Super Bowl LVII is sort of right here, and when you’re like every goal observer, you’ve been looking at this matchup on paper for therefore lengthy that you simply’re second-, triple- and quadruple-guessing your self. The line hasn’t budged in any respect since settling in at Eagles -1.5, and that ought to let you know one factor: Stick to your preliminary ideas.
The betting traits haven’t been sufficient to sway oddsmakers someway, and it appears like Vegas doesn’t need to write off the Kansas City Chiefs due to the Patrick Mahomes variable. So stick to your intestine as a result of that’s precisely what the sharps are doing.
With that mentioned, the road signifies a case can be made for each groups, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Philadelphia will get a lead and doesn’t look again
My preliminary intestine feeling was Philly goes to roll. They hardly ever trailed this yr when wholesome and making an attempt, and the playoffs haven’t been any completely different. Both of the Birds’ playoff video games have been over earlier than the half, and as soon as Philly will get momentum, it’s actually all downhill from there for opponents.
G/O Media might get a fee
The line of defense is a bear to take care of when the opposition is one-dimensional, and so they love to get after the quarterback. Philly led the NFL in sacks this season with 70, and has finished that largely with the entrance 4. They’re within the backside half of the league in blitz proportion, and that’ll assist maintain an already hampered Mahomes and that KC offense contained to methodical, lengthy drives.
If I’m Nick Sirianni, and I win the toss, I’m taking the ball and making an attempt to get the Chiefs in a trailing place from the bounce. The Eagles’ offense is so various that it’s close to not possible to cease them once they can use your entire playbook.
Add in the specter of Jalen Hurts within the run recreation, and the protection’s solely hope is that subject place deters the Eagles from going for it on fourth-and-brief. This Philly crew completely adores bullying squads, and after a bunch of physique blows that’s once they hit you with huge performs to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
They’re as assured as they’re scary, and ooze the vibe of a bunch that would win a title largely untested. And that may simply be as a result of few groups, if any, have actually been ok to truly compete with them.
Kansas City retains it shut, and Mahomes goes full Rambo
The prevailing argument I’ve seen towards Philly is that they’ve overwhelmed up on a bunch of mongrel QBs all yr, and Mahomes is a purebred. I agree. He simply gained his second MVP, and mustn’t be doubted after beating Cincinnati on one leg.
The second most spectacular side of that win towards the Bengals was the Chiefs’ protection. Joe Burrow had the ball twice late within the fourth quarter with an opportunity to go in entrance, and the KC secondary made a play adopted shortly thereafter by Chris Jones and the line of defense. A D-line that, oh by the best way, is second within the NFL in sacks (albeit 15 lower than the Eagles’ 70).
Jones and Frank Clark headline that unit, which is why it will get talked a couple of ton. However, they really completed eighth in rush protection, and that’ll be the important thing for them. Burrow and Josh Allen give Kansas City matches due to their legs — be it Burrow scrambling for large conversions two weeks in the past, or Allen with the demise by a thousand designed QB runs. Something Philly goes to do fairly a bit I think about.
There’s been hypothesis that Hurts remains to be ailing, however that is the Super Bowl, so I don’t suppose he’ll be too deterred from utilizing his legs. Mahomes’ mobility is my important concern with Kansas City. Ask Brock Purdy if that Eagles entrance 4 fucks round. I don’t know if Mahomes may even go full Rambo with that ankle, and he’s the offense.
While Isiah Pacheco and the offensive line have been super, Andy Reid loathes operating the ball. Philly is aware of that in addition to anybody. He can strive to do the short passes and defend his QB, however the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers tried that, and each acquired boat-raced. The Eagles are going to be dry-humping Travis Kelce all around the State Farm Stadium subject, and Mahomes can have to be even higher than he was within the AFC title recreation. If he’s, it’ll be some God-level quarterbacking, and that’s simply to maintain it shut not to mention win.
That’s what I’m rooting for as a result of it’d be improbable to watch, and, y’know, fuck the Eagles. Be that as it might, if I had to put cash on it, Philly covers of their sleep.
Discussion about this post