It all comes down to this. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs meet up in Super Bowl LVII with all the marbles on the table. Everyone’s chips are in, there’s no turning back now.
Here. We. Go.
Kansas City has been the model of consistency since Andy Reid left Philadelphia and came to the BBQ capital of America. With Patrick Mahomes, they are on the precipice of a dynasty. Even after losing a generational talent like Tyreek Hill in the offseason, the Chiefs rebounded in such a way that will be talked about for decades but standing in their way is the absolute best team that the NFC had to offer, the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the playoffs, Kansas City did away with two franchise quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. They, like the Eagles, belong to be on this stage.
So as the days before the big game quickly leave our memory, let’s look at how the Chiefs were built.
Kansas City Chiefs (16-3)
Last Game: 23-20 win over Cincinnati Bengals
Offensive Ranking: 1st
Defensive Ranking: 11th
Head-to-Head Matchup: Chiefs lead the all-time series 5-4
Kansas City Chiefs Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Andy Reid
Offensive Coordinators: Eric Bienemy
Defensive Coordinator: Steve Spagnuolo
Special Teams Coordinator: Dave Toub
Offense
The trade of Tyreek Hill should have crippled Kansas City. A player as fast and as dominant as him would take years to recover for some teams. Those teams don’t have Patrick Mahomes though. The NFL’s MVP, Patrick Mahomes, has put up arguably his greatest season yet and commands an extremely balanced offense led by Travis Kelce and a mix of balanced, but deadly wide receivers.
A dominant offensive line has been used with the money that would have gone to Hill to protect Mahomes in a way he simply hasn’t throughout his career. There’s no clear way how to stop this offense. The pressure, therefore, falls on Jonathan Gannon to figure it out.
Defense
Tyreek Hill’s contract being off the books not only allowed the Chiefs to bolster the offensive line but the defense as well. Chris Jones is one of the five best defensive players in football today and paired with a plethora of young talent across the line, Kansas City’s defense is much better than in recent memory. Add in multiple rookie corners that have stepped up beautifully, and the Chiefs have a complete roster that has been the talk of football for months. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense won’t be waltzing to 30 points easily on Sunday.
X-Factor: Patrick Mahomes
It’s really simple. If the Eagles pressure Mahomes and force him to make mistakes, they will be in a great position to win on Sunday. If they don’t, chances are they will leave Arizona as losers of their third Super Bowl opportunity in franchise history. Mahomes is the MVP for a reason and he commands the largest presence on the field. It’s very simple game plan for the Eagles, if you stop Mahomes then you stop the Chiefs. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
