The Philadelphia Eagles are one step away from NFL glory. They’re set for a rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl LIX. Some fans might be weary of this matchup given the teams’ histories on this stage. The Birds met the Chiefs just two seasons ago and came up short in the contest. However, there are three key differences in this version of the team that could be the difference maker in a win or a loss. Here are three reasons to be more confident in the Birds for Super Bowl LIX.
Eagles Difference-Makers to Watch in Super Bowl LIX
Saquon Barkley a Historic Difference-Maker
This is the most obvious difference of them all. Saquon Barkley has been on an absolute record-setting pace in his first season with the Birds. The probable Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 125.3 yards per game.
With that effort, Barkley became just the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 or more yards. He is absolutely a difference-maker this time around. In 2022, the Eagles were handing off to a different 26, Miles Sanders, in Super Bowl LVII. Sanders had a career season, but his performance in the biggest game of the year was less than impressive. He totaled only seven carries for 16 yards, and averaged just 2.3 yards per attempt. Kansas City’s defense has been solid all season, but Barkley is simply a different beast. He’s one of those players you can’t fully stop, only contain.
That is going to be valuable for Philly because this season has shown when they can attack on the ground, it simplifies the passing game for Jalen Hurts. Speaking of Hurts…
Jalen Hurts Embraced Role on Eagles Before Super Bowl
In 2022, Hurts was a shoulder injury away from being MVP of the league. He also needed to be Superman in the Super Bowl in order to have a shot at winning, and while he was great, he wasn’t perfect.
Hurts had a Herculean effort in that game. He completed 71% of his passes for 304 and a passing touchdown. He also ran for an additional 70 yards and 3 touchdowns in that game. However, he was flawed in one area, turnovers. Hurts had a strip sack fumble which was returned by linebacker Nick Bolton for a touchdown. Take that score off the board and the Birds would have won the game.
Since this performance, the blueprint on Hurts has been simple. When you take away the run game from him and force him to beat you with his arm, he’s more prone to mistakes and costly turnovers. That’s another area where having Barkley is advantageous. Hurts doesn’t have to be Superman in this game, leave that job to Barkley.
Hurts’ assignment for this game is to simply be effective and protect the football. If he can do that, they have a much greater shot at winning than they did two seasons ago.
The Upstart Secondary
The Eagles had a great defense in 2022. In the secondary, guys like Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson had Pro Bowl seasons. However, one could make an argument that the secondary is better heading into this Super Bowl the last. They have more longevity, with successful pickups of young corners like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the draft. Slay and Gardner-Johnson serve more as nice complimentary veteran pieces rather than the focal points they were two seasons ago.
One could also make the argument the secondary being great in 2022 was more of a by-product of a historic defensive line. The front seven that season racked up 70 sacks. With that kind of pressure, quarterbacks are bound to make mistakes and commit turnovers. While that has more or less been the formula this year as well, the sack numbers are significantly less than that which could be evidence that the secondary is improved purely from a coverage perspective.
Their success is critical in this game because the team squandered a 10-point halftime lead due to a lackluster defensive effort in the second half. If they can play a more complete game on that side of the ball, along with the other improvements mentioned, there’s no reason to not believe the Eagles have a better chance of finishing the job this time.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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