This is the million-dollar question…literally for some gambling fanatics. The Chiefs and Eagles are set to face off in Super Bowl 57 as the legacies of the legends playing will forever be altered, leaving many to wonder who will win.
So, who is going to win the Super Bowl and be the reigning champions for the next 12 months? It’s going to be…I don’t know. But, wait, don’t click off this article yet as I do know the reason why one of these two teams will leave Phoenix as the champions.
So, what’s the reason I mentioned that you’re now impatiently demanding for? Pass rush. A solid, dogged, tough, relentless, resilient pass rush will seize the day.
Okay, that’s not the sexiest of answers, but it’s going to make or break both of these teams’ chances of winning as each offense is extremely vulnerable to collapse if they face off against a great pass rush.
In the case of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, there’s very little that one can do to stop them from running down the field and scoring 30+ points a game with little pushback. Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, Eric Bienemy, and the rest of the Chiefs offense is just too good to overcome if they are allowed to dictate the game at will.
Yet, as we saw in the 2020 Super Bowl (Super Bowl 55) and the 2021 AFC Championship game, defenses can beat Patrick Mahomes if they are able to overwhelm his offensive line and force him to scramble for dear life on each down. For as good of a player Mahomes is, and his is the very best as he’s now the reigning MVP, he can’t outlast a pash rush that forces him to scramble 20+ yards in his own backfield on three straight downs for 10-15+ offensive drives.
No one has the stamina for that.
It’s the reason why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to suffocate the Chiefs offense into only scoring 9 points in their 33-9 Super Bowl victory two years ago, and it’s also the reason why the Bengals were able to mount a courageous comeback to reach Super Bowl 56 in last year’s AFC Championship game.
If Patrick Mahomes can’t see his receivers or get a read on the defense due to 2-3 lineman and linebackers being in his face trying to annihilate him, then how is he going to be able to connect with these receivers to get 1st downs and touchdowns? The simple answer is that he won’t be able.
Plus, his job of being able to get his receiver the ball under pressure will be made even harder as this Eagles secondary of Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradbury, Reed Blankenship Avonte Maddox, Marcus Epps, and K’Von Wallace are lethal ball hawks and pass defenders.
Reversely, the Philadelphia offense is solely reliant on Jalen Hurts being able to seamlessly transition between the passing and running game, leaving defense confused and questioning when a run or pass will happen. The Philly running back core of Boston Scott, Myles Sanders, and Kenneth Gainwell is the very best the league has to offer and has massively helped in the development of Jalen Hurts turning into an MVP caliber QB (he came in second in the MVP vote).
Moreover, A.J. Brown, Davonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert have been just as helpful in Hurts’ development as they are brilliant RAC receivers/TEs, while also being able to run deep and come down with the ball when opposing defense stack the line of scrimmage.
Simply put, the Philly offense relies on Jalen Hurts being able to see, read, decipher, and then execute the appropriate pass or running play at an elite, precision level (which he’s done masterfully this year) to beat defenses, therefore leaving the offense also vulnerable to an effective pass rush.
If Chris Jones, Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Nick Bolton, Carlos Dunlap, etc. are able to break free of their containment and consistently get to Hurts, then that inherently breaks down what makes the Philly offense so good. If Philly can’t run the ball and Hurts can’t zip out quick passes to his receiver, HC Nick Siriani and Jalen Jurts to have to completely overhaul their offense in the most important game of their lives.
Is that too much pressure for a second year QB and HC? Probably.
Thus, that leaves the final question yet to be asked: which of these scenarios are more likely to happen? If I was a betting man (which I guess I am by writing this), I’d have to say that the Eagles getting to Mahomes is far more likely than the Chiefs getting to Hurts.
Not only has this Eagles defensive front, led by Haason Reddick, Fletcher Cox, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Robert Quinn, Javon Hargrave, Kyzir White, and T.J. Edwards, quietly been one of the most historically dominating units in NFL history with a monstrous 78 sacks this season (regular season and playoffs combined), but the Eagles offensive line hosts some of the best offensive linemen ever.
Jason Kelce (C) and Lane Johnson (LT) are some of the best players to have ever played their, respective, positions, while Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Isaac Seumalo played at a Pro Bowl level this season. Yes, KC has some great defenders, but I don’t see them being able to get past this offensive line unit very often.
Moreover, I don’t see the KC offensive line being able to hold out long enough against the Eagles defensive front to give Patrick Mahomes and his receivers enough time to get past the Eagles secondary.
Thus, I guess that mean I’m picking the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl 57.
Congratulations, Philly fans, I might have just jinxed your team with everything I said in this article.
Images Source: Featured Image:
