On Thursday we compared the Philadelphia Eagles' and Kansas Chiefs' offenses, position-by-position. Today we'll take a look at their defenses. As noted in the offense edition, next week we'll take a much more detailed look at the Eagles' and Chiefs' rosters and how they match up. But for now, let's take an initial look at their starting lineups, and try to figure out which team is better, on paper.
Edge rusher
In recent weeks the Eagles have employed a three-man rotation on the edge in Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt. Brandon Graham could make it four.
Sweat quietly had a productive season, collecting eight sacks during an 11-game stretch in the middle of the season. However, he hasn't had a sack in the last five games. Smith has picked up the slack, as he has 10.5 sacks since the Eagles' bye week. He also leads the NFL in sacks during the playoffs, with four. Hunt has seen his snap counts increase steadily over the course of the season. He plays with outstanding energy, and is coming along as a pass rusher.
The Chiefs' best edge rusher is George Karlaftis, who had eight sacks during the regular season, and has had six in the last five games. He is a power rusher with some inside-outside versatility. Otherwise, the Chiefs have an unspectacular supporting cast that includes Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Edge: Eagles
Interior defensive line
Chris Jones was a First-Team All-Pro each of the last three seasons. He was also a Second-Team All-Pro in 2018, 2020, and 2021. He's the Chiefs' best defensive player, by far, and a future Hall of Famer. On obvious passing downs, the Chiefs more or less allow Jones to rush against whoever he thinks the opposing offensive line's weakest link is, whether that's from the interior or on the edge. Part of his superpower is lining up anywhere and everywhere on the defensive line. He has 31 sacks the last three seasons, but only five in 2024.
- MORE EAGLES
- Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl bye week injury report, with analysis
- Who is better, Eagles or Chiefs: Offense edition
- How the Eagles have matched up against their Super Bowl opponents
Fifth-year pro Tershawn Wharton had a breakout season of sorts, with 6.5 sacks, and 33-year-old vet Mike Pennel seems to show up in big games. The Chiefs' space eater is Derrick Nnadi. The interior D-line is probably the strength of the Chiefs' defense.
The Eagles' interior is of course headlined by Jalen Carter, who was a menace all season long. He faced constant double teams, and still had 42 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six batted passes. He has also been a beast in the playoffs, collecting two sacks, a forced fumble, and three batted passes. Otherwise, Milton Williams had a solid season as a pass rusher (5 sacks), and Moro Ojomo has played well in his second season. Jordan Davis has physical traits and is a plus run stopper, but doesn't play a lot of snaps and has generally been a disappointing first-round pick.
Edge: Chiefs
Linebacker
Zack Baun is one of the five finalists for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Oren Burks has two forced fumbles in the playoffs in relief of Nakobe Dean.
Nick Bolton led the Chiefs in tackles in 2024, 2022, and 2021. He would have led the team in 2023 as well, but he only played in eight games. Drue Tranquill is the lesser of the Chiefs' starting linebackers, as he has one career INT and three forced fumbles in six NFL seasons.
The Chiefs also give playing time to Leo Chenal, an intriguing linebacker / edge hybrid who is big, fast, and physical. Steve Spagnuolo won't often ask Chenal to cover tight ends and running backs, instead allowing him to attack the line of scrimmage from multiple alignments and occasionally spy mobile quarterbacks.
Edge: I like the Chiefs' ability to be creative with their linebackers' skill sets, but Baun is just so damn good. Eagles.
Cornerback
Trent McDuffie is the best cornerback in this matchup and one of the best in the NFL. On the other side is Jaylen Watson, a 2022 seventh-round pick who broke his ankle in October, missed 11 games, and then returned for the playoffs. Watson has become a reliable enough starter that the Chiefs felt comfortable trading L'Jarius Sneed to the Titans. The slot corner is Chamarri Conner, a 2023 fourth-round pick. He forced fumbles each of the last two seasons against the Bills in the playoffs. He's a sure tackler and a very good run defender for a slot corner.
If McDuffie is the best corner in this matchup, then Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean are 2, 3, and 4, in whatever order you prefer. Both teams have good corner trios, but I'll give a slight edge to Philly.
Edge: Eagles
Safety
The Chiefs have a decent safety tandem in Justin Reid and Bryan Cook, but Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship both had really good seasons, combining for 10 INTs.
Edge: Eagles
| Position | Eagles | Chiefs | Advantage |
| EDGE | Josh Sweat | George Karlaftis | Chiefs |
| DT | Jalen Carter | Chris Jones | Chiefs |
| DT | Milton Williams | Tershawn Wharton | Eagles |
| EDGE | Nolan Smith | Mike Danna | Eagles |
| LB | Zack Baun | Nick Bolton | Eagles |
| LB | Oren Burks | Drue Tranquill | Eagles |
| CB | Darius Slay | Trent McDuffie | Chiefs |
| S | Chauncey Gardner-Johnson | Justin Reid | Eagles |
| S | Reed Blankenship | Bryan Cook | Eagles |
| CB | Quinyon Mitchell | Jaylen Watson | Eagles |
| SCB | Cooper DeJean | Chamarri Conner | Eagles |
Tale of the tapeEagles: 8
Chiefs: 3
The team stats and advanced metrics back up my rudimentary analysis above.
| Defensive metrics | Eagles | Chiefs |
| Yards allowed | 1 | 10 |
| Points allowed | 1 | 4 |
| Defensive DVOA | 1 | 12 |
| EPA/play | 2 | 9 |
Follow Jimmy & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @JimmyKempski | thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Jimmy's RSS feed to your feed reader
