- The Chiefs’ offensive line is an issue space: Perhaps the obvious takeaway from the Eagles’ trouncing of Kansas City is that Patrick Mahomes wants higher safety in entrance of him.
- The Eagles’ offense is that good: A down day for Saquon Barkley did not hinder Philadelphia’s offensive manufacturing one bit.
Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
The Eagles throttled the Chiefs, 40-22, for the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory, exacting revenge for his or her loss from two years in the past. There was rather a lot to dissect from their win, and right here we’ll take a look at 5 main takeaways.
The Chiefs as soon as once more have to make offensive line adjustments, beginning with retaining Trey Smith
The Chiefs’ defeat in Super Bowl 59 was eerily much like their loss in Super Bowl 55, with each the Eagles and Buccaneers managing to harass Patrick Mahomes regardless of hardly blitzing. Following Super Bowl 55, the Chiefs overhauled their offensive line, together with bringing in Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith by the 2021 NFL Draft. Humphrey has arguably been the perfect heart in soccer since then, having by no means completed worse than fourth in PFF grade amongst facilities, whereas Smith has been very constant because the crew’s beginning proper guard, having completed within the high 15 on the place in every of the previous three seasons.
However, outdoors of these two, the Chiefs’ offensive line was an issue space. One of the gamers introduced in throughout their overhaul, Joe Thuney, needed to kick outdoors to left deal with — the place he hadn’t constantly performed since school — as a result of their different choices had underperformed so badly. This resulted in Mike Caliendo changing into the beginning left guard, and he was utterly uncovered within the Super Bowl. Among all Chiefs gamers to take a snap within the sport, no matter place, Caliendo’s 32.0 PFF total grade was the worst. While he surrendered solely two pressures, together with a strip sack, he was crushed one other 5 occasions when the ball was launched earlier than any strain might be recorded.
Chiefs’ Offensive Line in Super Bowl 59
The Eagles managed to strain the Chiefs on 44.9% of dropbacks regardless of not blitzing as soon as on performs that counted (they did ship 5 cross rushers on one play that was referred to as again on account of offensive cross interference late within the sport). That’s an indication of the offensive line being overwhelmed moderately than a pure scheme subject. Trey Smith is ready to be a free agent this offseason, and if Kansas City lets him depart the constructing, they’d higher have related success drafting linemen this 12 months to what that they had in 2021.
The Eagles are greater than able to placing up factors even when Saquon Barkley is shut down
From the opening whistle, it was clear the Chiefs’ defensive sport plan was to ensure Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley didn’t gash them. On that entrance, they had been massively profitable. Barkley ran the ball 26 occasions for simply 60 yards, solely considered one of which went for greater than 10 yards because the Eagles generated an abysmal -0.259 anticipated factors added per play on run performs. With numbers like these from Barkley, one can be shocked to see that the Eagles gained the sport handily.
Lucky for them, the Chiefs targeted a lot on stopping Barkley that the passing assault put up considered one of its finest performances of the season. The Eagles’ 0.438 EPA per play on passing performs was a giant purpose the crew managed 40 factors. For comparability, the Ravens fielded probably the most environment friendly passing offense this season and averaged 0.291 EPA per play.
Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts made up for Barkley’s lack of manufacturing in a giant means, as not solely did he do injury by the air with a 78.7 PFF passing grade, however he was additionally glorious along with his legs, operating for 72 yards and an 80.9 PFF speeding grade.
Xavier Worthy could also be primed for a breakout in 2025, however the Chiefs nonetheless want extra receiver assist
The lone vivid spot on the Chiefs’ offense of their blowout loss was rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy, who quietly caught all eight of his targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns, main all receivers from either side with an 86.1 PFF receiving grade.
Worthy has proven flashes of being Kansas City’s future No. 1 goal, and he put the entire nation on discover in Super Bowl 59. However, there may be in any other case a lot of concern for the Chiefs’ cross catchers. DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown are each set to hit free company after quick stints in Kansas City, and even then, neither struck concern into opposing defenses.
Xavier Worthy: Postseason PFF Grades
Then there may be the massive query about Travis Kelce’s future. Kelce will flip 36 years outdated halfway by the 2025 season, a dinosaur for the tight finish place, and commenced exhibiting indicators of decline this 12 months. That has led many to take a position that Kelce has taken his final snap within the NFL. Should he determine to hold it up, that would depart the Chiefs with Worthy, Noah Gray and a returning Rashee Rice as their main choices, the latter of which can nonetheless miss a big portion of the 2025 season on account of recovering from damage and a attainable suspension.
The Eagles’ protection is ready as much as dominate for the foreseeable future
The Eagles ranked among the many perfect defenses within the league for the 2024 season. They comfortably allowed the bottom EPA per play determine, at -0.129, with the Vikings being the following finest, at -0.099. That dominance continued into the Super Bowl, as they held the Chiefs to -0.296 EPA per play — worse than the Browns‘ -.207 season-long common. In layman’s phrases, the Eagles made the Chiefs look considerably worse than the worst offense in soccer this season.
The scary half is that Philadelphia’s protection ought to solely get higher, as nearly all of its affect gamers are nonetheless determining how they match into this league. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Nolan Smith, Milton Williams, Reed Blankenship, Moro Ojomo and Jalyx Hunt are all 25 years outdated or youthful, lots of whom nonetheless have a minimum of a few years of crew management remaining.
That must be an unsettling thought for the remainder of the league. Combine that with Vic Fangio on the controls of this protection, and we may see a unit that ranks among the many finest in NFL historical past for years to return.
Don’t be shocked if we see these two sq. off within the Big Game another time earlier than all is alleged and carried out
Based on the previous couple of seasons, we might be arrange for a trilogy between these two franchises. They’ve already met twice with very related rosters between each video games, and neither crew is anticipated to lose a ton of playmakers this offseason. While the Chiefs do have some key contributors on offense who might be on their means out, they’re at the moment projected to have $11.5 million in cap house, in response to Over the Cap, which isn’t a ton however is one thing a artistic entrance workplace can work with.
The Eagles are in an analogous place by way of cap house, sitting at $18 million, however they’ve a lot roster depth that they’ll afford to lose guys like Josh Sweat, Milton Williams and Mekhi Becton in free company ought to they be unable to re-sign them.
These rosters must be largely intact for the following couple of years, in addition to a lot of their teaching staffs. Barring any vital declines from key gamers, the Chiefs and Eagles must be the favorites to sq. off as soon as once more in Super Bowl 60.