The Philadelphia Eagles have a chance at revenge.
Philadelphia met the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, where Jalen Hurts played a tremendous game. But the Eagles' defense struggled to slow down the Chiefs, Hurts had a costly fumble, and Philly was forced to watch Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid raise the Lombardi Trophy.
However, the 2024 Eagles are better suited to take down Kansas City than they were two years ago. Here are three reasons why.
Elite running back production
Miles Sanders led the Eagles' rushing attack in 2022, recording 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on 259 carries. He also ranked sixth league-wide among all running backs in rushing yards per game (74.6). The Eagles finished first in EPA per rush and rushing success rate in the regular season, according to TruMedia.
But a lot of that success can be attributed to Hurts, who ran for 760 yards and finished third in the NFL in first downs gained on the ground. Hurts was also tied for second with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott failed to provide the Eagles with an efficient rushing attack during their playoff run, especially against the Chiefs. Here's how Philadelphia fared on the ground in the Super Bowl:
Let's be honest: that Super Bowl was Hurts against the world. He had arguably the best game of his career, racking up 374 total yards with four touchdowns while completing 71.1% of his throws.
It's hard to believe the Chiefs will shut down Saquon Barkley as they did Sanders and Co. The 27-year-old produced one of the best offensive seasons from a running back in recent years with a league-leading 2,005 rushing yards.
Barkley's also been a monster in the playoffs, rushing for 442 yards and five touchdowns in three games. He's generated plus-172 rushing yards over expected this postseason, the most by a single player in a playoff run since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats.
Kansas City's run defense has been mediocre at best through two playoff games, allowing 296 total yards on the ground. James Cook and Joe Mixon combined to average 5.6 yards per carry against the Chiefs.
Barkley's presence gives this year's team a threat that the 2022 Eagles didn't have. He's a much more talented player than Sanders, and he should continue his historic postseason surge.
Younger, more explosive interior pass rush
Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave were outstanding for the Eagles during the 2022 regular season, as the defensive tackles combined for 18 sacks and 111 pressures, according to PFF. However, they fizzled during the playoffs, totaling just 17 pressures with two sacks in three games. The duo especially struggled in the Super Bowl, producing only five pressures and failing to sack Patrick Mahomes.
Age could've been a factor, as they were both 30 or older and played significant snaps for the Eagles throughout the season. Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and Marlon Tuipulotu also didn't provide great depth, as general manager Howie Roseman added Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph midway through the season as interior reinforcements. Overall, Philly's interior pass-rushers racked up just 27 pressures during the 2022 playoff run.
This year's group is younger and playing lights out in the postseason. Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, and Jordan Davis are all 25 years old or under and have provided elite pass-rushing ability from the interior. Here's how they've fared through three games these playoffs.
Carter, 23, has emerged as one of football's best defensive linemen. He all but iced the Eagles' divisional-round contest when he sacked Matthew Stafford with Philly on its heels up 28-22 and under two minutes remaining in the contest. Carter will be keeping Andy Reid awake at night this week.
A specific matchup to watch in this game is Williams against Chiefs left guard Mike Caliendo. He's been up and down after being forced into the starting five with Joe Thuney kicking outside to left tackle.
Caliendo has allowed 13 pressures, six hurries, and one sack over his last four games. Williams will have plenty of one-on-one opportunities with Carter primarily rushing against the opposing team's right guard and getting extra attention from centers.
The 25-year-old Williams has been among the most underrated interior pass-rushers this season, posting 50 pressures, 24 tackles, and five sacks. His 12.5% pressure rate ranks second in the league among all defensive tackles with at least 200 pass-rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats.
Carter, Williams, Ojomo, and Davis should be much more productive than Philadelphia's aging defensive tackles in 2022. They can force Mahomes out of the pocket and open up sack opportunities for edge rushers Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith, who's totaled six sacks in his last six games.
In Super Bowl LV, Tampa Bay's defense harassed Mahomes with 44 combined pressures, 10 quarterback hits, and three sacks en route to a 31-9 victory. The Eagles' young, fresh defensive interior could help cause similar chaos in this game.
Vic Fangio's leadership and scheme
Out of all the significant additions to the Eagles last offseason, hiring Vic Fangio might've been Roseman's best move.
Philly's defense in 2022 was great on paper under former coordinator Jonathan Gannon, as it ranked fourth in EPA/play while leading the league with 70 sacks, 15 more than the second-ranked team. But Gannon's defense thrived on swarming bad offensive lines and pressuring mediocre quarterbacks. Some of the league's top signal-callers torched his unit.
Mahomes and Reid dominated in their two games against Philadelphia during Gannon's tenure, combining for 73 offensive points, 811 yards, and 52 first downs.
Gannon's defenses were consistently picked apart by short-to-intermediate passes. The Eagles' defense ranked 14th in success rate in 2022, and it was slightly above league average on a down-to-down basis.
Philly ranked first in defensive success rate in 2024. Yes, having talent like Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean helps, but Gannon also had star power to work with. This unit has fared much better against top quarterbacks.
The Ravens led the league in EPA/play on offense this season but had their fewest yards per play and net yards per pass attempt against Philadelphia, according to TruMedia.
Mahomes targeted receivers on a career-high 26.9% of his attempts this year, resulting in a league-high 45 first downs, according to Next Gen Stats. Philadelphia's defense allowed the fewest yards per attempt (4.1) and the lowest success rate (29.9%) on passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage.
This version of the Eagles' defense is exceptionally disciplined and one of the best units Fangio's led during his 40-year NFL coaching career. Philly consistently flies to the ball and doesn't allow teams to nickel and dime it down the field. The Eagles have also forced 10 turnovers in the postseason, compared to four in three games during their 2022 playoff run.
Fangio will prepare the Eagles for anything Mahomes and Reid throw at them in the Super Bowl.
