It’s 48 hours before the big game, a replay for the Super Bowl two years ago. The AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs against the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles and hopefully we are in for a treat.
Other than the quarterbacks, there are many great players, matchups and storylines that will make up this game.
Key players
Chiefs
Isiah Pacheco - Running Back
A big part of this game will come down to ball control and keeping the Eagles rushing attack off the field. If the Chiefs can run the ball, take a lead and take time off of the clock; they will be forced into being a passing offense, which is not their strength. Pacheco’s power running could wear Philadelphia down and he’s often too strong for defensive backs to wrestle down. In the words of the UK Steelers podcast, he’s a bowling ball.
Chris Jones - Defensive Tackle
If the Eagles are to be successful running the ball, their line will need to get through the human brick wall that is Chris Jones. He’s unique combination of size, speed and strength make him the perfect athlete to play all along the defensive line and can be a mismatch for any lineman. With Spagnuolo’s blitzes around him, he could find his way through and cause havoc to both Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley.
Trent McDuffie - Cornerback
Jalen Hurts’ biggest target is wide receiver is AJ Brown and if the Chiefs are too slow down the former Tennessee Titans pass catcher, it could come down to McDuffie who has proven to be a massive success in red and white since being drafted in 2023. He’s extremely versatile in both man and zone coverage and can be a toy for “Spagz” to play with with his blitzes and cause further confusion for Philly’s offense.
Eagles
Landon Dickersonv - Guard
With how good the Eagles offensive line is and how good the Chiefs defensive line is, this game may come down to whether KC can get pressure on Hurts or not. Obviously the Chiefs own quarterback Patrick Mahomes will have a say but this Chiefs defense can win games on its own. Dickerson will need to get the better of the aforementioned Chris Jones in the run and pass game. He’s an excellent guard (arguably the best in the NFL) so he’s more than capable but it’s down to whether he can do it on the biggest stage of all.
Nolan Smith - Edge Rusher
The lightning-fast edge rusher has had an incredible 2024/25 season, notching 9.5 sacks this year. He’s quickness and burst could help him get past the Chiefs’ right tackle Jawaan Taylor who’s been inconsistent at best since joining as well as their stand-in left tackle Joe Thuney who is a guard by trade and may not have the bend, speed or footwork to deal with the Eagles number 3.
Zack Baun - Linebacker
The story of Zack Baun is one of the best of this Super Bowl. He was originally drafted back in 2020 as a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints. This Sunday he is back in his former home city as an inside linebacker reinvigorated by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. After being released, the Eagles signed him after new coach Fangio suggested to move him to being the quarterback of the defense. His speed, football IQ and physical style of play has made him the perfect fit in Philly’s new look defense. His career year has made him a defensive player of the year candidate and his ability in coverage and stopping the run could be crucial in trying to silence Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense.
Matchups
The Battle of the Coordinators
This game will be as much of a battle of Xs and Os as well as the players themselves. Both teams have two brilliant play-callers and tactical geniuses. On offense, the Chiefs are built on head coach Andy Reid’s offensive innovation. His blend of styles and schemes has developed players such as Mahomes into the best players in the world. His knack for offensive success and developing quarterbacks has shot him right to the top of many “Greatest Head Coach of all time” conversations.
On the other side of the ball, Steve Spagnuolo runs the Chiefs defense. He is known from his time with the New York Giants as a play caller who tactically stifles offenses and quarterbacks with mind-bending blitzes (blitzes are when a defense rushes five or more players at the same time) and versatility in all levels of his units. His blitz rate is top five in the league with the Chiefs blitzing 34% of the time. Alongside his success in Missouri, his Giants units were often the best in the league with his crowning moments being his unblockable defensive line that single-handedly beat Tom Brady and the Patriots offense, that was one game away from an undefeated season, in the Super Bowl in 2007/08.
Over in Philadelphia, the offense is run by Kellen Moore. A former Boise State quarterback, Moore has ran NFL offenses for a few years now, most notably in Dallas and Los Angeles (with the Chargers), he has relied on the offensive line (coached by one of the best offensive line coaches of all time in Jeff Stoutland) and their running game but he has also helped mentor quarterback Jalen Hurts into a very good pocket passer with his inventive passing concepts and play designs. He has recently been strongly linked to the head coach position with the New Orleans Saints. At least he’ll get used to the locker rooms.
As previously mentioned, veteran defensive coach Vic Fangio has transformed Philly’s defense. The Pennsylvania native has been an NFL coach for over 40 years, coaching at the likes of San Francisco, Miami and Chicago, even spending three seasons as the head coach in Denver. His creative coverages blend discipline and toughness to crack down on receivers, stifle running backs and confuse quarterbacks.
The trenches
American football games are often won with the big guys up front on the offensive and defensive lines, Super Bowl 59 will be no different.
For the past few years, the lifeblood of the Philadelphia Eagles has been their offensive line. This is a unique group of huge, athletic phenomenons that has driven the bulk of their offensive success. Their position coach is former Alabama offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland who has trained these players into machines. Stoutland’s biggest coaching success has been left tackle Jordan Mailata.
Mailata is an Australian who prior to joining the Eagles in 2018 hadn’t even put on a helmet or shoulder pads. He was a prospect in youth rugby league for the NRL’s South Sydney Rabbitohs. A viral video of him plowing through defenders hit America which caused a tidal wave leading him from New South Wales to the east coast of America. With Stoutland’s coaching, Mailata has gone from a raw man mountain to one of the best tackles in the NFL.
Another symbol of their offensive line success is the much-maligned ‘tush push’, a combination of brute strength, technique and leverage. It has proved successful in getting touchdowns and first downs over 90% of the time. It’s the closest that American football can get to the rugby scrum.
Their defensive line is a touch more star-studded. The majority of that unit played at college together at Georgia with defensive tackles Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith. Not to be ignored, they have a host of talent, including former Florida State edge rusher Josh Sweat who has been on the team since 2018 and has recorded over 40 sacks since being drafted. Their ability to get pressure on the quarterback with just four rushers, has allowed their backfield to blanket the rest of the field or match up perfectly in man coverage. This unique skill set could be the deciding factor in a game where at some point they will have to slow down the future hall-of-fame quarterback Mahomes.
The Chiefs offensive line is a complicated scenario. Their interior linemen, their centre and two guards; Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, are among the best in the NFL. Their two tackle positions, however, have been a problem position this year. Injuries and poor form has led to All-Pro guard Joe Thuney filling in at left tackle, protecting their franchise golden goose. He has been a solid stop-gap, his blocking itself has been brilliant but he has sometimes struggled against top-class speed on the edge.
KC’s driving force, these days, is their defense and their defensive line and edge rushers are key to this. They are extremely versatile with players like Chris Jones and Greek-born defensive end George Karlaftis being able to move up and down the defensive line, being able to play as tackles and ends. This, along with the creative blitzes that Spagnuolo calls, confuses offensive lines and quarterbacks as they have no idea where the pressure is coming from.
Prediction
As is true with many of the Chiefs’ games this year, I believe this will be a very close game with it coming right down to the wire. The Eagles will run the ball well and the Chiefs defense will bring their full playbook. I’m a big believer in special teams and I think this will come down to a big play in the kicking game and the Chiefs have one of the best special teams units in the league.
Chiefs by 4
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