صاحب‌خبر - What the Kansas City Chiefs need to do to win Win the first downs. The Chiefs need to find a way to turn the Eagles into a dropback passing offense. If Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can scheme up something to win the initial down, his front can take over on second- and third-downs. Oliver Connolly Keep Patrick Mahomes clean. Two years ago the Eagles became only the second Super Bowl team in history (along with the 1974 Steelers) to lead the NFL in sacks but fail to record one in the big game. That protection went a long way toward swinging the balance in a contest that went down to the wire. But there’s no question Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith will offer a stiffer test for Kansas City’s stout offensive line than Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph and Robert Quinn did. Bryan Armen Graham Aside from continuing to grease the refs? Juuust kidding. The Chiefs need to keep doing all the things that have defined their success, including their top-ranked third-down offense and general playoff clutchness. Oh, and they must stop that Saquon Barkley dude. Melissa Jacobs Super Bowl repeat or revenge? Whatever happens, history will be made Read more Consolidate third-down stops by scoring as soon as they get the ball back. The Eagles offense is all about ball control – but if they fall behind, sticking with the run game may not suffice, even with Barkley’s home-run capabilities. It’ll put pressure on Jalen Hurts to throw to catch up and, well, he’s no Mahomes in a shootout. Andrew Lawrence Mahomes needs to get the ball out quickly. Kansas City’s offensive line could be their achilles heel. Joe Thuney has filled in at left tackle well but guards Mike Caliendo and Trey Smith have struggled in the postseason giving up 11 pressures on 58 passing snaps. If blockers aren’t all over their assignments then Philadelphia provide one of the worst matchups possible. Defensive tackles Carter and Milton Williams have the power to burst through the interior while Smith is highly disruptive from the edge. The depth of talent from players such as Jordan Davis and Josh Sweat also ups the ante compared to the defenses they have seen in the playoffs so far. Graham Searles What the Philadelphia Eagles need to do to win Plaster the Chiefs’ receivers. Mahomes has been immune to pressure, but he has struggled this season when forced to hold on to the ball. If the Eagles corners can hang in sticky coverage, Mahomes will be forced to scramble to create on his own. Ordinarily, that’s terrifying. For the Eagles, it would be a win. OC Win first down. If Barkley can get into a rhythm of consistent four- or five-yard gains on first-and-10, the Eagles’ path to victory broadens considerably. By avoiding the difficult second- and third-and-long situations that will allow Spagnuolo to dial up aggressive blitzes, Philadelphia’s playbook will expand to the quick throws, RPOs and designed runs that play to Hurts’ strengths (say nothing of more Saquon). Most important, it will control the clock and keep Mahomes off the field. BAG Get Saquon going early and often to keep Mahomes off the field. Hurts must be better throwing the ball away if the Chiefs are to get any penetration. Perhaps most importantly, the Eagles’ pass defense, which was top-ranked during the season but has slipped in the playoffs, has to hold off Mahomes’s sweet spot: intermediate throws. MJ Likely, Hurts has been thinking about his fumble in the Super Bowl for the past two years. It was the only blemish in an otherwise magnificent game which saw him defy expectations and duel throw for throw with Mahomes. If the Eagles want revenge, they can’t sabotage themselves – and Hurts can’t afford another massive mistake, even if it’s just the one. AL If Hurts is fully healthy then expanding his role with designed runs will keep the Chiefs on their toes as they fixate on Barkley. Not that the running back needs any help to destroy Kansas City. The Eagles need to refrain from overthinking the scenario regardless of how historically great the opponent is. The team is set up for Barkley so just let him fly. GS View image in fullscreen In Philadelphia’s three playoff games so far, Saquon Barkley has rushed for 442 yards and five touchdowns with three of his scores going for at least 60 yards. Photograph: Eric Hartline/USA Today Sports Key player for the Chiefs Travis Kelce, tight end. Kelce always shows up in the biggest moments. The Eagles’ defense is structured in a way that tight ends get plenty of opportunities to attack the middle of the field. It’s unclear if Philly will designate one of Cooper DeJean, Zach Baun, or Oren Burks (or a combination of two) to track Kelce. Regardless, Mahomes will look Kelce’s way on pivotal downs – and his tight end should have an edge. OC Patrick Mahomes, quarterback. You could make the case for right guard Trey Smith, who likely draws the unenviable assignment of containing Carter, who has looked like the second coming of Jerome Brown of late. But as Mahomes goes, so go the Chiefs. His ability to avoid sacks, extend plays and make off-platform throws when things break down remains unmatched – and there’s nobody better at orchestrating a game-winning drive if the game is close in the fourth quarter. BAG Xavier Worthy, wide receiver. Worthy, who scored in his debut, has only become more impactful as the season has progressed Just the mere threat of Worthy with his all-world speed and explosive playmaking abilities is enough to make Vic Fangio work overtime. If Worthy is successful on a few big plays, this game might not be close. MJ Kareem Hunt, running back. People forget: Hunt, the 2017 rushing leader, was the Chiefs’ breakout rookie, not Mahomes – who carried a clipboard that year. He just missed out on