NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will battle in Super Bowl 57 this Sunday. With both teams entering with identical 14-3 records, this is the matchup most NFL fans wanted. The best in the AFC and the best in the NFC. But who will walk away as champs? The Eagles, off two impressive wins in the playoffs over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, are looking to cement themselves as the next possible dynasty.
The Chiefs are no strangers to the big stage either as this will be their 3rd appearance in 4 years. Many are dubbing this the Andy Reid Bowl and rightfully so with Reid having coached both teams to the big game. Will the Eagles’ defense continue its dominance or will Mahomes and the offense find a way to put the pieces together?
3 Keys To Victory For The Philadelphia Eagles In Super Bowl 57
Treat Patrick Mahomes Like Any Other QB
While this may not be as easy as it sounds, the Philadelphia Eagles must treat this game as if it’s the Giants or the Dallas Cowboys across from them. Mahomes is the league’s MVP this season and rightfully so but that does not mean he’s invincible. If you let the media tell it, there is nothing he can’t do. However, we know that not to be the case. Mahomes, if he’s 100% or not, does have his flaws. He does not play well when he’s flustered. And the teams that have beaten him in those big games, all have flustered him in the process.
He’s great at escaping but he has not gone against a defense as talented and relentless as this Eagles’ bunch. The Eagles are not known for blitzing but they apply pressure with 4 pass rushers. They cannot enter this game with the mindset that Mahomes is on another level. The Eagles’ defense must see him the same way they saw Daniel Jones and Brock Purdy. He’s a target, not a machine.
Remember Who You Are
All season, the knock on the Philadelphia Eagles has been their schedule. Critics are coming out in droves since they made it to the Super Bowl and pointing at their schedule. What the Eagles must do as they did all season is continue to block everyone out. There are here and others are not. It doesn’t matter who you played, your job is to win and the Eagles have done just that. The Chiefs have SB experience while the majority of this Eagles’ squad does not. But still, at no point should they forget who they are and how they got here.
Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the NFL and he will surely have a game plan devised to take the Eagles out of their comfort zone. The only issue is, what exactly is their comfort zone? We’ve seen this team dominate their opponents in all 3 phases of the game. They can get after the QB, they can run the ball and they can beat you through the air. They are solid. If the Kansas City Chiefs try to take away Jalen Hurts then he can hand the ball off. If they shut the ground game down, Hurts, AJ Brown, Dallas Goedert, and DeVonta Smith will beat you through the air. The Eagles must remember who they are.
Run It Over 35 Times
The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the best-rushing teams in the NFL this season and if they’re going to win Super Bowl 57, that trend will need to continue. While the Kansas City Chiefs have surrendered over 200 yards on the ground in the playoffs, they have not faced an opponent like the Eagles’ offensive line. Labeled as one of the best in the NFL, the Eagles O-Line loves to get in the trenches and push opponents around. If the Kelce, Johnson, and lane crew can open lanes for Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Hurts, this could be a long day for the Chiefs.
No matter what happened during the regular season, the name of the game is to control the clock and keep Patrick Mahomes and that offense off the field. In their 2 playoff games so far, the Eagles have rushed the ball 88 times for 416 yards and 7 Rushing TDs. Can the Chiefs’ defense contain the Eagles’ ground game? 44 times in each playoff game is nothing to take lightly.
