Philadelphia accomplished something the 49ers have failed to do in the Mahomes era; REVENGE! Two years ago the Eagles fell to the late game heroics of Patrick Mahomes. After enduring coaching changes and skepticism, the Eagles began their Super Bowl run this year by adding key pieces to their team.
First, they added Vic Fangio. Seasoned and well-traveled, Fangio simplified the Eagles defense in large part because of the new pieces added to the system. They signed Zack Baun, a speedy but little-known linebacker. Then they drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Mitchell started at corner while DeJean was their go to nickel-back.
The Eagles rebuild wasn’t only on defense. They hired Kellen Moore to run the offense. Then they started addressing their offensive line. Mekhi Becton, who many thought was a first round bust, signed to a one-year deal and moved to guard. Finally, they cap stoned their offensive acquisitions by signing Saquon Barkley.
Meet Me at the Oak Tree.
The Eagles put a first rate beat down on the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was over at half time, but we still came back to watch the second half with morbid fascination. It is unclear what exactly the Chief’s game plan was as they managed to only obtain one first down in the first half. Their one and only first down in the first half was their first play of the game (an 11-yard pass play to JuJu Smith-Schuster). The remaining Chief’s drives in the first half were three and outs or turnovers.
The Chiefs still had a chance, midway thru the 2nd quarter. Then, Mahomes suffers back-to-back sacks and is in a 3rd and 16 situation. He takes the snap, and his right tackle is blocked into him as he releases the ball. Cooper DeJean picks it off and runs it back 38 yards for a touchdown. Two possessions later, Mahomes throws another interception only 14 yards from his own goal line. It was a poor decision and a worse throw enabled by abysmal offensive line play. A few minutes later the Eagles go up an easy 24-0 to end the half.
Philadelphia’s defense dominated the game. They did not blitz at any point during the Super Bowl. The Eagle’s defense was so dominant if the offense didn’t score another point, they still would have won the game. In short, it was an old-fashioned ass whipping.
A Complete Team Victory.
Let’s start with the defense. The Eagles dominated on defense because their front four was able to utterly dismantle the Chiefs pass protection. They collected six sacks while running Patrick Mahomes ragged all over the field. Josh Sweat lead the sack parade with 2.5 sacks followed closely by Milton Williams who collected two. Williams also forced a fumble and turnover on one of his sacks. Jordan Davis collected a sack up the middle while Jalyx Hunt met Sweat at the quarterback to collect half a sack.
Sacks and pressure lead to turnovers. Rookie defensive back DeJean snagged a pick six to start the turnover party. Then two possessions later Baun picks Mahomes off mere yards from paydirt. C.J. Gardner-Johnson also picked off Mahomes but the play was called back due to penalty. The Eagles defensive performance allowed their offense to shine as they forced punts and turnovers throughout the game.
As I predicted, Jalen Hurts was pivotal in the run game during the Super Bowl. His 11 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown were all well timed runs. In many cases his lead blocker was Saquon himself. In fact, Barkley’s most important contribution was lead blocker for his quarterback as the Chiefs held Barkley to a mere 57 yards on 25 carries. https://jjsportsfan.com/super-bowl-lix-preview/
Hurts hit on the right passes at the right time, despite his lone interception. After Zack Baun’s interception, Hurts threw a dart to A.J. Brown who tip toed in for the touchdown. When the score was 27 – 0 with five minutes to go in the third quarter, his 46-yard tear drop touchdown throw to DeVonta Smith was a dagger to the Chiefs Kingdom. Though Barkley was held to 57 yards rushing, he managed to lead the Eagles in receptions, collecting six for 40 yards.
The Eagles offensive and defensive line won the game for the Eagles. Notably, Mekhi Becton was out for a few possessions of the first half, and Tyler Steen came in to spell him until Becton was ready to play. Becton finished the game. On defense Fangio kept his defensive lineman fresh by constantly rotating his talent in and out. They never took their foot off the accelerator.
Chiefs Assessment.
The Eagles team effort exposed and exploited many of the issues the Chiefs have contended with all season long. The Chiefs suffered thru inconsistent play of their offensive line and receiver corps most of the season. They secured the most one score victories in the league by great defense and Mahomes grit. Poor offensive line play, inconsistent receiver play and a declining Travis Kelce added up to an easy formula for Vic Fangio and the Eagles defense to exploit.
Put succinctly, the Chiefs could not block, and their receivers couldn’t catch. The worst dropped pass occurred right before half time on a 3rd and 11. Deandre Hopkins was wide open, and he just couldn’t bring the ball in. Had he done so, he would have converted the first down and then some as he was looking at nothing but green grass towards the endzone.
As I pointed out earlier, the Chiefs offensive game plan was not apparent. However, there were opportunities to right the ship. In their first drive of the second half, Isiah Pacheco gashed the Eagles for a six-yard gain. After the Chiefs managed to secure a first down, Coach Reid failed to return to the run game.
Coach Reid apparently thought the quick passing game was the way to defeat a four-man front. He wasn’t prepared for the fact that his offensive line would roll out the red carpet for the Eagles defensive linemen. When the second half started, I thought sure Coach Reid would leave some blockers behind to help routes develop. He didn’t. He kept rolling out the same 5-man protections…with sometime a sixth chipper. Worse, he shied away from the run game.
The Chiefs execution didn’t make sense to me, especially when the Chiefs played two tight end formations throughout the season and the playoffs. Seven men to block for the run or the passing game might have been the right answer. Xavier Worthy showed his ability to get open, yet the Chiefs ran precious few isolation routes.
The Chiefs defense performed admirably. They held Saquon down. Yet they wore down themselves as their offense failed to move the ball. Eventually their resolve withered as fatigue began to set into the Chiefs defenders.
It was a tough game all the way around. The lesson learned for the Chiefs is to get younger at receiver and tight end and most importantly, invest in their offensive line.
Will the Eagles Return?
For those thinking the Eagles will repeat, think again. Kellen Moore is expected to be the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Mekhi Becton, Milton Williams, Zack Baun and Josh Sweat are all unrestricted free agents. Expect them all to be seeking a big pay day since they just achieved a ring. With only 24 million in cap space, the Eagles would have to get creative to sign two of these players. They can’t sign all four, unless they take a discount.
For now, enjoy the off season. Free Agency and the Draft will be very interesting this year as teams begin to reset for 2025!
