Chiefs vs. Eagles, Super Bowl LIX preview
Let's gooooo!
The Kansas City Chiefs reached immortality last year by becoming a dynasty, winning three Super Bowls in five years. Now, they hope to do something that’s never been done before: win three Super Bowls in a row.
The only team standing in their way is the Philadelphia Eagles, a familiar opponent from two Super Bowls ago. The Eagles, who last won a Super Bowl in 2017 (LII), hope to solidify their legacy with their current regime of star-studded players and coaches.
Needless to say, Super Bowl LIX is gonna be a good one.
Key game details
Location: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.
Date: Sunday, Feb. 9
Time: 5:30 p.m. CT
Network/streaming: FOX, Tubi; Fox Deportes, Telemundo (Spanish broadcasts)
Radio: 96.5 The Fan
Broadcasters: Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady
Referee: Ron Torbert
Spread: Chiefs 1 to 1.5-point favorites
Weather: N/A; Domed stadium with synthetic turf
Halftime show: Kendrick Lamar
Injury reports from Thursday
Image below from Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen.
The Chiefs’ health during this playoff run has been a blessing. Besides receiver Skyy Moore who has been on injured reserve, the whole team should be good to go as long as that illness that’s going around doesn’t knock anyone out too hard.
It looks like Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter is on the up after enduring an illness, so the only one left to monitor on Philly’s side of things is DL Brandon Graham, who hopes to return from IR to play in this game.
Notable storylines for Super Bowl LIX
Chiefs-Eagles SBLVII rematch
Wait, didn’t the Chiefs already do a Super Bowl rematch last year? Well, now they get to do it again. This time it’s the Eagles, whom the Chiefs beat in Super Bowl 57. The teams are different in a lot of ways now — the Chiefs have a better receiving corps, stronger defense, and have a healthy Patrick Mahomes instead of a hobbled one. Meanwhile, the Eagles have two studs that they didn’t have years ago — Carter and running back Saquon Barkley — plus a stronger secondary.
In SBLVII, it was an offensive shootout. This time around, with stronger defenses on both sides, it may be reasonable to expect a more well-rounded game.
In search of the threepeat
No NFL team has ever completed the threepeat. Heck, no NFL team that has gone back-to-back as champion has ever made it back to the Super Bowl to even attempt the threepeat. So the Chiefs have already made history in that regard. Now, they try to complete the prophecy, something they talked about doing as soon as they won last year’s Super Bowl.
If the Chiefs win this Super Bowl, you can probably go ahead and lock in the 2018-2024 Chiefs as the greatest team of all time. And the scary thing? The window for more Chiefs Super Bowls is still wide open.
DeAndre Hopkins, Kareem Hunt’s first Super Bowl
The clock is ticking for these two Chiefs, who are both longtime vets that will be playing in their first Super Bowl. Hopkins, 32, is in his 12th season and may not return to K.C. next season, meaning this could be his only chance at a ring. Hopkins hasn’t been involved much in the offense lately with only three catches for 18 yards since Week 16, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Chiefs work him into the game plan a bit more for this one.
Hunt, 29, likely would have played in multiple Super Bowls by now if not for the off-field issues that led to his release from K.C. in 2018. Now, with Hunt back in K.C. after turning his life around, he gets a chance at redemption. He’s been the Chiefs’ leading back in the playoffs this year with 25 carries for 108 yards and two scores in two games, so the team will likely lean on him more against Philly. Can Hunt carry the load in what could potentially be his only shot at a ring as well?
In Spags we trust
In 2019-2022 we saw glimpses of what defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense could be. In 2023, the Chiefs’ defense took a huge step forward, and 2024 it continued that dominance. While much of the glory goes to Mahomes and coach Andy Reid (for good reason), it’s Spags’ defense that has been the glue to keep this epic dynasty intact. With Reid and Spags, it’s as if the Chiefs have two top-tier head coaches instead of one, allowing the stars to align to create one of the greatest teams of all time.
In a way, this game is Spags’ ultimate test. He’s beaten a version of this Eagles team on the biggest stage before. But can he do it again when this new version of the Eagles is stronger and more well-rounded? If so, Spags must be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Benny & The ‘Buy-Ins’: Higher/Lower Picks for Chiefs vs. Eagles on Underdog Fantasy, by Ben Heisler
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 2-0
OVERALL RECORD: 31-24
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Just like the Chiefs, we saved our best for gut-check time! We're now 16-4-0 since Week 14, and with a 3-peat on the line, let’s reveal our three favorite Underdog plays for Super Bowl Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes: 29.5 rushing yards (HIGHER)
Mahomes has a history of moving around and making plays happen come playoff time, and I expect this year’s Super Bowl to be no different. In his four Super Bowls, Mahomes has a minimum of 29 rushing yards, going for 29, 33, 44 and 66 in his four appearances. Throughout his playoff career he’s also gone over the mark, averaging 31.2 rushing yards in the postseason.
