Chiefs vs Eagles in Super Bowl LVII is a battle of the top seeds
The last time the top seeds from each conference made it to the Super Bowl was 2017 and surprisingly, that was the same year the Philadelphia Eagles won it all, defeating the New England Patriots, 41 – 33. Now we have the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
This is the Chiefs’ third Super Bowl appearance in the last four seasons. They won the first of this run but lost the second against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs have won two of their four previous Super Bowl appearances, while the Eagles are playing in their fourth, having won only one thus far.
Who has the advantage here, you could argue the Chiefs have the better quarterback and I would agree with that, but the Eagles bring one of the league’s best defenses to the field, having recorded 70 sacks in the regular season. Oh, by the way, they also have one of the best offenses in the league, ranked third overall.
Both of these teams also have two of the best offensive lines in the game, but the Chiefs’ front will be severely tested. If they can keep Mahomes protected, I think he has a chance to move the ball against the Eagles’ defense. We have no idea how his ankle will hold up and if he will be able to run around, buying time and creating that Mahomes Magic.
On paper, it’s hard to see how the Chiefs can beat the Eagles. The Eagles bring offense and defense, a nasty pass rush, and a run game. The Chiefs don’t have a top-flight defense, while I think they are somewhat underrated, they aren’t a top-10 unit either. Chris Jones and their front four will have to make some plays on Jalen Hurts but that is far easier said than done.
The one area where the Chiefs can exploit the Eagles is in their run game. The Eagles allow an average of 4.6 yards per carry on the ground, 24th in the league. Isiah Pacheco averaged 4.9 yards per carry and 5.5 so far in the playoffs. The question is, will Coach Reid and the Chiefs staff commit to the run game? Something they haven’t done this season. They have run the ball on 38.06% of the plays, only seven teams run less than the Chiefs.
In contrast, the Eagles run the ball over 50% of the and what is the best way to keep the ball out of Mahomes’ hands, run the ball and control the clock? The recipe for success fits perfectly with what the Eagles do on a weekly basis. That’s not the case for the Chiefs but that’s not to say they can’t. They have the tools to do it but will they?
When all is said and done, I see the Eagles coming away with their second Super Bowl title in their team history. I don’t see Andy Reid willing to take the ball out of Mahomes’ hands and let Pacheco carry this team to a win. Also, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is eligible to play and could serve as a nice addition to a run game, spelling Pacheco at times. Jerick Mckinnon is a solid back as well.
These three guys behind the Chiefs’ offensive line have a shot.
I’m going Eagles here, 27 – 23.