Super Bowl LIX: Your ultimate guide to historic clash between Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles

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Super Bowl LIX: Your ultimate guide to historic clash between Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles

When the final whistle blows and confetti starts to fall at the New Orleans Superdome in Super Bowl LIX, history will be made regardless of the outcome.

A Kansas City Chiefs victory would represent a historic three-peat, something no NFL franchise has achieved in the Super Bowl era.

If the Eagles should prevail, avenging a 38-35 loss to the Chiefs two years ago in Super Bowl LIII, Philadelphia’s offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player, will become the first Aussie to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Here’s everything you need to know before arguably the world’s biggest annual sporting event.

ROAD TO NEW ORLEANS

CHIEFS: Kansas City entered the playoffs as the AFC’s No.1 seed, a fitting reward for a dominant season that saw the team go 15-2. However, it wasn’t always pretty, with the Chiefs also setting an NFL record for most consecutive victories in games decided by one score. The offence struggled to put points on the board, even against inferior opponents, but head coach Andy Reid and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes always seemed to do just enough to get the W. The in-season addition of former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was pivotal – he led the team in rushing and touchdowns. Rookie receiver Xavier Worthy has also become increasingly important. Kansas City punched their ticket to the dance with a Divisional Round win over the Texans and then an impressive 32-29 AFC title victory against the Bills and league MVP Josh Allen, which proved the only season that matters for this NFL juggernaut is the postseason.

EAGLES: Unlike their Super Bowl opponents, who have merely tinkered around the edges of their roster, the Eagles made dramatic changes after an embarrassing collapse the previous season. Both coordinators were sacked, with Kellen Moore coming in to run the offence and veteran coach Vic Fangio overseeing the defence. And the team was active in the offseason, adding veterans RB Saquon Barkley and linebacker Zack Baun (the former became the league’s rushing champ and the latter was a defensive player of the year candidate), as well as an excellent draft class. The result was a momentous identity shift on both sides of the ball, propelling them to the NFC’s No.2 seed with a 14-3 record. In the playoffs, Philly dispatched the Packers and Rams, and then crushed the Commanders to book their ticket to New Orleans.

THE QUARTERBACKS Camera IconPatrick Mahomes. Credit: David Eulitt/Getty Images

CHIEFS: What more is there to say about No.15? Patrick Mahomes already has three Super Bowl rings and three Super Bowl MVPs, all before his 30th birthday. While the stats this year aren’t as gaudy as some of his contemporaries, and no one was putting Mahomes in the MVP conversation with Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, there can be no doubting he is the best player in the league. The QB is still dealing with the lingering effects of a high-ankle sprain suffered in mid-December, but it didn’t stop him running for 43 yards and two TDs in the AFC championship.

EAGLES: When these teams met in Super Bowl LIII, Jalen Hurts announced himself as a future superstar, with 304 yards and a TD through the air and another 70 yards and three TDs with his legs. But it’s fair to say he hasn’t entirely delivered on that promise, although he has done one thing at an elite level this season – protect the football. After a rash of turnovers in the first four games, Hurts has thrown just one pick in his previous 328 passes, and now has an NFL record seven consecutive playoff games with at least 20 passes and no interceptions. With the prolific Barkley driving the offence, Hurts has become more of a game manager, which is no insult, especially when he is also finding the end zone as a runner. His 18 TDs (including playoffs) this season tied an NFL record for QBs. What happens when he’s asked to pass the ball to win the game is a big unknown.

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CHIEFS: After so much success with the Chiefs, it’s easy to forget head coach Andy Reid had a storied career in charge of the Eagles, from 1999-2012. The big knock on Big Red in Philly was he couldn’t win the big one. But that all changed when his partnership with Mahomes began. Reid now has three Super Bowls to his name, and his 27 postseason victories are second-most in NFL history, trailing only Bill Belichick (who has 31). In a league of offensive wunderkind, this 66-year-old is still regarded as one of the brightest minds in the game. Almost as bright as the Hawaiian shirts he’s famous for.

EAGLES: With two Super Bowl appearances in three years, it’s crazy to think Eagles head coach Nick Siriani was facing questions about his job security after last season. That’s life when you coach a professional sports franchise in Philly. Even now, much of the credit for Philadelphia’s excellent season is going to general manager Howie Roseman for signing Barkley and Baun, or to the coordinators, Moore and Fangio, for transforming the team. So, a win on the NFL’s grandest stage means more to Siriani than just about anyone.

THE X-FACTORS

CHIEFS: The obvious choice here is Mahomes’ legs or his record-setting connection with star tight end Travis Kelce, but let’s think outside the box. If there’s one thing the Chiefs do better than anyone, it’s finding a random player to feature prominently at a critical moment. Remember Mecole Hardman’s game-winning TD in last year’s Super Bowl? That was his only score for the entire season. So, let’s assume we get a similar contribution at a key moment. Will it be a clutch catch in the end zone by veteran midseason pickup DeAndre Hopkins or a field-tilting return from Nikko Remigio?

EAGLES: If we take the same approach and rule out the obvious answer – Saquon Barkley – then Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is one to watch. In three playoff games, Goedert has 15 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown as a favourite target of Hurts. The Chiefs have been very average at covering tight ends this season, giving up more yards to players at the position than any other team. So, if Kansas City stacks the box to stop Saquon, opportunities could open up for Goedert.