the beginning of the Chiefs dynastic run because of a domestic-violence incident that forced the team to waive him. Back after five years of football purgatory in Cleveland, Hunt isn’t the game-breaking threat he was when he was younger – but he’s still a strong runner and exceptional pass catcher who gets the job done. AL Charles Omenihu, edge defender. An underrated playmaker for the Chiefs has the ability to produce when it counts as he showed with a crucial batted down pass in the final quarter against the Bills. Spagnuolo can rely on Omenihu to set a rock solid edge as the Chiefs throw everything at containing Barkley’s home runs. GS Key player for the Eagles Jalen Carter, defensive tackle. The Chiefs have re-jigged their offensive line and now have two clear weak points: left guard and right tackle. The Eagles have to take advantage. It’s over to Carter, who has become a one-man inferno, to take advantage. The Eagles rarely move Carter around, meaning he will probably be one-on-one against Chiefs right guard Trey Smith. If Carter wins a ‘good on good’ matchup, the rest of his teammates should feast along the line. How often do Super Bowls come down to one, decisive sack? Carter is the front-runner to drop Mahomes and tilt the game. OC Milton Williams, defensive tackle. He might not have the same Q Score as Philadelphia’s other young defensive stars, but the 25-year-old lineman will play an important role in the Eagles’ attempt to slow down Kansas City’s offense. With Carter commanding double teams, Williams will have plenty of one-on-one chances against Chiefs left guard Mike Caliendo, who’s struggled in pass protection. Williams’ elite 12.5% pressure rate ranks second among defensive tackles, and his disruptive presence could collapse the pocket, forcing Mahomes into uncomfortable throws. If Williams dominates his matchup, Philadelphia’s defense could replicate Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV blueprint. BAG Jalen Carter, defensive tackle. Carter has been a force all season and especially in the playoffs. In three games this postseason, Carter has 20 pressures, two sacks, three quarterback hits, and five run stops. If he dominates the Chiefs’ interior line as he has most other interiors, the Eagles have a hell of a shot. MJ Cooper DeJean, defensive back. Don’t judge a book by its cover: DeJean is an exceptional cornerback who hits as well as he covers. Mostly, the Eagles stick him on receivers in the slot, which means he will be charged with locking down another rookie – Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs’ primary downfield threat. AL Jordan Mailata, left tackle. Mailata’s dominance on the line of scrimmage is the foundation of Philadelphia’s explosive offense. His blocking gives both Hurts an age to throw or scramble and Barkley acres of avenue to skip through. The Australian gunning for a first Super Bowl ring for his country allowed 14 pressures, one sack and no hits of his quarterback in 406 passing snaps in the regular season. And he only started playing the sport seven years ago. GS One bold prediction The Eagles score on a fake tush push. It’s time! Enough of creeping the ball along for a yard or two. The Eagles’ short-yardage play is a cheat code, but it’s time for them to spice it up. Philly have toyed with trick plays that leverage the fear of the Brotherly Shove, but they haven’t unveiled the long con in a huge spot. OC Dallas Goedert leads all players in receptions ... and rushes for a touchdown. Maybe not as bold a call as, say, Taylor joining Kendrick for Bad Blood, but it would be some capper for Philadelphia’s dynamic tight end after injuries limited him to 496 yards receiving during the regular season. Goedert has always stepped up his production in the playoffs, including 4-for-47 with a highlight-reel touchdown against the Packers, 4-for-56 against the Rams and a 7-for-85 outing in the NFC title game (and 13 more yards on two rushes) that extended a streak of nine straight playoff games with four or more catches. They’ve called his number consistently in the biggest of moments during the Hurts-Sirianni era and there will be no shortage of those on Sunday. BAG A profanity controversy will kick off after Kendrick Lamar performs his Drake-diss track megahit Not Like Us but doesn’t censor quite as many lyrics as the NFL would like. MJ Kendrick makes a statement either at Trump or about Trump that becomes the next great culture war controversy. AL Philadelphia add another statue to their hall of backups as Kenny Pickett wins the Super Bowl. Edge defender George Karlaftis is going to aggravate Hurts’ knee injury only for King Kenny Pickett to save the day. If Nick Foles can topple Tom Brady, Pickett can slay Mahomes. GS View image in fullscreen Patrick Mahomes, left, and Travis Kelce have been the cornerstones of a Kansas City Chiefs dynasty that’s one win from an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat. Photograph: Brooke Sutton/Getty Images Which of these teams is most likely to be here next year? It’s the Chiefs. They have the best quarterback and coaching staff and are oozing with young talent that can carry one dynastic run into the next. The Eagles have some tricky free-agent questions to address this offseason; the Chiefs will have all their key players back next season. OC Both of them, probably. It’s hard to bet against Mahomes and Reid, who have become the Brady and Belichick of the 2020s. But Howie Roseman’s deft, visionary front-office work has Philadelphia positioned for long-term success in what appears to be the weaker conference ... and that’s even if a rumored trade for Myles Garrett doesn’t pan out. Whatever happens Sunday, a Chiefs-Eagles threequel is very much in play. BAG Kansas City. Isn’t there some NFL by-law that states Mahomes