, have the youngest secondary. The Chiefs’ rookie duo, Watson and Trent Mcduffie, will need to step up in this game. Watson has been impressive in both playoff games so far, but Mcduffie struggled against the Bengals’ receivers and it didn't get any easier against the Eagles. They will also have to deal with Dallas Goedert. Despite not playing tight ends and receivers well in the regular season, the Chiefs' defense has taken it to a new level in the playoffs. In two playoff games, they allowed only 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a 72.2 rating. The credit for this also goes to safeties Justin Reid and Juan Thornhill. Hopefully, Snead will be back, as he is a huge part of the secondary. The Eagles have the advantage with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith but it will be interesting to see. It's not impossible to win the Super Bowl with a young secondary; just go back to the Buccaneers' performance two years ago when they had rookies on defense. The difference is that throughout the regular season, the Buccaneers had a strong defense, but the Chiefs did not.

Both teams are strong on third downs, but their defenses are both lacking on the biggest down in football. My concern for the Eagles is that the Chiefs are excellent against the pass on third downs (fourth-best), and they can play a lot of zone, which causes Hurts a lot of issues, especially when it comes to holding the ball a little bit longer, taking more pressure, and failing to convert on third down.

The Eagles had a fantastic red zone offense this season, as you might expect from a team that was outstanding everywhere on offense, featured a dynamic rushing assault, and was aggressive going for it on fourth down. They scored scores on 67.8% of their trips inside the 20-yard line. On the opposing side of the field, things weren't so fantastic. The Chiefs had the second-worst red zone defense in the league, letting teams score 67.3% of the time. Against Kansas City, opposing offenses completed 50% of their passes into the end zone. The Chiefs' d-line will also be tasked with stopping the Eagles’ QB sneak, which has worked 29 out of 33 times. The Chiefs are only 1 for 14 against this play.

Philadelphia completed 22 of their 32 fourth-down attempts. You're paying attention if you believe that the Eagles are taking more chances than any other team. Nick Sirianni engages in more aggressive play when the game is close as opposed to when a side is trying to win the game by any means necessary. Despite possessing Mahomes and Reid, a Chiefs team that has struggled in short yardage has not been anywhere near as aggressive on fourth down. If these teams make decisions as they did during the regular season, this is going to be a major competitive advantage for the Eagles.

It’s worth noting that Andy Reid is 3-0 against the Eagles, and another fun fact is that no quarterback wearing number 1 has ever won the Super Bowl. Interestingly as well, 18 out of 21 teams that wore white in the Super Bowl have come away with a win. The Kansas City Chiefs will be wearing white in this game.

Super Bowl 57 is shaping up to be an exciting game, as both teams have incredible offenses and talented players. It will be a battle to see who can answer back after a bad play, and who will come out on top as the champions of the NFL. If the Eagles do what I think they could on the ground and the Chiefs do what I think they could through the air, we've got an incredible matchup coming up on Sunday, one I hope the Jets will be a part of one day.

Get ready for a game to remember!

Comment Your Prediction Below!

Here is my prediction: https://aben7905.wixsite.com/thescoreboard/post/chasing-the-crown-how-the-chiefs-will-soar-over-the-eagles-in-the-big-game

Sources:

Fox Sports