AUSSIES IN ACTION

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As previously mentioned, Jordan Mailata has a chance at history, with the Eagles offensive tackle set to become the first Aussie to win a Super Bowl if Philly prevails. And should that happen, Mailata will literally be a huge reason why. At 2.03m, 165kg, the former league player is a monster on the O-line, protecting Hurts’ blindside while opening up holes in the run game. In just a few years, he has become one of the best tackles in the league and, considering Australia typically produces punters, it’s not a stretch to say no Aussie has ever influenced the outcome of a Super Bowl more than Mailata will.

THE HISTORY

CHIEFS: Since Mahomes became the starting QB in 2018, Kansas City’s worst ending to a season was losing in the AFC Championship, which has only happened twice – in overtime. So, this will be the team’s fifth Super Bowl appearance in seven years, with three rings to show for it so far. Mahomes’ first Super Bowl in 2020 ended a franchise drought that stretched back to 1970. Only eight NFL teams have won consecutive titles. None have won three in a row.

EAGLES: The Eagles have one Super Bowl success, winning against the Patriots in 2018 courtesy of three TD passes and one TD catch from back-up QB Nick Foles, the latter became known as the Philly Special trick play. Two previous appearances (one when Reid was head coach) ended in defeat, just like 2023’s Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs.

CHIEFS STORYLINES

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OFFENCE: By most metrics, the Chiefs have fielded a mediocre offence this season. Their 22.6 points per game average is good enough for 15th best in the league, while their 327.6 yards per game is 17th. Their top scorer (Hunt) only managed seven TDs, no receiver topped 1000 yards and the O-line needed star guard Joe Thuney to kick out to left tackle. Despite that, Kansas City was able to drop 32 points on an excellent Bills team in the AFC title game, proving once again this team is built with one goal in mind – winning in the playoffs.

DEFENCE: With the team playing so many one-score games this season, the defence had to step up – and it did. Averaging 19.2 points allowed per game was the fourth best mark in the league, and, when you have Mahomes under centre, is a huge advantage. Interior defensive lineman Chris Jones has continued his dominance as one of the best defenders in the NFL, and coordinator Steve Spagnolo might just be the best one-game strategist there is. It’s worth noting they’ve also been excellent against the run, which suggests Barkley will have to earn every yard he gets.

EAGLES STORYLINES

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OFFENCE: Saquon Barkley. That’s the Eagles offence this season. His 2005 yards led the league and earned him offensive player of the year honours. Philly had the NFL’s best rushing attack, which is a reflection of its dominant O-line. But don’t sleep on the team’s two-headed monster at receiver, with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith combining for over 1900 yards and 15 TDs, helping the Eagles to the seventh-highest scoring offence, averaging 27.2 points a game.

DEFENCE: With playmakers at all levels, the Eagles defence was the best in the NFL this season in yards allowed and second in average points allowed (17.8 to the Chargers’ 17.7). Led by Jalen Carter in the interior of the D-line, Vic Fangio’s unit has made life difficult for opposing QBs in a number of ways. Crushing the pocket and getting pressure off the edge, while generating sticky coverage in the secondary, this is a nightmarish proposition. Don’t underestimate the contribution of rookie corners Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.

THE NOISE

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If you thought having Taylor Swift at last year’s Super Bowl was an unnecessary side show, this year’s game will be a veritable three-ring circus with the expected attendance of President Donald Trump. How this will impact the players is anyone’s guess, but you can be sure Tay Tay won’t be a distraction for her beau, Kelce, who always seems to rise to the occasion. The addition of Trump will surely provide a fascinating twist for all the conspiracy theorists, who believe the Swift-Chiefs industrial complex is up there with the fabled Illuminati or Beyonce and Jay Z as puppet masters.

THE HALFTIME SHOW

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the biggest gigs in the music business, offering a potential audience of hundreds of millions. This year’s offering sees a return of a familiar face in rapper Kendrick Lamar, who had a brilliant cameo in Super Bowl LVI’s collab between Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Kendrick is fresh from winning five Grammys off the back of his diss track, Not Like Us, about recent Perth visitor, Drake. Resuming hostilities with Drake at the Super Bowl would almost be as iconic as Janet Jackson’s infamous halftime “waldrobe malfunction”.

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Advertisers pay as much as $12 million for a 30-second spot, so you best believe they are bringing some serious star power to their commercials to get your attention. This year’s crop of Super Bowl ads includes Succession star Keiran Culkin voicing a beluga whale for NerdWallet, Chris Pratt and our own Chris Hemsworth spruiking Meta Glasses, David Beckham and Matt Damon teaming up to promote Stella Artois and Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal reprising THAT scene from When Harry Met Sally to flog Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

PREDICTION

The Eagles have the better roster overall, the better O-line, the better run game and the better defence. Against any other opponent that would make them the prohibitive favourite, but there’s a good chance none of that will matter. If Mahomes has the ball with a chance to win the game, the Chiefs are destined to three-peat. The only way this doesn’t happen is if Philly sustains long drives with a heavy dose of Barkley and Hurts in the run game, and if they use their trademark tush push to convert on fourth down, something they’ll likely have to do multiple times. Keeping No.15 on the sideline is the key to an Eagles victory. Easier said than done.

SCORE: Chiefs 27 – Eagles 24. MVP: Patrick Mahomes.

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#Super #Bowl #LIX #ultimate #guide #historic #clash #Kansas #City #Chiefs #Philadelphia #Eagles

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