We are now just days away from Super Bowl LIX and the hype is at an all time high. Can the Kansas City Chiefs become the first NFL team to pull off a 3-peat? It won’t be easy as they are facing a stacked Eagles roster who are looking to avenge a 38-35 defeat in Super Bowl LVII. Of course, with ever Super Bowl there are tons of storylines but let’s focus on 3 we can’t wait to see play out.
Can the Chiefs Defense Slow Down Saquon Barkley?
Every week we say the same thing. If a team wants to stop the Eagles they need to slow down Saquon Barkley. Yet every week he goes off and looks unstoppable. Credit has to go to the Eagles offensive line which is the best in the league but Barkley is just playing at another level.
Barkley is avg. 147.3 rush yards per game in the playoffs so far with 5 touchdowns. He has been a home-run hitter as seen in the Eagles first play vs. the Commanders in the NFC Championship. So how do the Chiefs stop him from once again dominating?
The focus will be linebacker play and Kansas City’s Nick Bolton will be a key to stopping Barkley. There is also of course the great defensive mind of Steve Spagnuolo who is one of the league’s best. Spags has had 2 weeks to plan for the Eagles running game and I’m sure he has some tricks up his sleeves.
Can the Eagles Get Pressure on Mahomes?
Another big key to this game will be the Eagles ability to pressure Mahomes. Philly has some of the best defensive tackles in the NFL in Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. They need to be gamebreakers for the Eagles and make the Chiefs one-dimensional. If you’re looking for a weakness on this Chiefs offense it would be their running game.
It’s one thing to get pressure on Mahomes but he is a magician once he escapes the pocket. The Eagles secondary, which has been elite will need to be disciplined with staying with their man. Turnovers will be a key to this as with any big game. The Eagles thrive on taking the ball away and taking momentum. If they can get 3 turnovers, I like the Eagles chances.
How Will the Eagles Handle Travis Kelce?
Our third key to this game will be how the Eagles defend Travis Kelce. The star Chiefs tight end plays up to these big time moments. I believe the best way to slow him down is to play man and jam Kelce at the line. He is way to good against zone and just has a knack for finding open grass. If Kelce gets in a groove the Eagles defense will have a long night ahead of them.
Leave a comment