Whether they want to acknowledge it or not, NFL fans get a treat on Super Bowl Sunday: the sequel: the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
This time, though, it’s going to be different.
The Eagles aren’t going to lose again. They’re going to halt an all-time dynasty.
Here are three reasons why.
Reason One: Saquon Barkley
In their last Super Bowl against Kansas City, the Eagles received 45 rushing yards on 17 attempts from their running backs. Per rbsdm.com, they had a 58th-percentile performance on the ground in expected points added per play (EPA/play).
That season, Philadelphia had five games at the 58th percentile mark or below and lost three of them. They had a 14-1 record when putting up better rushing efforts than that.
But this team has Saquon Barkley. As a result, they are coming off of back-to-back 98th percentile showings on the ground in EPA/play.
This is the obvious difference between the Eagles in 2022 and 2024. They have, quite possibly, the best non-quarterback in the NFL. Barkley’s explosive plays, which we’ll revisit on the other side of the ball in a minute, have buoyed the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. Philadelphia’s offense has been one of the best explosive-play generators, while the Chiefs’ defense has been more or less average at preventing them.
It goes without saying that a big Barkley game could be the difference between winning and losing.
After his last two performances against similarly explosive-play-prone defenses, going back-to-back-to-back wouldn’t be much of a shock. Another long-range house call could be the difference.
Reason Two: Vic Fangio
Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio this season has been turning the Eagles into the best explosive play defense in the NFL. Nobody comes close to them in that department. However, the Chiefs don’t win through big plays—they’re notoriously non-explosive. That could be a problem.
The Chiefs win games with their late-down efficiency and frustratingly mistake-free nature. The Eagles are in the Super Bowl because of how many turnovers they’ve forced, though, which could be yet another challenge.
But Fangio is one of the best defensive minds in football. He’s had two weeks to prepare for this game, but probably a bit more (seeing as I predicted it in December). It’s not like he’s unaware of what he’s going up against.
Trust the man who turned a bottom-five defense into the best one in football to find an answer. It’d be silly not to.
Reason Three: Eagles’ Weapons Advantage
We don’t have to overthink this. The Eagles have, objectively, the best collection of weapons in the sport. It’s something the Chiefs have not gone up against this season.
Kansas City is a masterfully coached team that can win any game regardless of the perceived talent gap. They maximize what they have better than anyone. However, the Eagles are arguably even stronger than they were talent-wise than they were in 2022.
Disastrous defensive and special teams play was the cause of their Super Bowl LVII defeat, not because Jalen Hurts and company didn’t “show up.”
The weapons advantage, while not the magic recipe for success against Kansas City, will make the Eagles’ job easier. They will need big performances from their stars again.
The Chiefs ripped the Eagles’ hearts out about two years ago.
Revenge is on the horizon.
PHOTO: Stephen Lew/Imagn Images
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