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NEW ORLEANS — A historic three-peat or sweet revenge? That’s what’s at stake Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are eyeing an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy and fourth in five seasons, while Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are looking for the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory after coming up achingly short against Kansas City just two years ago. Advertisement Mahomes led his team downfield for a 27-yard Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds left for the 38-35 victory in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.
The Chiefs’ roster and coaching staff are very similar to two years ago, though they have upgraded at wide receiver with rookie Xavier Worthy and veterans DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown. The Eagles lost All-Pro center Jason Kelce but added running back Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s second-leading rusher this season. They have also fortified their defense with players including defensive tackle Jalen Carter, linebacker Zack Baun and veteran coordinator Vic Fangio.
GO DEEPER Inside the Chiefs’ top 10 postseason blitzes unleashed by Steve Spagnuolo Will coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs stay atop the throne or will this young, hungry Eagles team, led by Nick Sirianni, knock them off? We turn to our beat writers at The Athletic — Brooks Kubena on the Eagles and Nate Taylor on the Chiefs — to help us break down the matchup. What’s the key for each quarterback to succeed in this game? Brooks Kubena: Jalen Hurts has embraced a more conservative role in the pocket within Philadelphia’s run-oriented system. He threw for a career-low five interceptions as a full-time starter.
He fielded his best season against the blitz. The Eagles haven’t turned the ball over at all in the playoffs, and they’ve instead capitalized on the 10 turnovers produced by their top-ranked defense. Hurts knows he doesn’t need to transcend the system to win his first Super Bowl.
He must embody a second threat in the run game (he had a 44-yard TD run against the Rams in the divisional round), and he must deliver in the few instances when he’s demanded to pass (he had a fourth-and-5 completion to A.J. Brown in the NFC title game).
Nate Taylor: Much of Mahomes’ execution and success in the AFC Championship Game should be very applicable against the Eagles. Once again, Mahomes must make quick decisions, especially from the pocket. The Eagles have a very impressive pass rush.
If none of his pass catchers are open early, Mahomes should use his legs to gain pivotal first downs and scramble to create highlight-worthy completions. One deep completion early in the game should also help Mahomes create space in the intermediate area of the field to connect often with tight end Travis Kelce. Fighting for every inch.
@PatrickMahomes 📺: #SBLVII on FOX 📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.
com/NOgZ9jH3JI — NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023 How do you break down the coaching matchup this time? Kubena: Early in the season, the Eagles struggled to score in the first quarter. When they last played in New Orleans, a Week 3 win over the Saints, they didn’t score until the fourth quarter. By midseason, Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had improved their opening scripts and seized control of games early.
Advertisement Recently, the Eagles’ defense and special teams have been supplying the offense with extra possessions in the first half, and Sirianni has been aggressive in ensuring they capture points on those drives. Will Sirianni continue to be aggressive in fourth-down situations? Or will he trust that a top-ranked defense will get stops against the greatest QB of this era? Taylor: Reid’s opening script of offensive plays has a legendary reputation in the league. The Chiefs will need one of Reid’s best scripts to take an early lead on the Eagles.
If that happens, it could help limit Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s rushing attempts. The Chiefs offense has struggled in the red zone at times this season. But that wasn’t an issue against the Bills, in part because the Chiefs revealed some of their best concepts in the condensed area of the field.
Succeeding with yet another trick play in the red zone that leads to a touchdown would go a long way toward a Chiefs victory. We know about the stars on both teams. Who is a potential X-factor in this game? Kubena: The Eagles consistently fielded a successful pass rush in 2024 without any major star along the edge.
But in the playoffs, Nolan Smith has emerged as a defensive game-wrecker. He has four sacks in three playoff games. Anyone who watched Super Bowl LVII can remember how the Eagles’ defense failed to sack Mahomes, who eventually scrambled to set up the winning field goal.
In Super Bowl LII, Brandon Graham helped win Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl by strip-sacking Tom Brady. Can Smith do the same? GO DEEPER Not everybody loves Nick Sirianni, but all the Eagles coach does is win Taylor: The Eagles’ strong offensive line and Barkley’s dynamic ability make this a game for Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal. In the Super Bowl two years ago, Chenal had his breakout performance, recording a sack and six tackles.
In last year’s Super Bowl, the Chiefs defense faced a similar challenge with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Chenal had an even more impactful performance — a forced fumble, a quarterback hit, a blocked extra-point attempt and six tackles, including one that went for an 8-yard loss. Everyone knows defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo wants to blitz on third down.
The fastest way for the Chiefs to get in those situations is to have Chenal be a disruptive force on the Eagles’ early downs. Which individual matchup are you most intrigued by? Kubena: The Eagles truly haven’t seen an interior defensive lineman as great as three-time All-Pro Chris Jones. Center Cam Jurgens earned a Pro Bowl nod in his first year replacing Jason Kelce, and he’s managing a back injury entering his first Super Bowl appearance as a starter along this storied offensive line.
I’m interested to see how Jurgens handles Jones, and how involved fellow guards Landon Dickerson and Mekhi Becton will have to be to help Jurgens establish the run game that has powered these Eagles to the Super Bowl. Advertisement Taylor: A fascinating matchup is cornerback Jaylen Watson (6-foot-2 and 197 pounds) covering receiver A.J.
Brown (6-1, 226). The Chiefs have struggled to limit Brown’s production in the past. But Watson is their best option, especially since he returned to the lineup just in time for the playoffs.
Hurts could throw deep passes to Brown, hoping to take advantage of a one-on-one matchup. How Watson performs in those moments will have a significant impact on the success or failures of the Chiefs defense. Who wins this game and why? Kubena: These Eagles are built to beat the Chiefs.
They protect the football in an offense that grinds out the clock and produces explosive runs with the greatest running back they’ve ever had in Barkley. They have a top-ranked defense that’s forced 10 turnovers in three playoff games. Their Achilles’ heel is kicker Jake Elliott, who had missed three extra-point attempts in the playoffs and is 1 of 8 from 50-plus yards this season.
But the Eagles should play to their strengths, and they should be up two scores with two minutes to go — the only time they know Mahomes can’t kill their dreams. GO DEEPER NFL coaches pick the Super Bowl: Eagles better on paper, but is Mahomes the difference? Taylor: The Chiefs have been running a marathon all season, a quest to be the NFL’s first three-peat champion in the Super Bowl era. Mahomes has more than enough postseason experience and could be at the peak of his athletic powers to guide the Chiefs to another Super Bowl victory.
The Eagles could control the tempo of the game for much of the 60 minutes, but the Chiefs have shown this season — time and time again — that they can sprint past their opponent and to the finish line late in the fourth quarter. Spagnuolo will likely have another impressive moment with a blitz, too. And if the game is to be decided by a field goal, the Chiefs still have Butker, the league’s most clutch kicker.
(Top photos of Saquon Barkley and Travis Kelce: Mitchell Leff and David Eulitt / Getty Images).
