Ralph Vacchiano
NFL reporter
Two years in the past, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs placed on a present at Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. They mixed for 750 yards of offense and eight touchdowns, and it wasn’t determined till a subject objective with eight seconds left within the recreation.
It was emotional and dramatic. It featured huge performs and nice performances from a number of the finest gamers within the NFL.
It was so good, actually, that they determined to do it once more.
The rematch will happen in Super Bowl LIX on February 9 on the Superdome in New Orleans (6:30 PM ET on FOX) when the NFC champion Eagles tackle the AFC champion – and two-time defending Super Bowl winners – Chiefs. The coaches and quarterbacks are nonetheless the identical as they had been two years in the past and most of the identical gamers are nonetheless there.
But there isn’t any doubt that lots has modified on each groups, and this may very well be a really totally different recreation. The final time they engaged in offensive taking pictures.
This time they could discover themselves caught in a way more defensive recreation.
That’s as a result of neither group is constructed for a similar sort of offensive explosion they had been able to two years in the past. The Eagles may very well be nearer to the juggernaut they had been again then, however they don’t seem to be the identical sort of offense. They are virtually all working, pushed by their new star, working again Saquon Barkley. His near-record season with 2,005 dashing yards fueled all of them 12 months and turned them into arguably essentially the most harmful working group within the league.
As a consequence, they lean far more closely on Barkley than on quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was an MVP candidate two years in the past. Hurts confirmed Sunday that he is nonetheless able to huge video games, throwing for 248 yards and a landing and working for 3 touchdowns in a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders within the NFC Championship Game. But no less than offensively, the Eagles at the moment are Barkley’s group.
That does not essentially make them any much less harmful. But generally it makes them much less explosive.
Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the MVP two years in the past when the Chiefs beat the Eagles for the championship, however he wasn’t even a Pro Bowler this season when he threw for 3,928 yards and simply 26 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Kansas City has relied far more on its top-10 protection, which, by the way in which, has been significantly sturdy all season. This is what held them again in virtually each recreation they performed, virtually all of which got here right down to the end line.
In reality, the Chiefs have performed 12 one-score video games this season, main many to assume they could lastly be weak. But they nonetheless received all of them, together with a dramatic 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday evening within the AFC Championship Game.
Mahomes had one in all his finest video games of the season in opposition to the Bills, throwing for 245 yards and a landing and working for 43 yards and two touchdowns. But it was nonetheless the Chiefs’ protection that was referred to as upon to protect the victory within the fourth quarter and hold Buffalo’s harmful quarterback, Josh Allen, in examine, limiting him to only 237 passing yards and 39 dashing yards.
Even if that protection finds a method to shut down Barkley and the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs should want slightly extra, as a result of Mahomes must discover a method to break by way of in opposition to the No. 1 protection within the NFL. The Eagles haven’t got the identical historic go rush they’d two years in the past, once they had 70 sacks within the common season. But they’re a greater protection with a greater scheme and higher tacklers. And they grew to become harmful in creating turnovers, just like the 4 they pressured on Sunday in opposition to the often assured Commander.
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Saquon Barkley of the Eagles within the NFC Championship
Of course, it will not be really easy for the Eagles in two weeks. The Chiefs are primarily the identical group that has been to seven AFC Championship Games and 5 Super Bowls within the final six seasons, profitable three up to now. And they’re motivated by attempting to change into the primary group in NFL historical past to win the Super Bowl three years in a row.
The Eagles had an opportunity to cease that run earlier than it started two years in the past, once they went toe-to-toe with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, due to a superb efficiency from Hurts. The Eagles quarterback threw for 304 yards and a landing and ran for 70 yards and three touchdowns. It took a 27-yard subject objective by Harrison Butker within the closing seconds for the Chiefs to keep away from time beyond regulation and win 38-35.
But in that match the defenses took a backseat. Both offenses had been nearly unstoppable.
These Chiefs and Eagles merely aren’t constructed that means this season, so one other shootout appears onerous to think about. This time the Super Bowl championship might come right down to one of the best protection and which of the 2 battle-tested coaches and quarterbacks can discover a method to break by way of.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the earlier six years overlaying the Giants AND Jets for SNY TV in New Yorkand earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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