Expect a defensive battle between chiefs and eagles in Super Bowl Lix

The bosses ended number 4 at the permitted points, Eagles No. 2. Both defenses are led by cunning veterans, boss Steve spagnuolo and Vic Fangio Eagles. The victory of Eagles 21-17 over Chiefs in the regular season 2023 resembles a template for Super Bowl Lix than the previous two shootings.

Why will the defense win this championship? It starts with the offensive line of the Eagles, which comes into play less than full strength.

Eagles had four offensive liners acquiring pro bowl or all-PRO NOD in 2024, paving the way to Saquon Barkley on a rush on 2 005 yards, and Jalen hurts to have the most effective season of his career. But eagles suddenly harm the middle, even if the report on injuries does not reflect it.

The problems began before the NFC championships two weeks ago, when the center came jurgens changed only as a failure because of the back injury. Eagles replaced Jurgens with the left guardian Landon Dickerson, who started his first match in the center in four seasons of the NFL, as well as the guard Tyler Steen. But Dickerson suffered a left knee injury in winning over commanders, forcing Gimpy Jurgens until the end of the game.

Jurgens and Dickerson were full participants in practice last week and were not listed in the Friday report for damage. But as he said former 17-year-old Dr. Chargers Dr. David Chao: “Full practice means he did everything he was asked. This does not mean that his left knee is 100 percent. “

When the healthy offensive line of the Eagles is the best in the world. 1347 Eagles’ yards before contact in 2024 led the NFL. Eagles completed 7 points in the points scored, despite the fact that they are the only dominant team, calling a pass of only 44.7 percent of the first and second fall, the lowest NFL indicator. It hurts when they were asked to be less, registering career peaks as early completion (71 percent), jard to test (7.7) and advanced analytical “expected points added” (plus-34.8).

However, Jurgens and Dickerson’s injuries are disturbing. Despite winning the NFC championships, shuffling offensive lines led to wounds in the face of the second number of slave pressure and the highest time for pressure in the match this season. Hurts took two bags after Dickerson left the game and Jurgens was forced.

And the eagles are facing the most difficult test of the season. They play in defense of Chiefs, which took 7th place in the average allowed rush (4.1 yards per transport), had the least unsuccessful solutions in NFL (10.7 percent) and did not allow the 100-jard Rusher from Lamar Jackson in the week in the week in Week 1. Barkley scored four sewing 60 yards in the regular season and has three more in Play -Ffs, but the bosses allowed only two hasty appointments on over 10 yards throughout the season (62 and 26 yards).

For eagles to score points, they will need AJ Brown and Devonth Smith receivers to win their one -on -one duels. Smith has a good story against Chiefs, choosing 122, 100 and 99 yards in three professional duels. Playing on a fast artificial surface of the turf should also use eagle receivers.

But the bosses have the last player and the last coach, any crime wants to see, dealing with injuries in the internal offensive line.

The player is a defensive, Chris Jones, three-time All-PRO and a six-time professional hat, and probably the best defensive liner in NFL. And the defense is spagnuolo, the four -time super bowl champion is famous for creating exotic lightning at the right time. Spagnuolo and Jones probably drool over all the ways to attack Dickerson and Jurgens.

Spagnuolo was a master of instant zones this season, recording the NFL pressure amount of 51 percent and the second method of testing for test (6.1). Meanwhile, this year this year fought with the zone, with a high NFL level of 17 percent (10 bags on 59 blitzs).

And no one does better work than spagnuolo, creating free rushers with lightning, as in the case of games, the fourth stop against Bills two weeks ago. 58 Chiefs’s free pressure this season was the third in NFL. In three duels with the bosses of Hurts he sees unlocked pressure in 16.8 percent of time, more than twice as much as in relation to all other opponents in his career (8 percent).

But eagles are not the only crime I expect to slow down. Mahomes and bosses eventually exceeded 30 points for the first time this season in winning the AFC Championship match. But Chiefs finished only 15 points in the regular season and they do not match the defense of the eagles.

The bosses fought by winning the plain in the red zone (No. 22), while the defense of the eagles flourished (No. 5). The bosses finished the regular season with the second lowest explosive indicator in the NFL (10.6 percent), while the defense of Eagles took first place (10.7 percent).

The bosses also have their own problems with the offensive line, and the left guard Joe Thuney moved to the left equipment in the last month, and Mike Caliendo moved to the left guard. Thuney played admirable, but he admits that sometimes he tries to play in space and there is no perfect arm length to keep the defensive ends. Since the shift in the 15th week, the Ball Chiefs carriers have been struck by 44 percent of the time, the fifth highest indicator.

So how will the Super Bowl Lix take place? As always.

The bosses have 12-0 in matches one results this season and won 17 in a row. Mahomes had the highest six reasons in his career in the fourth quarter in 2024 and eight victorious journeys. Although the eagles were throughout the season, Hurts will not outdo Mahomes. It will be a strict game in the fourth quarter, and the bosses will win.

Chiefs 26, Eagles 20.

Ben Volin can be contacted at [email protected].