Super Bowl LVII is sort of right here, and in case you’re like all goal observer, you’ve been looking at this matchup on paper for therefore lengthy that you just’re second-, triple- and quadruple-guessing your self. The line hasn’t budged in any respect since settling in at Eagles -1.5, and that ought to let you know one factor: Stick to your preliminary ideas.
The betting tendencies haven’t been sufficient to sway oddsmakers somehow, and it appears like Vegas doesn’t wish to write off the Kansas City Chiefs due to the Patrick Mahomes variable. So persist with your intestine as a result of that’s precisely what the sharps are doing.
With that stated, the road signifies a case will be made for each groups, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Philadelphia will get a lead and doesn’t look again
My preliminary intestine feeling was Philly goes to roll. They not often trailed this 12 months when wholesome and attempting, and the playoffs haven’t been any totally different. Both of the Birds’ playoff video games had been over earlier than the half, and as soon as Philly will get momentum, it’s actually all downhill from there for opponents.
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The defensive position is a bear to cope with when the opposition is one-dimensional, they usually like to get after the quarterback. Philly led the NFL in sacks this season with 70, and has completed that principally with the entrance 4. They’re within the backside half of the league in blitz proportion, and that’ll assist maintain an already hampered Mahomes and that KC offense contained to methodical, lengthy drives.
If I’m Nick Sirianni, and I win the toss, I’m taking the ball and attempting to get the Chiefs in a trailing place from the leap. The Eagles’ offense is so various that it’s close to inconceivable to cease them after they can use all the playbook.
Add in the specter of Jalen Hurts within the run sport, and the protection’s solely hope is that area place deters the Eagles from going for it on fourth-and-quick. This Philly workforce completely adores bullying squads, and after a bunch of physique blows that’s after they hit you with huge performs to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
They’re as assured as they’re scary, and ooze the vibe of a gaggle that might win a title largely untested. And which may simply be as a result of few groups, if any, have actually been adequate to really compete with them.
Kansas City retains it shut, and Mahomes goes full Rambo
The prevailing argument I’ve seen towards Philly is that they’ve crushed up on a bunch of mongrel QBs all 12 months, and Mahomes is a purebred. I agree. He simply received his second MVP, and shouldn’t be doubted after beating Cincinnati on one leg.
The second most spectacular side of that win towards the Bengals was the Chiefs’ protection. Joe Burrow had the ball twice late within the fourth quarter with an opportunity to go in entrance, and the KC secondary made a play adopted shortly thereafter by Chris Jones and the defensive position. A D-line that, oh by the way in which, is second within the NFL in sacks (albeit 15 lower than the Eagles’ 70).
Jones and Frank Clark headline that unit, which is why it will get talked a few ton. However, they really completed eighth in rush protection, and that’ll be the important thing for them. Burrow and Josh Allen give Kansas City suits due to their legs — be it Burrow scrambling for large conversions two weeks in the past, or Allen with the demise by a thousand designed QB runs. Something Philly goes to do fairly a bit I think about.
There’s been hypothesis that Hurts remains to be ailing, however that is the Super Bowl, so I don’t suppose he’ll be too deterred from utilizing his legs. Mahomes’ mobility is my major concern with Kansas City. Ask Brock Purdy if that Eagles entrance 4 fucks round. I don’t know if Mahomes may even go full Rambo with that ankle, and he’s the offense.
While Isiah Pacheco and the offensive line have been large, Andy Reid loathes operating the ball. Philly is aware of that in addition to anybody. He can attempt to do the short passes and shield his QB, however the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers tried that, and each received boat-raced. The Eagles are going to be dry-humping Travis Kelce everywhere in the State Farm Stadium area, and Mahomes must be even higher than he was within the AFC title sport. If he’s, it’ll be some God-level quarterbacking, and that’s simply to maintain it shut not to mention win.
That’s what I’m rooting for as a result of it’d be incredible to look at, and, y’know, fuck the Eagles. Be that as it might, if I needed to put cash on it, Philly covers of their sleep.Â