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Super Bowl 57 is only a few days away and both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are finalizing their preparations.
The game will be determined by a series of fascinating matchups. And while the quarterbacks — Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Eagles — will certainly generate the most interest, the game will likely be determined along both lines of scrimmage. The Eagles and Chiefs boast two of the better offensive lines in the NFL. Philadelphia is five sacks away from an NFL record that one of the greatest defenses of all time, the 1984 Bears, hold.
There’s also a captivating wrinkle in the coaching staffs, as current Kansas City coach Andy Reid actually fired current Eagles coach Nick Sirianni in 2013, when Reid took over the Chiefs and Sirianni was an incumbent on the staff.
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Here’s a breakdown of each position and a look at which team holds an advantage headed into Super Bowl 57.
This margin isn’t as wide as you might think. Jalen Hurts, 24, is a star who is going to be a problem in the NFC for a long time. He worked with Tom House this offseason and has refined his mechanics. His ability to compromise defenses with his rushing ability has made it increasingly difficult to defend Philadelphia. And, if the Chiefs use a spy to try to limit what Hurts can do out in open space, it takes away a potential defender Kansas City can use in the secondary.
All that said, Patrick Mahomes is the most gifted passer in the NFL, possibly of all time. His arm makes it so that the Chiefs can score on any given play. And while he may not rack up rushing yards, his mobility — though it may be tested Sunday by a high ankle sprain — allows him to extend plays and find receivers who can break off their routes.
Advantage: Chiefs
Where Kansas City has a potential home run hitter in Isiah Pacheco, the Eagles carry significant depth in the backfield. Philadelphia’s top three running backs — Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell — are all capable of taking over a game. Just look at Gainwell’s production; he averaged just 3.1 rushes per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, that number has jumped to 13 per and he has responded by leading the Eagles in rushing in both the divisional and conference championship rounds. Sanders, meanwhile, has a nose for the end zone.
Pacheco is explosive both rushing the ball and catching it out of the backfield, but Kansas City often doesn’t give him enough touches to be a major factor. The team also activated Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) off of injured reserve and he’d provide a huge boost if he’s able to play.
Advantage: Eagles
This is perhaps the one position where a team has the strongest advantage over the other. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith are both star playmakers whose different skill sets complement each other; Brown is physical and quick and can beat defenders with power and Smith is a silky route runner who is elusive in space.
On the other side, the Chiefs have navigated their first season without Tyreek Hill quite well, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney making plays.
