Wow. Just wow. I have no words for how this year is coming to an end. Not only did my New Orleans Saints have another mediocre season, BUT the Chiefs made it to ANOTHER Super Bowl. Just because I chose the wrong team to bandwagon to win in 2018, doesn’t mean you gotta rub my nose in it.

 But anyway, enough about me, time for some football. If you’ve read my World Series article (link here), you know how this goes. So, let’s dive in. Starting with…

The Kansas City Chiefs:

The Kansas City Chiefs are synonymous with many things at this point. Winning, dynasties, referees, proud fathers of the Buffalo Bills, etc. But there’s one thing they can’t do. Win a game by more than one possession.

Of the 16 games the Chiefs won this year, only four of them were by more than 7 points, with FIVE of them by 3 or less. This means that the Chiefs won more “toss-ups” than “blowouts”. And this may not look too bad at surface level, because four blowouts is still an impressive feat. Right?

WRONG. Not only is that low for a team that is supposed to be this high caliber, but it is absolutely terrible compared to last season. The 2022-23 and 2023-24 Chiefs were both unquestionably dominant, having won seven games each in blowout fashion. And while that may not seem like it’s a lot, once you dive into the scores, it’s a whole different ball game. 

3 Biggest 2022-23 Wins:

44 – 21 at Arizona Cardinals

44 – 23 at San Francisco 49ers

26 – 10 vs. Los Angeles Rams

3 Biggest 2023-24 Wins: 

41 – 10 vs. Chicago Bears

31 – 17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

31 – 17 at Las Vegas Raiders

3 Biggest 2024-25 Wins:

29 – 10 at Pittsburgh Steelers

26 – 13 vs. New Orleans Saints

28 – 18 at San Francisco 49ers

I know this looks bad already, but it gets worse. The Chiefs’ offense this year was subpar at best, being 15th in points scored with 385 and 17th in yards per game at 327.6. Numbers don’t lie, and when your largest win margins are dwindling, you have much less room for error. 

 Mahomes undoubtedly had an off year, ranking 7th in passing yards, below players like Sam Darnold and Geno Smith. He also ranked 9th in Passing Touchdowns with 26, tied for a career low. But hey, the last time he threw for 26 Touchdowns, he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February, so who am I to judge? By no means am I disrespecting Mahomes, because the guy is an animal. He led the league this year with seven game-winning drives, two more than any of the runner-ups. But, on the other hand, he also ranked 16th in passer rating with 93.1, 9 whole points below his career average, and his second lowest single season rating.

I know what you’re probably thinking “defense wins championships,” but not this defense. Not this defense. The Chiefs’ Defense ranked 26th in 3rd down percentage. That means there were 25 defenses in the league that were better at stopping third downs than the Chiefs. They also ranked 16th in sacks with 39, 18th in pass yards per game, and 12th in opponent passer rating. But, even though their pass rush may be lackluster, there is still hope for their rushing defense. They rank top ten in both rushing yards per game (8th) and in opponent yards per rush (6th), which theoretically, should set them up for a pretty even matchup. Well, it would but they just happen to be playing…

The Philadelphia Eagles:

The 1# passing defense in the country, the #2 rushing offense, the best running back in franchise history, a top 10 offensive line. I could really go on all day, but I’ll skip it for now.

As a young Boston sports fan, I grew up hating Philly. But as I’ve matured I realized that it was never that serious, and that I was the problem. They are still the worst fans in sports, so don’t get me wrong. But, over the years, the teams started to get more and more likable as time went on. I mean, I still absolutely despise the ‘76ers and the Flyers, but the Phillies and Eagles are starting to grow on me a little bit. I mean honestly, the Eagles are so fun to watch. I can’t possibly see anyone who’s not a Giants, Cowboys, or Commanders fan hating them. But enough talk, let’s get into the numbers.

The Philadelphia Eagles ended their regular season with a very respectable 14-3 record, earning them the 2 seed in the NFC. They boasted a +160 point differential, second across the entire league, only behind the 1 seeded Detroit Lions. The Eagles Defense only allowed an average 17.8 points per game, ranking second behind the Chargers with 17.7. They were the number 2 rushing team, only 8 yards per game behind the Ravens. Blah blah blah mindless nerd garbage.

I could’ve just rambled on and on about the tremendous statistics that this Eagles team recorded, but I woke up today feeling kind. So, I am going to spare you the time, and instead start talking your ears off. Saquon Barkley is the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year. He is the 9th man in NFL history to surpass 2000 rushing yards in a season. He is now forever immortalized among the likes of Eric Dickerson, and Barry Sanders. Not to mention that he is now forever ingrained in the Eagles’ history books as well, breaking almost all franchise rushing records. So in conclusion, it’s undeniable that the Eagles’ run game will have a significant impact on this game.

The Eagles passing game may be a little bit more questionable though, as DeVonta Smith is currently limited at practices, coming off of a Hamstring Injury. And especially with Jalen Hurts. Sure, he just came off of a historic performance in the NFC Championship game, but he struggled early on. The Eagles won 5 games this year where Jalen Hurts had less than 150 yards, and Hurts up to this point had never thrown more than 200 yards in a playoff win. But, he could be turning a new leaf with his 110.1 passer rating two weeks ago against the Commanders. There’s no doubt that the expectations will be high, but can he live up to them? He’s going to really need to step up here, as I would argue this is the biggest game of his career. If he wins on Sunday, he will truly solidify himself as an Elite QB, not just someone who hangs on the coattails of an exceptional defense and rushing game.

Predictions & Conclusion:

This game, no matter what, will be historic. A rematch from years past, both QBs still kind of paving the way for their legacy moving forward. The Eagles do fare well in their second meeting with teams in the Super Bowl, as they beat the Patriots in the 2017-18 season 41-33. Previously facing them in 2004-05, ending in a loss 21-24. While the Chiefs, on the other hand, have the chance to be the first team to three-peat in not only the Super Bowl Era, but in the entire history of the NFL, many teams have come close and fallen short, are the Chiefs the “chosen ones”?

The simple answer is no. 

The not-so-simple answer is that the Chiefs just don’t have enough gas left in the tank to take down this Eagles squad. This is the first time that the Chiefs have faced an actually formidable foe since the 2020-21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even the 2022-23 Eagles weren’t as strong, with an unreliable passer in Jalen Hurts, and a swiss-cheese secondary. But this time, even though the Eagles faced some pass coverage struggles early in the season, they have really turned things around. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was tied for 3rd, tying his career high of 6 interceptions, contributing almost half of the team’s interceptions on the season (13). 

FINAL SCORE: 27 – 17, Eagles Win

I don’t see this game getting too out of hand. If I had to guess, I believe Saquon Barkley will rush for 150+ yards, and Hurts and Mahomes will pass for no more than 250. Then again I could be completely wrong, but the only other scenario I see is an Eagles blowout, but that won’t happen. You know how the Chiefs love their one score games.