must be in the Super Bowl? They’ve previously made it with a shaky defense, then without Tyreek Hill, and now with a past-his-prime Kelce. Nobody can seemingly stop this juggernaut. MJ Kansas City. With all due respect to Eagles GM Howie Roseman, the Chiefs have been here five of the past six years. AL Kansas City. Philadelphia’s problem is what the future holds at quarterback if they lose. Hurts has helped mould the Eagles into a juggernaut. His 46-20 regular season win-loss record is phenomenal compared to a 2020 draft class where all four QBs picked ahead of Hurts are definitely or at least arguably better passing technicians yet all have lesser CVs – Joe Burrow 38-30-1, Tua Tagovailoa 38-24, Justin Herbert 41-38, Jordan Love 18-15. If the Eagles lose, the knives will be out for a quarterback who at times struggles to make the most of his excellent wide receivers. If you keep Hurts then you risk upsetting AJ Brown and if you twist you throw away one of the most robust and versatile leaders in the NFL away. The Mahomes machine lacks any of this potential noise. GS The Most Valuable Player will be … Patrick Mahomes. Against an outstanding Eagles defense, Mahomes will need to be near-perfect. The Eagles do not turn the ball over – and they force takeaways. Mahomes cannot afford to cough up a silly interception or fumble. Even without turnovers, the Chiefs will need the quarterback to conjure a moment or two of magic to get over the line. But Mahomes always raises his game on the biggest stage, and I’m guessing he will walk away with his fourth Super Bowl MVP. OC Jalen Hurts. Should the Chiefs sell out to stop Barkley from beating them, it will be on Hurts to keep the defense honest by exploiting one-on-one matchups on AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith while prioritizing ball security. The final stat line might not be as splashy as two years ago, when Hurts played arguably the best game of his career in a narrow 38-35 defeat, but the result will more than make up for it. Hurts’ win-loss record as a starter is 42-12 since 2022, second only to Mahomes (48-10) over that span. As a famous Louisianian once put it, it’s time to put some respek on his name. BAG Saquon Barkley. The offensive line will be at its best, and Barkley will showcase the same vision that has defined his sensational season. Barkley’s stats will be so massive - let’s say, 175-plus yards and two scores - that awarding a running back the MVP trophy for the first time since Denver’s Terrell Davis won it in 1998 will be a no-brainer. MJ Patrick Mahomes. Picked for the third straight time, Mahomes joins Tom Brady as the only player to win the award four times in a career. AL Patrick Mahomes. When the Chiefs win, by hook or by crook, it will be in large part because of the golden arm and mind of Mahomes. There may be a more decisive turn from Nick Bolton disrupting Barkley, or anyone disrupting him for that matter, but the crown will remain with Mahomes. GS The final score will be … Chiefs 27-24 Eagles. The Eagles have the setup to disrupt the Chiefs. They can command the time of possession with Barkley and their run game and then release the hounds on defense to chase down Mahomes. But the Chiefs are a more adaptable team. If the Eagles are forced to play from behind or adjust their approach, the game could run away from them. Ultimately, this is a bet on the best quarterback, offensive play-caller, defensive coach and, yes, kicker in the league. OC Chiefs 27-38 Eagles. Winning three Super Bowls on the trot is a task so difficult that no team has managed to even come within 60 minutes of it until this year. Both of these clubs are improved versions of the sides who met in that Glendale heart-stopper two years ago, but it says here Kansas City’s charmed postseason run will reach its terminus against a Philadelphia team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The deciding factor will be the the Eagles’ offensive line, the tallest and largest in Super Bowl history (average size: 6ft 6in and 338lb) and the secret sauce behind Barkley’s best ever season by an NFL running back. With their front five helping dictate the pace and limit the Chiefs’ time of possession, the Eagles will leave no doubt in bringing home a second Super Bowl title in eight years. BAG Chiefs 24-32 Eagles. It’s hard to get as complete a team as the Eagles. The idea of their typically dominant offensive line setting up gaps for Barkley is quite promising, not to mention an extra week for Hurts to get healthy and return to dominating the blitz. Having recent Super Bowl experience should help Philly stave off any early-game jitters, too. MJ Chiefs 34-20 Eagles. The Chiefs do that thing they always do late in the season and run a bunch of plays out of formations no one’s seen before – and hit on enough of them to stay ahead at half-time. Hurts plays valiantly again, but this time it’s Barkley who mishandles the ball and definitively swings the momentum KC’s way. Throughout, Mahomes shines – not with the game of his life, but with another measured deployment of quick passing and timely running that carries the day. The Chiefs win, Mahomes takes MVP and the greatest ever debate expands from him and Brady to include Andy Reid and Bill Belichick. Donald Trump goes home happy. America braces itself for 10 more years of this. AL Chiefs 29-28 Eagles. Kansas City earn an unbelievable three-peat that has strangely also felt entirely expected from the get-go. In what is sure to be a thrilling game Mahomes will come out on top as the master finesser of the finest margins. A stunning two-point conversion from the QB to Kelce, who will then ride off into retirement, will seal history. The next challenge is making the dynasty unassailable with a fourth championship in succession. GS∎​