NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 7 (UPI) — Saquon Barkley, Travis Kelce and a lot of offensive weaponry headline Super Bowl LIX, but the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles believe the winner will be team that establishes and maintains physical dominance.
Fans’ eyes only need to look into the trenches, where 300-pound-plus men smash helmets and shoulder pads while ripping their fingers through jerseys and wrestling at the line of scrimmage Sunday in New Orleans.
“The game is won up front,” Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said Thursday. “Whether its 2024 or 1962, that’s how football is played.
“We know it’s going to be a tough challenge for those guys up there and how great they’ve been all year, but our guys are the best in the league and you could make the argument they are the best of all time. We are going to rely on them and lean on them, and I think that’s going to be a key for us to help us win this game.”
Something will give Sunday at Caesars Superdome. Early initiatives to demonstrate interior brawn and aggression should be evident from the opening whistle at the 6:30 p.m. EST matchup, which will air on Fox.
Either Barkley and the Eagles offensive line will author one of the best seasons ever recorded by a running back or Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will edge closer to Tom Brady and the Patriots in greatest-dynasty-of-all-time arguments.
Barkley needs just 30 yards to break Terrell Davis’ record for combined rushing yards in a regular season and postseason. He also told UPI he wants to become the third player ever to lead the league in rushing and win a Super Bowl in the same season.
Mahomes, 29, can become the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls before age 30 while helping the Chiefs become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive rings. He could move just three titles short of Brady’s total rings record.
The Chiefs, once known for leaning on Mahomes’ rocket arm and high-scoring offense, appeared comfortable in clutch moments this season while their defense smothered foes in many narrow victories. Mahomes said those tight contests were critical lessons.
“I think it just prepares you,” Mahomes said. “In the playoffs, most games are one score, and we played in all these one-score games all season long and really my entire career. Guys just have confidence they are going to go out there and do their job, and we are going to get it done.
“It’s always a few plays here and there that are the reason these games are decided. We just believe we are going to go out there and execute.”
The last time the Chiefs and Eagles met on this stage, they became the first teams in Super Bowl history to score at least 35 points apiece. The projected point total for that game was 50. Oddsmakers set the over/under at 48.5 for Super Bowl LIX.
The Eagles and Chiefs boast two of the best offensive lines in the NFL, which include six players who earned All-Pro and/or Pro Bowl selections. The Eagles also boast one of the best defensive lines, while the Chiefs’ defensive front is anchored by perennial All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Jones and the Chiefs are tasked with slowing the NFL’s No. 2 rushing offense, with linemen Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Mekhi Becton and Lane Johnson clearing paths for Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
“I think it’s going to be very important for us to establish physical dominance up front,” Jones said. “I think it’s heavily on the front seven, maybe even on the front eight, trying to stop Saquon and the run game. They’ve been having a very good year, Saquon is having his best year yet at running the ball.
“There is definitely a challenge ahead of us that we are looking forward to as a team. We’re excited about it. It’s also an opportunity for two good teams to play and broadcast their talent on the biggest stage.”
Including their rushing attack, the Eagles have been better than the Chiefs in most statistical categories this season. They have the No. 8 offense, but relied largely on their dominant running game, throwing for the third-fewest yards on the fewest passing attempts in the league.
Their defense was the best in the league at defending the pass, while surrendering the 10th-fewest rushing yards.
The Chiefs totaled the 16th-most yards on offense, while their defense allowed the ninth-fewest. They totaled the 14th-most passing yards and ranked 22nd in rushing.
The Chiefs defense was strongest against the run, allowing the eighth-fewest yards. They allowed the 18th-fewest passing yards.
The Chiefs didn’t allow a single player to eclipse 100 rushing yards over their last 18 playoff games. Barkley enters Super Bowl LIX on a streak of five consecutive games with at least 100 yards, including his last three postseason appearances.
Both teams rank inside the Top 5 for average time for offensive drives, with the Chiefs leading the league at 3:08 per possession. Whoever maintains longer drives Sunday could be hoisting the trophy.
Slowing down Barkley and the Eagles’ running game could lead to more third-and-long passing situations, allowing Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to activate his creative blitz packages to impact Hurts.
“I don’t know if we can limit what he does, because he can run and he can pass,” Jones said of Hurts. “He’s very much a dual-threat quarterback. I think we can slow him down and find ways to affect his game, whether it’s blitzing him or dropping eight in coverage. They’ve got a heck of a team.”
The Chiefs held Eagles starting running backs to just 45 yards in their 38-35 Super Bowl LVII victory two years ago. The Eagles, who had an 11-minute edge in time of possession in that game, also squandered a 10-point lead.
The Eagles ranked fifth in rushing that season, but didn’t yet have Barkley.
“We have a good opportunity to play the team that beat us a couple years ago and be the best team we can be and try to get this win,” Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said.
“All the history and lore is in our minds and in our hearts, but we’ve got to go execute and get the job done.”
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