Generally the outdated reference factors nonetheless work in sports activities, and so it’s with this Tremendous Bowl sport between the Chiefs and the Eagles. This one is sort of a nice heavyweight struggle out of the previous, when types made fights like that nice, and if you have been fortunate sufficient to have the No. 1 contender going up towards the champ. And that’s completely what we have now with this one, a soccer model of Ali vs. Frazier.
It’s a dazzling group just like the Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, probably the most singular and dazzling abilities within the historical past of the quarterback place. They now go up towards a left hook of a group within the Eagles, a Frazier left hook, and possibly that figures for a group of Philly fighters like this.
Mahomes desires to run everywhere in the subject and throw the ball throughout, and so typically do each on the identical play. The Eagles? They wish to hammer you on the bottom with Saquon Barkley, like they actually wish to hammer the Chiefs with physique punches on Sunday night time in New Orleans, when as soon as once more the entire nation will go to a soccer sport.
The qualifier, as all the time, is that you simply by no means understand how these items will go, irrespective of how candy that matchup appears to be like stepping into. We might find yourself with a ball within the air on the finish, the way in which we did in one other Tremendous Bowl in New Orleans, when Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers have been making an attempt to beat the Ravens when it was Jim Harbaugh vs. his brother, John.
Or there may very well be dangerous early errors, just like the Broncos made towards the Seahawks after we had our one Tremendous Bowl in Jersey, and any person will run away with the factor — and quick — the way in which the Seahawks did that day.
However stepping into, this one appears to be like like a magnificence, as a result of the Eagles have absolutely established themselves because the No. 1 contender out of the NFC. It regarded for a lot of the season as if the final two groups standing can be the Chiefs and the Lions. However then too most of the Lions have been damage on protection, and ultimately they regarded helpless towards a child, Jayden Daniels, who appears to have a number of Mahomes in him already.
It was the Eagles who simply stored coming, with an underrated coach in Nick Sirianni and a vastly underrated quarterback in Jalen Hurts, and with Saquon, probably the most essential free agent acquisitions in professional soccer historical past — the place did Saquon play earlier than he obtained to Philly, I overlook? — operating previous individuals and round them and over them on his technique to 2000 common season yards, and to an evening like this in New Orleans.
So that is the title struggle and dream rematch we get: Chiefs-Eagles II. Two years in the past the Eagles almost performed the Chiefs to their group bus earlier than dropping, 38-35; actually didn’t lose that sport till the refs appropriately referred to as defensive holding on defensive again James Bradberry on what would have been a third-and-8 incompletion by Mahomes. The primary down, with below two minutes left, enabled Mahomes and the Chiefs to expire the clock.
Folks wrung their arms and clutched their pearls about that decision the way in which they’re doing the identical factor now, advert nauseum, about all of the calls they are saying all the time go the Chiefs’ means. There could also be a dumber narrative in sports activities as of late, however for those who provide you with one earlier than I can, please ship up a flare.
And naturally what people who find themselves solely specializing in that play conveniently overlook, as a result of it doesn’t match the cockeyed narrative in regards to the refs in some way being within the tank for the Chiefs, is that this was one other Tremendous Bowl during which Mahomes introduced his group from behind, 10 factors behind at halftime that night time, to win the massive sport. It’s the way in which he introduced them from behind towards the 49ers twice in Tremendous Bowl video games, first when the Chiefs have been 10 factors behind within the fourth quarter, and final yr after they have been down a landing on the half.
It wasn’t Tom Brady bringing the Patriots all the way in which again from 28-3 that point towards the Falcons. However this was one other probability for Mahomes to really play his place like Ali fought, floating and stinging in all the massive moments.
It doesn’t matter what number of shut video games the Chiefs have performed to get right here, and whether or not they wanted a botched snap towards the Raiders and a blocked kick towards the Broncos within the common season. They’ve performed 19 soccer video games this season and misplaced one in all them after they had all their finest gamers on the sector. Did they roll by way of everyone the way in which the Patriots did on their technique to 18-0 earlier than the Giants clipped them in Tremendous Bowl XLII? They didn’t.
But when they shut the deal in New Orleans, in the event that they turn into the primary group in historical past to win three Tremendous Bowls in a row — and the primary group since Vince Lombardi’s Packers of the Sixties — to win three NFL titles in a row – it will go down, due to the stakes, as probably the most outstanding seasons within the historical past of the game, and that very a lot contains the 17-0 Dolphins of 1972.
However now they need to shut the deal towards the Eagles, who just do hold coming, and that doesn’t simply imply Saquon. Their defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, doesn’t have the rings that Steve Spagnuolo does, now that Spags has taken his place with Invoice Belichick as a defensive immortal. However Fangio’s protection has been as spectacular as Spags’ because the Eagles have made their run to this rematch.
Here’s what Andy Reid, head teaching immortal, mentioned about Fangio the opposite day in New Orleans:
“Oh, man, that guy. I can’t get rid of that guy. He’s everywhere. He’s tough. He knows what’s coming at him. And [our] offense knows what’s coming at them.”
Nonetheless: The Chiefs offense will likely be going on the Eagles’ protection with Mahomes, and Travis Kelce, and so many secondary receivers to Kelce that you simply typically lose monitor of them, Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins and Kareem Hunt, all of them seemingly in a position to make large catches from Mahomes on the largest potential moments. They are going to as soon as once more attempt to fly across the subject and the Eagles will likely be chasing them after they’re not chasing Mahomes, who’s chasing his fourth Tremendous Bowl title earlier than he even will get to the age of 30.
The Chiefs are those who’re all over the place. Now they’re in New Orleans, and the Eagles are ready for them, and laying for them. Perhaps Chiefs-Eagles II gained’t be Ali-Frazier III. Perhaps it gained’t be the Thrilla in Manila. That’s simply the way in which to root.