This season, Mahomes averaged over 32 rushing yards/game, going over this projected line 59% of the time.
The Eagles don’t bring a ton of pressure, but with how Jalen Carter is playing right now, and the Eagles ability to generate sacks, expect Mahomes to extend drives however he can.
Samaje Perine: 6.5 receiving yards (HIGHER)
The Eagles generate a major pass rush, which in turn puts someone like Perine on the field more often. He’s by far and away the back the Chiefs trust most in blitz pickup, and has come through all season in the passing game.
The numbers also back him up. Perine averaged almost 12 receiving yards/game, taking in at least one catch in 15 of 17 matchups.
It’s also a good matchup vs. Philadelphia, who have allowed over 35 receiving yards/game to running backs in 2024.
All it takes is one catch, and if Perine gets on the field in the two-minute drill or in key third down spots, I think he’ll see enough to surpass this by a wide margin.
Travis Kelce: 6.5 receptions (LOWER)
Ahead of the Buffalo game, I expressed concern with Kelce’s projected target share, despite having an incredible postseason run since the 2020 Super Bowl of Kelce finishing with 70-plus receiving yards in every game.
Sure enough, the pixie dust faded, and Kelce, while still big when they needed him, went lower than his projected totals.
Kelce’s overall Super Bowl numbers are exceptional. 31 receptions on 38 targets for 350 receiving yards, two TDs and 16 first downs (via PFF).
Make no mistake, Mahomes still trusts him more than any receiver on this team in key situations, but this Eagles defense has been a menace vs. tight ends this year. The Eagles have allowed an average of 4.5 receptions/game to the position (fifth), while ranking first in the NFL by a wide margin in receiving yards allowed.
Chiefs-Eagles matchup history
The Eagles are tied with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders as the Chiefs’ second-least frequent opponent. They’ve only played 11 times dating back to 1972, with the Chiefs leading the all-time series 6-5.
The last time the Chiefs and Eagles played…
The Chiefs lost a close one, 21-17, to Philly on November 20, 2023. K.C. had a chance to win that one but unfortunately its receivers had a case of the dropsies. Down four with two minutes to go in the game, Mahomes attempted to air it out to former Chiefs wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling for 50+ yards, but MVS dropped the would-be touchdown. Later, on fourth-and-25, Mahomes tried WR Justin Watson for the first down but that one was dropped as well.
One of the best Chiefs-Eagles games was…
Super Bowl LVII, of course. It was somewhat of a shootout, with both teams throwing haymakers at each other for most of the game. The Chiefs were down 24-14 at halftime, but managed to keep it close in the second half and eventually took an eight-point lead, partially thanks to a 65-yard punt return by Kadarius Toney. The Eagles managed to tie it up at 35 after a score and two-point conversion, but the Chiefs drove down the field and hit the field goal to win the game 38-35.
Chiefs-Eagles prediction, picks
The Eagles are a popular pick due to their running game, but the Chiefs are no strangers to stopping the run, allowing the eighth-fewest rushing yards this season. They did allow two 80-yard rushers in the postseason (Houston Texans’ Joe Mixon and Buffalo Bills’ James Cook), but were able to contain the run better once they made it a focus. K.C. should be able to key in on the running game against Philly because Eagles QB Jalen Hurts isn’t quite as threatening in the passing game as guys like C.J. Stroud and Josh Allen are.
Will the Chiefs beat the Eagles?
I’m picking the Chiefs to win and secure the threepeat. I know the Eagles have a strong defense, but they played a lot of bad QBs this season and the Chiefs have moved the ball extremely well since Christmas. Meanwhile, Spags did a great job of containing Hurts and the Philly offense in 2023, so I expect him to do the same in this matchup.
Will the Chiefs cover the spread?
At just 1/1.5 points, the spread isn’t much of a factor in this game. It’s essentially a pick ‘em. I have K.C. winning by a touchdown thanks to a creative offensive effort and a strong blitz game on defense.
Wes’ pick: Chiefs 31, Eagles 24