The top 3 reasons why glory and heartbreak are attainable
The Eagles and Chiefs are remarkably good football teams. The Chiefs are in their 3rd straight Super Bowl and fifth in the last six seasons. The Eagles are no slouch as they are in their third over the previous seven seasons and second in the last three years. This is an incredibly rare Super Bowl rematch and it would be no surprise if either team wins. However, for the Eagles, there are a handful of factors that may dictate if they will have a second parade on Broad Street or a crushingly depressing late winter and early spring.
Why The Eagles Will Lose
- Chiefs Shenanigans (Officials Tipping The Scale): The escapades that can be a Chiefs’ game have been very well documented. So much so that many Chiefs players have voiced frustrations over the critical eye of the public and the lenient officiating they seem to always get. If this game remains close, the Eagles could fall victim to a harsh and unfair call. See the holding call that ended up costing them Super Bowl 57. Or ask the Bills. Or the Texans. Houston got a phantom roughing the passer call and the Bills had multiple, pivotal calls go against them, including the spot-of-the-ball insanity and that interception that somehow got called a catch by Xavier Worthy. This, to the Chiefs’ credit, also extends to the skill of the Chiefs, specifically Mahomes, who can pull out the most insane plays we’ve ever seen. It truly seems like a part of their game plan. Hang close and pounce on a mistake or official assistance. If the Eagles get stuck in a one-score game, the Chiefs, officials included, could hand Kansas City their third straight title.
- A Tough Defensive Matchup: The Chiefs’ defense does not get enough credit over this run. Steve Spagnolo has done an incredible job and is led by guys like Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and Trent McDuffie; they are a nasty, top 10 defense. Their 15-2 record is even more impressive when you factor in the Chiefs only averaged 22.6 points scored a game. They frustrated offenses around the league and were noticeably stingy against the run which is a huge part of the Eagles’ success. Jalen has shown signs of distress against pressure which KC can bring plenty of. The Eagles o-line has not been great in the playoffs in the passing game and with Jurgens and Dickerson not playing at 100%, that could be a massive problem. The Chiefs grounding the Eagles’ offense is an unfortunate possibility.
- Andy Reid: The man is arguably the greatest offensive mind in NFL history. They have found a way to score enough points every week and while the AFC Championship was the first time they scored over 30 points this year, they did it the first time they needed to. There’s a reason the Chiefs are trying to win their 3rd Super Bowl in a row and 4th in the Reid era. They seem to be able to press the accelerator just as much as they need each game. Andy paired with Mahomes is an offensive cheat code and while the offense has been mediocre for their standards this year, this combo absolutely can, and maybe will do more than enough to handle business on Sunday.
Why The Eagles Will Win
- The Better Team: This Eagles roster is the best in the NFL. There’s no doubt that at almost every position on the football field, the Eagles have a better player. The only spots the Eagles definitively don’t have the edge are QB and coaching staff; even then it isn’t a dramatic drop-off. The biggest deficiency is probably at the kicker. This team has already gone through wars with some of the best teams in the NFL and has come out victorious. This team has beaten the Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Rams (twice), Commanders (twice), and Packers, (twice). This team nearly beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years ago and the roster has dramatically improved since then. The defense specifically has been redone with 8/11 starters being different including the likes of Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Zach Baun, Quinyon Michell, and Cooper DeJean. All of them were not on the roster when the Eagles lost Super Bowl 57… by only 3 points. This team also has an intense nose for turnovers as well, really turning it on in the playoffs having 10 in 3 games so far. Offensively they improved too. Mekhi Becton is an improvement over Isaac Seumalo at right guard and Jahan Dotson is an improvement over Quez Watkins for the 3rd wide receiver spot. They also added a certain running back that may or may not be his own talking point on this list. The added talent very well could be the difference in this game that keeps the Chiefs from a three-peat. If the Eagles lose this game it will be their own doing and nothing that the Chiefs did.
- Revenge: How often do you get a Super Bowl revenge game? Where the same group of players get to square off against each other on the biggest stage for a second time? The most recent “examples” might be when Tom Brady and the Patriots got to take on the Giants 4 years after losing to them. Other than that, you have to go back to when the Buffalo Bills got to play the Dallas Cowboys in back-to-back Super Bowls (27/28). Teams rarely get this opportunity and from what it appears, the Eagles are foaming at the mouth for this chance. This team has that added edge and with the loaded roster they have, it really could carry some serious weight. The Chiefs are trying to do something no one has ever done, the Eagles are trying to right a wrong, and that energy is just much more powerful. This group of wildly talented players was counted out and gets to play this game as the underdogs. Jalen gets another chance and Fangio finally has the pieces in place to stop Mahomes. Even a guy like Saquon Barkley is looking to prove his former team, the NY Giants wrong, for thinking you can’t be successful running the ball.
- Saquon Barkley: It feels kind of weird to say one player, specifically a RB, can decide the Super Bowl. However, Saquon Barkley is that level of a game-changer. Barkley, behind the best o-line in football, is having maybe the best rushing season in NFL history. The Eagles in 2022 scored 35 points in the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs and that was with getting 17 carries for 45 yards from the running back position. Even with the Chiefs’ good running defense, that will not be the case on Sunday. The Eagles have been able to successfully run the ball against almost every top defense in the NFL they have faced. Stacking the box does not appear to work either as Saquon continues to hit home runs, week after week, even as teams know it is coming. It also allows Jalen to pick you apart, getting the ball to his elite receiving options while also being a running threat himself. This Eagles offense is a balanced juggernaut that the Chiefs, like many other teams have, will just fall victim to.