Chiefs, Eagles X-Elements for 2025 Tremendous Bowl

All NFL video games are about matchups, however Tremendous Bowls are much more so. There’s no extra time to get the improper issues proper, and the unhealthy issues higher. You could have the gamers and coaches to have, and it’s a must to array all of it to the very best consequence. Each play means so much, and the mixture of performs in a optimistic or unfavorable sense can elevate or steamroll your efforts in an enormous hurry.

In Tremendous Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, past the apparent stars everybody can be watching, listed below are three gamers for every staff whose efforts might actually slant the ultimate consequence – for higher or worse!

Philadelphia Eagles

LG Tyler Steen

The Eagles come into Tremendous Bowl LIX with the NFL’s greatest offensive line, and there isn’t any query about it. That entrance 5, underneath the route of run sport coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland (College), can pass-protect with the perfect of them and maul your protection proper off the display when it’s time to run the ball, which it’s fairly often when you’ve gotten this model of Saquon Barkley.

After all, issues are likely to dissipate when members of that line will not be 100%, and that’s a query mark proper now. Each heart Cam Jurgens (again) and left guard Landon Dickerson (knee) gutted it out in Philly’s 55-23 demolition of the Washington Commanders within the NFC Championship sport, with Dickerson taking part in heart for Jurgens within the first half, and Jurgens taking up for the ultimate two quarters. That left Tyler Steen, the Eagles’ 2023 second-round choose from Alabama, because the left guard all through.

Steen availed himself fairly effectively for a man who had simply 125 NFL reps at left guard earlier than this sport – he allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries – however there have been some tough moments, as effectively. We’ll should see the place Jurgens and Dickerson are health-wise as the sport will get nearer, but when Steen has to cope with Chris Jones and firm, and Steve Spagnuolo’s evil stunts and blitzes as a full-go beginning stage, that performs in Kansas Metropolis’s favor.

DL Milton Williams

It could be unattainable to call an Eagles defender who hasn’t improved underneath Vic Fangio within the 2024 season, and Milton Williams, the multi-gap pass-rushing terror from Louisiana Tech who the staff chosen within the third spherical of the 2021 draft, has actually upped his sport of late. I cherished the 6’3, 290-pound Williams’ school tape as a result of I’m at all times in favor of move rushers who can win from anyplace within the formation, and Williams might try this in school. He’s merely amplified his abilities a number of occasions over since.

Williams has six sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 37 quarterback hurries this season in simply pass-rushing snaps, and his hole versatility permits him to be a complete drive multiplier in straight four-man rushes, in addition to stunts and blitzes. With 10 pressures on the sting and 45 as a three-tech sort out, Williams is the man on that Eagles line the place you’re questioning the place he’s. What you don’t marvel about a lot is the top consequence – numerous sad quarterbacks. Particularly when, as Patrick Mahomes at the moment is, mentioned quarterbacks are taking part in behind problematic offensive traces.

CB Quinyon Mitchell

The Eagles knew that they needed to transfer on from cornerback James Bradberry as a major issue after the 2023 season. The unlucky decline was too clear for a previously nice participant. So, the choice was made to pick out Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the twenty second general choose within the 2024 draft. Mitchell was the perfect cornerback on this draft class for my part, however as is the case for many younger defensive backs, he took his share of lumps early on.

However from Week 11 by means of the NFC Championship Sport, Mitchell has been the staff’s greatest cornerback. In that point, he allowed 22 catches on 42 targets for 180 yards, 19 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, 5 move breakups, and an opponent passer ranking of 59.6. Each of these picks got here within the postseason, the place Mitchell has turn out to be much more of a lockdown man.

The Chiefs are nice in attacking defenses with short-to-intermediate route ideas, which makes Mitchell extremely essential in that equation. Again and again this season, he’s confirmed to be not solely a defender who can match and carry pace receivers up prime, but in addition an actual downside for opponents on slants, screens, and crossers.

Mitchell’s timing is ideal to turn out to be a Professional Bowl-level cornerback, and he has formally arrived.

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

WR Xavier Worthy

On the opposite aspect of that first-round rookie dialogue, there’s Xavier Worthy, greatest recognized for setting the scouting mix 40-yard sprint report with a 4.21-second time. The Chiefs chosen Worthy with the twenty eighth general choose within the first spherical (sure, Payments followers, we’re effectively conscious that they traded up with Buffalo to do it – ouch), and the thought was that with Worthy’s straight-line pace, he would give the Andy Reid’s offense a vertical dimension it hasn’t had because the Tyreek Hill commerce on March 24, 2022.

