The big weekend is finally here. 30 packs have been purchased, grills are fired up, wings and ribs are marinated...show time is upon us. Couldn't have scripted a better matchup either, with the #1 seeds in the AFC and NFC squaring off for the ultimate prize.
Kansas City boasts the handiwork of Patrick Mahomes, the top quarterback in the league in the present day. Philly will be showing up with a young and dynamic offense and the best defense the NFL has to offer. Something has to give, and we're about to find out just what. Let's go.
Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (16-3)
As many of you have undoubtedly stumbled across, there's a Field Yates' stat/meme going around detailing just how evenly matched these teams are. Record and seeding aside, they've each score the identical number of points and have the same amount of All-Pro's, with 546 and 6, respectively. There's a Kelce brother and quarterback on each side of the ball to earn the honors as well. Wild.
Despite the statistical alignments, these two squads are stylistically very different. The Chiefs are thin at receiver and young at corner and RB. They have some elite defensive lineman to pair with their all-world QB and tight end too.
In contrast, the Eagles wide outs, corners and front seven are absolute forces. Jalen Hurts is a young, dynamic quarterback, armed with some solid depth in the backfield. Looking up and down the rosters and one can't help but give the edge to Philadelphia.
But that's why we play the game! Sometimes an extraordinary player can take over a moment, putting teammates on their back and leading them to the promise land. Luckily for KC, extraordinary is an adjective that doesn't quite do an adequate job of describing Mahomes' ability. It'll take a magnificent performance from him if they're going to pull off the win.
#15 will be thinner than usual out wide, with Mecole Hardman already ruled out, while Kadarius Toney and Juju Smith-Schuster are each legitimately questionable. Could lead to some light matchups for Darius Slay and James Bradberry on the perimeter.
Travis Kelce can't get open when he's the only option, right? Wrong... The future Hall of Fame tight end caught seven passes against Cincinnati despite an actively deteriorating supporting cast around him, tying Rob Gronkowski for the most touchdowns by a TE in the postseason ever. He's currently behind only Jerry Rice for the all-time record for scores in the playoffs, as well as receiving yards and receptions. Phenomenal career for the third round pick. He'll be a focal point of each unit's game plans.
Isiah Pacheco has been bringing some good burst to the Chiefs' backfield these last few weeks and will be essential in keeping the ferocious Eagles' front seven honest. He was used much more in the screen game than usual against Cincy, an area usually held down by Jerick McKinnon. It was a smart strategic adjustment that helped to compensate for an otherwise iffy showing on the ground. Expect much of the same on Sunday.
Moving onto the Philadelphia side of things...Jalen Hurts is/was my MVP winner for the regular season. It was clear that this team sorely missed him when forced to ride with Gardner Minshew. A strong bevy of weapons certainly helped his progression, but the third year quarterback really made massive gains in every area of play. His ceiling really is limitless.
AJ Brown and Devonta Smith have underwhelmed this postseason, but given the blowout game scripts they've experienced, there really hasn't been much of a need to get them involved. The duo combined for an obscene 2,692 receiving yards during the regular season and must be accounted for every play. The health of L'Jarius Sneed will be a huge story to track, though KC's CB1 seemingly will be good to go.
The three-headed monster of Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell have been formidable over the last few weeks. Should be tougher sledding against a Chiefs' run defense that was 8th best in the league, headlined by Chris Jones and Frank Clark. Joe Mixon had no room to work two weeks ago, but Philly's offensive line is far superior to Cincinnati's. Plus Mixon is pretty washed. Should be some excellent battles in the trenches while the Eagles are in possession.
Finally, we'll get into our coaches. Andy Reid vehemently holds the experience factor in this one, but that doesn't always translate to success. Nick Sirianni has done a nice job of maximizing his talented roster and admittedly has a bit of a chip on his shoulder toward Reid for not retaining him back in 2012. Far from a rivalry or a revenge game, but you have to think it'd make Sirianni securing the victory a little sweeter. His aggressive play calling and game management have helped to get them this far, can't hit any snags against a Chiefs team that can really magnify the impact of any errors.
With all of that on the table... my head's telling me to go with Philadelphia. Mahomes is the biggest X-factor and should keep this game close, but the Eagles are just going to be too much defensively for Kansas City and his limited weapons to overcome, sealing the deal with a late interception. You heard it here first.
Eagles 28- Chiefs 23
------
@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
Comments
Post a Comment