https://sports.yahoo.com/super-bowl-four-verts-eagles-are-better-team-which-is-why-a-win-would-be-most-impressive-of-patrick-mahomes-career-010150709.html
Look, we’ve been talking about the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles teams ad nauseam at this point, so let’s get in and get out of this column before paralysis by analysis takes over and everyone loses their mind about this Super Bowl.
Here’s the fastest Four Verts anyone has ever read because there just ain’t that much left to say at this point. (You should be listening to Football 301 for the deep dive you need on this game.)
Eagles are the better team in this Super Bowl
From top to bottom, the Eagles have the better roster in Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs are in this spot due to having an unstoppable force at quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, but it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the totality of the Eagles’ roster in comparison. This is not to say the Eagles will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when it’s all said and done, but this is simply one of the more impressive roster constructions we’ve seen over the past few years.
This all starts up front for the Eagles, where they have the best combination of offensive and defensive line talent in the entire league. Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens make up one of the most imposing offensive lines in the NFL, while Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis and others run a defensive line that doesn’t look like it can be blocked. Especially on the defensive line, the Eagles feel like they have a chance to seriously run over the Chiefs based on the talent advantage there.
Philadelphia has also cornered the market on the skill positions as well, with All-Pro level talents at wide receiver (A.J. Brown), running back (Saquon Barkley), cornerback (Quinyon Mitchell), linebacker (Zack Baun) and potentially safety (Cooper DeJean). The roster is so overwhelming that Jalen Hurts, who is a quality NFL quarterback, can conceivably be considered one of Philadelphia’s “worst” starters. This is the most impressive team that general manager Howie Roseman has built over the past decade, which is really saying something considering this is the third Super Bowl roster that Roseman has built in a short amount of time.
However, the other team … the other team has Michael Jordan on its roster, and that’s the only reason why the Eagles aren’t overwhelming favorites in this game, which leads into the next point.
A win here would be the most impressive win of Patrick Mahomes’ career
The subhead says it all. A 15-2 regular season (15-1 with the starters playing!) would suggest that the Chiefs this season are one of the best teams to ever grace an NFL field, but everyone and their momma knows that’s not correct. The 2024 Chiefs team is more in line with the team that everyone thought they were watching back in 2023, when they struggled … their way to a Super Bowl victory over the 49ers.
This team is worse than that team. An early season injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice decimated the Chiefs’ wide receiver room, they’ve had guard Joe Thuney playing left tackle, and cornerback Trent McDuffie, a slot extraordinaire, has spent the majority of this season playing on the outside. It’s certainly not an ideal setup in terms of roster attrition from last season, but the Chiefs still have the best quarterback, and player, in the league guiding them.
This was a legitimately hard season for the Chiefs, with them needing late-game heroics several times to squeak out this incredible record. They’re not as good as last year and they’re not nearly as good as their opponent this weekend in terms of personnel. It’s a tired point by now, but it’s true.
If Mahomes can pull this off, this should be considered one of the biggest wins in his already stellar career. The team qualities in this game could not be more stark and Mahomes will need to play a flawless game in order to hoist the Lombardi Trophy once again. The reason he’ll need to play a perfect game is because the other side of the ball for the Eagles features a historically great player having a historically great season.
Saquon Barkley has a chance to cap one of the best most impressive RB seasons ever
Saquon Barkley. Saquon. Barkley. 2,000 yards in the regular season. Another 440 yards and five touchdowns in the postseason. After being able to escape the horrors of New York Giants football, Barkley has found himself as one of the driving forces on a Super Bowl team. He’s still in his prime and has all the juice to keep this running for one more game — and they’ll need him to be great as an equalizer against the mind behind the Chiefs’ operation on defense: defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Philadelphia’s offense versus Kansas City’s defense is a classic battle of brain versus brawn. The Eagles, as noted before, are an incredibly imposing team with a comic book figure toting the rock for them. Barkley can do it all in the run game, whether it’s chipping away a few yards at a time against opposing defenses or breaking big runs like the one he did last week to open the NFC title game against the Commanders. Or the ones he had against the Rams. Or any of the other explosive runs he had to get the Eagles to this point where they’re playing in their second Super Bowl in three seasons.
This is a truly special player that is having an all-time season after the supposed devaluation of running backs in recent years. Barkley, along with Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs, showed that running back can be a position that ages well as long as the overall talent level is high with the individual player.
The Eagles will need that talent to shine the brightest it ever has to keep themselves out of suspect spots on third-and-long ,where Jalen Hurts has struggled at times this year, particularly against the zone blitz. The best way to mitigate the Chiefs’ ability to turn up the heat will be by living in short down and distances — which is where Barkley comes in.
If the Eagles are going to win this game and keep Michael Jordan from getting his fourth ring before 30 years old, Barkley is going to have to be a huge part of the game plan. Expect a heavy dose of Barkley in this game and expect him to do what he does — make defenses pay.
Don’t get bored of the Chiefs yet!
There’s been a large sentiment of people who are over the Chiefs and what they’ve accomplished the past few years. I’m warning you now: don’t let that feeling of dread take over.
No matter what people say, dynasties are good for the sport and finding a villain to hate is one of the best parts of rooting for any league. I do not view the Chiefs as a villain yet personally because watching Mahomes play is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen on a football field, but the droning excellence of their dynasty has gotten people a bit bored.
Now, this part is very serious and I want you to heed my words with great care: Kansas City has absolutely made a deal with an unsavory group of gods and warlocks that will erupt from the 50-yard line if and when they win this game. Protect yourself in the afterlife and make sure to enjoy the game. You don’t want your soul to be roaming the Arrowhead sidelines in damnation for eternity.
Love yourself. Love your family. Pick the Chiefs to win and get on the right side of future, eternal history.
https://sports.yahoo.com/super-bowl-four-verts-eagles-are-better-team-which-is-why-a-win-would-be-most-impressive-of-patrick-mahomes-career-010150709.html
