February 4th, 2025
The Philadelphia Eagles are seeking vengeance against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are currently on a quest for a three-peat. The Eagles actually started the Chiefs' journey to this piece of history. It started on February 12th, 2023, where the teams faced off at Glendale, Arizona, with the Chiefs beating the Eagles by three points, 38-35.
The following season ended in back-to-back Super Bowl wins for Kansas City, as on February 11th, 2024, the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22, another three point win. The Chiefs are looking to be the first team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat. And they are one game away from accomplishing this.
Both teams have had their struggles and strides throughout the season. The Chiefs won a lot of games during the season, going 15-2 this season. However, the Chiefs got beyond lucky a majority of the games throughout this season. Beginning Week 1, Baltimore’s Tight End, Isaiah Likely, caught a possible, game-tying touchdown pass but it was overturned due to his toes being out-of-bounds. Their good luck streak continued into Week 14, when Kansas City’s backup kicker, Matthew Wright kicked a game-winning field goal, despite the football hitting the field goal post in the process. After this, the Chiefs went on fire, as their offense ignited the flames (with the exception of their last game, as the Chiefs’ backups lost 38-0 to the Denver Broncos’ starters). They went on to beat the Buffalo Bills to get into the Super Bowl.
The Eagles started their season 2-2 to begin the season, and at one point, there were rumors that the coaches would get fired. That drama ended fairly quickly, as they went 12-1 the rest of the way before making the playoffs. Then, the team dominated the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, beat the Los Angeles Rams, and then obliterated their rivals, the Washington Commanders in order to make it back to the Super Bowl.
There are three major factors that will impact the game. The first factor is obvious, as Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes needs to play at his best. The Chiefs run game is modest to say at the least, so Mahomes will need to keep on doing what he usually does, which is winning games. However, the pressure is on a whole other level, as he is trying to write him and his team down in the history books.
The second factor is Eagles RB Saquon Barkley. Will he be able to carry his team like he has had most of the season? There are no guarantees that Barkley will keep on dominating like he has before this event. This will be his first Super Bowl game and will have to rise to the occasion, which many are expecting him to.
However, both of these factors hinge on one thing, which is how well the defenses will play. Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio are some of the top defensive minds in the game, and will try whatever it takes to beat their opposition. Spagnuolo will probably load the box and make Eagles QB Jalen Hurts beat them with his arm, and after that, Spagnuolo will bring on the blitz, as he is very well known for. Vic Fangio will have a tougher time, as Mahomes slices and dices through defenses like he normally does, attacking whatever they give him. But there has to be some confidence in Vic Fangio, as he is an excellent defensive coordinator.
The Chiefs will try their hardest to do something that has never been accomplished in the Super Bowl era. Meanwhile, the Eagles will have a chance for redemption to stop Kansas City from continuing their dynasty. It will be tough for both teams, due to the pressure, but it should be a close and entertaining game to get the most coveted trophy in all of the United States, the Lombardi Trophy.