After two long weeks — or maybe better stated, two long years — of waiting for the Philadelphia Eagles to get another shot at dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl LIX is finally here.
In order for the Eagles to earn their second-ever Super Bowl victory, they will have to get past Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, who are in the conversation for best quarterback and best head coach in NFL history.
When the Chiefs have the ball, the Eagles will have to find an answer for Mahomes' dink-and-dunk offense that converts third downs at a high clip and possesses the ball longer than any team in the NFL on a "per drive" basis. They'll also have to find a way to disrupt Mahomes' finely tuned rapport with TE Travis Kelce.
When the Eagles have the ball, they will have a number of matchup advantages, most notably with superhero Saquon Barkley running behind the best offensive line in the NFL. The Eagles should be able to put points on the board against a good Chiefs defense, but they'll have to find a way to keep star DT Chris Jones from wrecking the game.
The Eagles and Chiefs are about as healthy as either team could reasonably hope for this late in the season. The Eagles' biggest loss is LB Nakobe Dean, while the Chiefs' biggest loss is WR Rashee Rice. Here's the full Eagles-Chiefs injury report, with analysis.
The Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites, and most media types are picking the Chiefs to win because "Patrick Mahomes is the GOAT," or, "The Chiefs just win," often while also acknowledging that the Eagles are the better team. Here's a roundup of expert picks from around the country.
I see an Eagles win. The Chiefs' "favorite" status is more about their mystique than their current talent. This Eagles team is better, I think they know it, and they're not intimidated in the slightest. They're better in the trenches, they're far better on defense, and they have the much better offensive skill position players. Yes, Mahomes is superior to Jalen Hurts, but the gap isn't so great that it should offset the rest of the advantages in the Eagles' favor.
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