To date, that hasn’t been the case. The Chiefs’ vertical passing sport is definitely type of an enormous downside this season. Patrick Mahomes has accomplished simply 13 of 51 passes of 20 or extra air yards for 465 yards, 4 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, a passer ranking of 58.5 that’s the NFL’s second-worst forward of solely Anthony Richardson’s 50.1, and the league’s lowest completion proportion at 25.5.

Worthy has simply 4 of these deep catches on 18 targets for 146 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer ranking of 58.3. However whereas the downfield stuff hasn’t caught on but, Worthy has confirmed to be fairly worthy (sorry) as a short-to-intermediate goal with a ton of after-catch skill. Worthy has 24 catches behind the road of scrimmage this season, and he’s averaged 9.8 yards per stick with it these. On passes of 0-9 air yards, he’s bagged 38 catches with a 5.9 yards-per-catch common.

There are other ways to create explosive performs within the passing sport, and as Worthy has developed as a pure receiver and route-runner, he has introduced extra to the playbook – which is desperately wanted. Perhaps he will get a few deep targets within the Tremendous Bowl, however don’t be shocked if the true plan is to get the ball in Worthy’s arms shortly, and see how he can dance by means of the Eagles’ extremely disciplined protection.

Are we enthusiastic about any Mitchell-Worthy matchups? Sure. Sure, we’re.

LG Mike Caliendo

So, let’s get to the Chiefs’ offensive line. That is… not at the moment a matchup that works in Kansas Metropolis’s favor. Tackles Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris, D.J. Humphries, and Jawaan Taylor have every struggled in their very own particular methods this season, which has led Andy Reid and his workers to take left guard Joe Thuney and kick him outdoors to left sort out. Thuney has held up fairly effectively in that function, however his re-placement has led to points together with his… effectively, substitute.

Mike Caliendo, the 2022 undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan, has seen his snap totals soar exponentially since Week 15, when Thuney was reassigned. Given his stage of expertise, Caliendo hasn’t been horrible per se – he’s allowed one sack, three quarterback hits, and 9 quarterback hurries in 212 pass-blocking snaps this season – however because it usually does, the tape tells a distinct and extra expansive story than the metrics.

At 6’4 and 301 kilos, Caliendo must be fast off the ball and nearly technique-perfect to keep away from getting overpowered. He’s not at all times fast to acknowledge and react to stunts and video games, and blitzes is usually a little bit of an issue.

We don’t but know what the plan for Humphries is at left sort out for the Tremendous Bowl. The Chiefs signed the previous Arizona Cardinals standout in November to bolster their sort out rotation, however Humphries hasn’t performed since Week 18, as he’s been coping with a hamstring harm. If Kansas Metropolis retains Thuney on the surface, and Caliendo has to cope with Jalen Carter and the aforementioned Milton Williams? That appears very very like an enormous yikes.

DL Mike Pennel

The one apparent key matchup in Tremendous Bowl LIX is Philly’s run sport vs. the Chiefs’ run protection. If the Eagles are capable of do to the Chiefs what they did to the Commanders within the NFC Championship sport (36 carries for 229 yards and SEVEN RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS, FOR GOD’S SAKE), that complete three-peat factor ain’t gonna occur. The Chiefs already learn about Jalen Hurts the runner, as a result of he totaled 70 yards and three speeding touchdowns on 15 carries in Tremendous Bowl LVII a pair years again.

Hurts was the Eagles’ solely actual risk as a runner then. Now, it’s Saquon Barkley Time.

This season, the Chiefs protection ranks twelfth in Defensive DVOA – seventeenth towards the move, and ninth towards the run. Their yards per carry allowed to opposing working backs of three.78 is the NFL’s second greatest behind the Baltimore Ravens. Additionally they rank second behind the Ravens in opponent success in second-level and open-field runs. However they rank twenty eighth in opponent Energy Success (proportion of runs on third or fourth down, 2 yards or much less to go, that achieved a primary down or landing), and in twenty third Stuffed Price (proportion of runs the place the working again is tackled at or behind the road of scrimmage). Steve Spagnuolo’s protection can cap your runs for those who crave explosive performs, however you may also get issues going fairly persistently from the road of scrimmage.

If the Chiefs are to have any probability of a minimum of limiting Barkley’s impact on this sport (and let’s not overlook Jalen Hurts and the Tush Push), particularly across the line of scrimmage, an enormous sport from defensive lineman Mike Pennel is unquestionably so as.

Chris Jones leads the staff’s defensive tackles in stops this season with 26, however we already learn about him. Tershawn Wharton ranks second with 21, however he’s extra of an inside pass-rusher, and he weighs about 280 kilos. At 6’4 and 332 kilos, Pennel has the scale, power, and quickness to a minimum of decelerate that Evil Empire of a run sport. This season, Pennel has 15 stops on 194 run protection snaps.

The Chiefs would possibly wish to make Pennel an every-down man on this sport.