The numbers don’t counsel the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs can be Tremendous Bowl LIX favorites, not to mention ones making an attempt to solidify their standing as the best dynasty in NFL historical past.
Their +59 level differential within the common season ranked eleventh within the NFL.
Their 22.6 factors per sport ranked fifteenth, whereas their 327.6 yards per sport ranked seventeenth.
They went 11-0 in one-score video games, typically profitable in such inconceivable trend that critics cried out about preferential referee therapy or plain dumb luck.
But the Chiefs, as they’ve all through the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid period, proceed to display an intangible high quality that the statistics fail to elucidate: They simply know tips on how to win.
“We’re finding different ways to win and more ways to win, early on and throughout the season,” tight finish Travis Kelce mentioned final month on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Last year, we dealt with finding ways to lose. You can learn from both, but learning from the games you win is a whole lot more fun.”
The Chiefs are again within the Tremendous Bowl, searching for Sunday in New Orleans to turn out to be the primary crew in NFL historical past to win three consecutive championships. They’re 1.5-point favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles, whom they beat two years in the past in Tremendous Bowl LVII.
A lot has modified for the Eagles since that 38-35 loss in February of 2023.
They endured a brutal 2023 season, dropping six of their remaining seven video games, together with a 32-9 blowout to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the first spherical of the playoffs. The freefall led to renewed questions on head coach Nick Sirianni’s job standing and about Jalen Hurts’ ceiling as a franchise quarterback.
However the Eagles are again within the Tremendous Bowl, thanks largely to their offseason signing of working again Saquon Barkley, whose generational season fueled Philadelphia’s turnaround. They’ve gained 15 of their final 16 video games, and within the lone loss, Hurts left within the first quarter with a concussion.
“We’ve all had to have adversity to be in this moment where we are right now, so adversity is what makes you who you are,” Sirianni mentioned after the NFC Championship Sport.
“These guys are hungry, and we’ve got one more to go.”
In some ways, Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl rematch pits the NFL’s crew of future towards the NFL’s redeem crew.
It’s the crew that by no means loses towards a crew determined to lastly win the massive one.
It’s the Chiefs (15-2) vs. the Eagles (14-3) in probably the most compelling Tremendous Bowls in NFL historical past.
MAHOMES MAGIC
Mahomes’ postseason dominance might be troublesome to explain, however let’s give it a shot.
In 20 profession playoff video games, Mahomes boasts 5,557 passing yards, 43 landing passes, eight interceptions and a 105.8 passer score.
That passer score is the most effective in playoff historical past amongst quarterbacks with at the least six begins, and it’s higher than his profession regular-season mark of 102.1.
Mahomes’ touchdown-to-interception ratio within the playoffs (5.4-to-1) additionally exceeds his common season fee (3.3-to-1).
Which means Mahomes, a six-time Professional Bowler and two-time NFL MVP, is even higher within the playoffs, regardless of going through the NFL’s stiffest competitors, typically in pressure-packed conditions.
It’s why Mahomes, at age 29, has already gained three Tremendous Bowls in 4 journeys.
With a victory Sunday, Mahomes would turn out to be the fourth quarterback in NFL historical past to win at the least 4 championships, leaving him three behind Tom Brady.
“Obviously, you want to win three in a row,” Mahomes mentioned final month. “But building those memories with the guys and with the community every single year is special. When I look back at all the different Super Bowls that we’ve won, I look back at special moments that we’ve had and special games that we’ve had. We’ll try to do the same this year.”
PRESSURING PATRICK
Prefer it was towards Brady, the simplest option to restrict Mahomes is to generate strain.
Mahomes endured 5.7 quarterback hits and 1.7 sacks per sport in his 17 playoff victories, in comparison with 8.3 hits and three.3 sacks in his three losses, in accordance with Sports activities Illustrated.
One of the best instance got here 4 years in the past in Tremendous Bowl LV, when the Buccaneers delivered three sacks and 10 quarterback hits towards Mahomes to deal him his lone Tremendous Bowl defeat.
The Chiefs shortly rebuilt their offensive line after that 31-9 loss.
The Eagles tied for thirteenth within the NFL this season with 41 sacks — down significantly from the 70 they recorded two years in the past — however they’ve been higher this postseason with 10 sacks by way of three video games.
Behind a proficient core led by Jalen Carter, Zack Baun and Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles allowed the fewest yards (278.4) and second-fewest factors (17.8) per sport this season.
It’s definitely value noting Mahomes is 8-0 in his profession towards defenses led by Vic Fangio, who’s in his first season because the Eagles defensive coordinator.
ALTER EAGLES
The final time Philly confronted the Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl, the Eagles’ high-flying offense revolved across the dual-threat Hurts.
Hurts totaled 4 touchdowns, together with three on the bottom, whereas vast receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each had huge video games.
All three return with useful Tremendous Bowl expertise, however there’s no denying the point of interest of this Eagles offense is Barkley.
“I’ve always said that every team is different, and I think personally and individually for all the games on the team, every year requires a different version of that player,” Hurts mentioned. “We’ve got a ton of different players on our team.”
Barkley left the Giants within the offseason for a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles, then rushed for two,005 yards in 16 regular-season video games. With 30 speeding yards Sunday, he would set the single-season document for complete speeding yardage, together with the playoffs.
However Barkley didn’t be part of the Eagles to chase information. He got here to compete for Tremendous Bowls.
“To be able to win it would mean everything,” Barkley mentioned. “Would mean the world.”
SPAGS SCHEME
Barkley has at the least 118 speeding yards in every of his three playoff video games, to go together with 5 complete touchdowns, however he’s but to face a protection just like the Chiefs’.
All of it begins with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who gained a Tremendous Bowl with the Giants and three extra with Kansas Metropolis.
Although he’s greatest identified for his ingenious strain packages — like those that disrupted Brady in Tremendous Bowl XLII or that loomed giant towards Josh Allen in final month’s AFC Championship Sport — Spagnuolo has a monitor document of stopping run-first offenses, too.
His Chiefs restricted the Eagles to three.6 yards per carry of their first Tremendous Bowl assembly.
Within the 2024 common season, solely two working backs eclipsed 65 speeding yards towards Kansas Metropolis. No working again has rushed for 90 yards towards the Chiefs on this the common season or postseason.
Anticipate Spagnuolo’s main focus to be on stopping Barkley.
“He’s the glue to this whole thing,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie mentioned of Spagnuolo.
LEGACIES ON THE LINE
Final yr, the Chiefs grew to become the ninth crew in NFL historical past to win back-to-back Tremendous Bowls.
Not one of the earlier eight managed to win a 3rd in a row.
Not Chuck Noll’s Pittsburgh Steelers. Not Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers. Not the Brady and Invoice Belichick-led New England Patriots.
That’s what’s on the road for Mahomes, Reid and the Chiefs.
Mahomes would be part of Brady, Montana and Terry Bradshaw as quarterbacks with 4 rings. Reid would be part of Belichick and Noll as head coaches with 4 titles.
It’s been an odd season for the Chiefs, who went 15-1 in video games began by Mahomes however caught breaks alongside the best way.
Isaiah Seemingly’s toe landed out of bounds in a Week 1 win over Baltimore. Las Vegas botched a snap and misplaced a fumble on the finish of Week 13; The Chiefs’ Matthew Wright doinked a game-winning 31-yard discipline aim by way of the uprights in Week 14.
Some followers really feel the Chiefs are overexposed, from the entire profitable to Mahomes and Reid’s many commercials to Kelce’s high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift.
However there’s no denying their greatness.
“If winning football games makes you a villain,” Mahomes mentioned, “we’re going to keep going out there and doing it.”
