- Picking the protection aside: The Eagles’ offense averaged 0.499 EPA per play by way of the air — the best mark Kansas City allowed all season outdoors of Week 18 when the staff rested its starters in opposition to the Broncos.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Leading as much as Super Bowl 59, a lot of the dialog centered round Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive blitz packages and whether or not the Eagles’ offense may acknowledge and counter them. After Kansas City’s protection confused and pressured Josh Allen on the ultimate play of the AFC Championship Game, many believed a well-timed blitz may as soon as once more be the deciding issue.
However, that wasn’t the case. The Eagles neutralized Kansas City’s blitzes, preserving Jalen Hurts clear and guaranteeing Spagnuolo’s signature strain seems had little impression on the sport’s consequence.
Despite recording 4 sacks in Super Bowl 59, the Chiefs struggled to generate constant strain, affecting simply 33.3% of the Eagles’ cross performs. To put that into perspective, it was Kansas City’s eighth-lowest strain price in a recreation this season and the fifth-lowest strain price allowed by Philadelphia.
That lack of disruption performed a significant position within the Chiefs’ worst pass-defense efficiency of the yr. The Eagles’ offense averaged 0.499 EPA per play by way of the air, the best mark Kansas City allowed all season aside from Week 18 when the staff rested its starters in opposition to the Broncos.
None of this is able to have been doable with out the Eagles’ offensive line successfully dealing with Kansas City’s blitzes. On 12 blitzes, the Chiefs managed to generate strain simply 3 times — a 25% strain price, their third-lowest mark in a recreation all season. While two of these pressures resulted in sacks, Philadelphia largely saved Jalen Hurts clear and in management.
Coming into the sport, the Chiefs had thrived when bringing further rushers, permitting simply -0.08 EPA per play on blitzes. But in opposition to the Eagles, that quantity flipped—Philadelphia generated 0.12 EPA per play when blitzed, the fourth-worst efficiency for Kansas City’s protection in a recreation this season.
Jalen Hurts’ passing report: 2024 postseason
Super Bowl 59 MVP Jalen Hurts took full benefit of the Eagles’ potential to choose up Kansas City’s blitzes, regularly attacking deep when he acknowledged further rushers. Though he accomplished simply 4 passes on the 12 blitzes he confronted, two of them had been big-time throws. His aggressive strategy was mirrored in his 17.4-yard common depth of goal and 11.0 yards per try — each his second-highest marks in opposition to the blitz this season.
Many believed the Chiefs’ blitzes can be the deciding issue on this recreation, they usually had been—however not in the way in which anticipated. Instead of disrupting Philadelphia’s offense, they grew to become a possibility, as Hurts and the Eagles had all the proper solutions for Spagnuolo’s strain schemes.