Super Bowl LIX Preview: Philadelphia Eagles vs Kansas City Chiefs

NEW Orleans- Super Bowl LIX will kick off at 5:30 p.m. CT, streaming on Tubi, FOX, NFL+, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to 3-peat as Super Bowl Champions for the first time in National Football League history, while the Philadelphia Eagles are trying to find victory after making their second Super Bowl appearance in three years with Jalen Hurts at the helm as quarterback.

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These two teams have come a long way to get this far, but it all starts back to the offseason and throughout the regular, where they made great selections in the 2024 NFL Draft and added some free agents who have etched their names into history.

For the Eagles, they received running back Saquon Barkley through free agency, and he has blown up this NFL season. His speed and athleticism have left many in shambles, along with his trick plays like hurdling backward over a defender. His speed, combined with Hurts' arm and speed, has made many teams pay as they cannot keep up with them. To add to the chaos, the Eagles still have wide receiver DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown, who can get open and find the end zone. No matter who the Eagles add to their offense, they have found much success with their signature 'tush push.' Earlier in the week, head coach Nick Sirianni credited his offense and gave some insight as to why it works.

"It's something that develops over time, and you start adding layers to it. You start adding complements to it where the defense has to make sure that they're playing it honest. So it's just something that has developed over time. You don't run the play unless you have the guys to run the play. It's always a topic of conversation on should the play be banned, but the success that we have is not always replicated throughout the entire league. We're successful at it because of the guys we have up front, and again, it keeps layering as you get better and as you get more experienced with it. It's truly a group effort of how we continue to develop at this play and have the success we have at this play. Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, Mekhi Becton, Lane Johnson, Hurts - that's why it's been successful. We're successful at it because those guys know how to do it and make it work."

As far as their defense, they have a lot of strong and aggressive defenders. Hurts credits the University of Georgia for their defensive teachings that have paid off in the NFL.

Playing against a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, it will be beneficial to have guys that have a history of playing defense together and can make some crucial stops. Additionally, their 2024 rookie class includes guys like cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who have had a great rookie season and are playing as if they are veterans. During the week DeJean stated, “I like watching a lot of guys, Riley Moss- he was a former teammate of mine. Pat Surtain, both in Denver. Minkiah Fitzpatrick- there are a lot of guys I like to watch and kind of take in from.”  Crediting his former teammate and some former Alabama guys. DeJean had a great hit on veteran running back Derrick Henry, which he believes was the play that made his rookie season standout. A hit like that would be beneficial when going against running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt for the Chiefs.

Now, the Chiefs are known for their duo featuring quarterback Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, but they bring a speedy squad as well, which this Eagles team did not see two years ago. Such as the rookie Xavier Worthy who broke the 40-yard dash record at the 2024 NFL Combine. Additionally, they have veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who joined during the season and is hungry to get his first Super Bowl touchdown. They also rekindled with free agent wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs previously.

As for their defense, the scary defensive end Chris Jones can be a problem for any offense as he is quick and will put you on the ground before you notice it. Additionally, cornerback Trent McDuffie has locked down many receivers, and linebacker Drue Tranquill makes sure to tackle an opponent throughout the game. His versatile skills include coverage, blitzing, and run defense.

With both teams boasting great rosters and players that have great highlight tapes, fans and critics alike should expect a showdown as both will fight to create history.

GAME STATS:

• According to Adam Schefter, Mahomes vs. Hurts will be the fourth quarterback rematch in Super Bowl history, joining Eli Manning-Tom Brady, Troy Aikman-Jim Kelly, Terry Bradshaw-Roger Staubach. In each of the previous three instances, the same quarterback has won both games.
• Additionally, Including the playoffs, Barkley now has amassed 2,447 rushing yards this season, and needs 30 more today to pass Hall-of-Famer Terrell Davis and the 2,476 he had in 1998 for the most all-time in a season (according to Schefter).
• If the Eagles win, Smith will have an accomplishment that no one has ever added to their resume: a Super Bowl win, appearing in two Super Bowls, winning two National Titles, and being a Heisman Trophy winner over a seven-year span. Should the Eagles win, he will also become just the fourth player (fifth if you include Reggie Bush) to ever win a Heisman, National Championship, and Super Bowl.

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