Eagles’ Defense/Running Game Will Pose Mighty Test for Defending Champs
Trevor Phipps
It’s that time of year again and unfortunately for Denver Bronco fans, they are out; and the hated KC Chiefs are in for the third year in a row!
Despite perhaps underperforming and winning several games with luck, the Chiefs are one win away from accomplishing the unimaginable.
Now let’s get the facts straight because I can see local Packers and Chiefs fans arguing about this in the near future. If the Chiefs win on Sunday, they will find themselves in the history books for being the first team in the NFL ever to take home three Super Bowl trophies, three years in a row.
However, even if they can overcome the Eagles on the big day they won’t be the first team ever to snag the top spot in the NFL for three years in a row. In fact, the Green Bay Packers won three straight NFL titles during the Curly Lambeau era from 1929 to 1931 before there were even playoff games and there were only 12 teams in the league.
The Pack actually accomplished this feat a second time during the Vince Lombardi era from 1965 to 1967 when they won the NFL Title in 1965 before there were Super Bowls and then won the first two Super Bowl matchups. But even though there have been a few other teams that went to the Super Bowl three years in a row, the Chiefs could become officially the first team to earn a third consecutive Super Bowl after winning two championships in a row the two previous years.
But to some it may feel like this year is déjà vu and that we have seen this before. The Philadelphia/Kansas City matchup occurred two seasons ago for Super Bowl 57. In that game, the Chiefs had a big second half comeback to win 38-35.
However, even though the game looks the same as it did two years ago, the teams have changed despite retaining their key, star players. Some have said that the Eagles look better and the Chiefs look worse, but only time will tell.
The following is breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of each team that could make or break the chances of snagging a Super Bowl ring.
Chiefs’ Strengths and Weaknesses
When it comes to the Chiefs, their big strengths don’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. These two definitely sync well with each other and also seem to devise a plan to pick up the “W” whether they are losing substantially or not.
That being said though, Mahomes has actually not put up his best numbers this season and tight end Travis Kelce has slowed down. But the Chiefs’ defense this year has been able to keep them in each game. The Chiefs ranked fourth in scoring defense for the 2024 season by only allowing an average of 19.2 points per game.
Although it may be tough to find weaknesses in a team that barely lost all season, their offensive line has looked a little rough at times. During the season, Mahomes was sacked the most times in his career with 36 sacks in the regular season and five in the postseason.
The Chiefs’ success this year has mostly come down to being able to effectively pass the ball as they don’t have the best rushing game. If the Eagles’ secondary can shut down Mahomes’ passing and get some picks, it could be a game changer.
Eagles’ Strengths and Weaknesses
The Eagles also have a high-scoring, stellar offense, but they do it differently than the Chiefs. The Eagles didn’t put up nearly as many passing yards this season as the Chiefs did as they played more conservatively, mainly because they could. The Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts has only thrown three interceptions since week five.
The Eagles’ running game and defense has worked hand in hand this year to keep QB Jalen Hurts from having to make risky pass attempts. The team’s rushers led by running back Saquon Barkley have an ability to keep the ball to give their defense a break with the top spot in time of possession while on offense.
According to an article published by Sports Illustrated, many claim that the Eagles might not have any weaknesses this year as most agree they are better than they were two years ago and better than the 49ers were last year. But one could say that their passing game isn’t as good as it could be and that the Chiefs’ secondary could take advantage of this when the Eagles need big yards.
You could also argue that the Eagles lack talent on special teams which could come into play if the game is close at the end. Eagles’ kicker Jake Elliotte has struggled this season after missing eight kicks and getting a success percentage of under 80 percent. He really has trouble with long field goals as he has only made one field goal over 50 yards all season out of seven attempts.
Overall, it is fair to say that this game has the makings to be one of the best Super Bowl matchups in recent history. By the way both teams are pretty evenly matched, expect this one to come down to the final seconds of the game.
Local picks really vary on this one (see related story). I am going with the Eagles by three.
