- The Chiefs’ operating recreation must step up: Kansas Metropolis’s run recreation might be a deciding issue on this matchup. The Chiefs have struggled to generate explosive performs on designed runs all season, with their 5% explosive run charge rating final within the NFL.
- Stopping the magic of Patrick Mahomes: The Eagles protection have to be aware of how Patrick Mahomes operates, each within the pocket and when he strikes off his spot. Within the common season, solely Jayden Daniels (176) had extra dropbacks with motion contained in the pocket than Patrick Mahomes (172). Since turning into a starter in 2018, no quarterback has moved off his preliminary dropback greater than Mahomes, and he leads all quarterbacks with 50 landing passes after doing so.
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Estimated studying time: 7 minutes
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Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
The operating recreation must step up
Kansas Metropolis’s run recreation might be a deciding issue on this matchup. The Chiefs have struggled to generate explosive performs on designed runs all season, with their 5% explosive run charge rating final within the NFL.
Philadelphia has leaned closely on gentle bins on protection, utilizing them on 62% of defensive snaps — the very best charge within the common season. And towards six or fewer defenders within the field this season, Kansas Metropolis’s run recreation has improved solely barely, growing its explosive run charge to eight.5% — thirty first within the league.
The Eagles allowed an above-average explosive run charge of 14% when utilizing gentle bins throughout the common season. However within the playoffs, their run protection has tightened considerably, as they’ve allowed simply 4 explosive runs on designed performs — a 6% explosive run charge, the second-lowest amongst all postseason defenses.
A receiving corps that has thrived after the catch
If the run recreation struggles, the Chiefs will want their pass-catchers to step up and make performs. Throughout the common season, Kansas Metropolis averaged 5.9 yards after the catch per reception, rating sixth-best amongst all offenses. That quantity has jumped to 7.1 yards after the catch per reception within the playoffs, the second-highest mark among the many 14 postseason groups.
One key space the place Mahomes’ receivers have thrived is on intermediate throws (10-19 yards downfield). Within the playoffs, they’ve averaged a dominant 12.6 yards after the catch per reception on these passes, making them particularly harmful when attacking defenses in the midst of the sphere.
Watch out for A.J. Brown towards man protection
With Jaylen Watson returning to play reverse Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs have leaned closely on man protection on the skin. Amongst all defenders with no less than 50 protection snaps this postseason, McDuffie ranks first in man protection charge (59%), whereas Watson ranks second (55%).
McDuffie has been tough to finish passes towards, main all defenders this postseason with 4 pressured incompletions. In the meantime, Watson has been simply as stingy in protection, permitting solely two catches for 8 yards on 4 targets.
Nevertheless, they’ll face certainly one of their hardest challenges but in A.J. Brown, who has dominated towards man protection all season. Together with the playoffs, Brown leads all certified pass-catchers in yards per route run towards man (4.04) and ranks second in goal charge (37%), making him a severe risk to Kansas Metropolis’s defensive recreation plan.
The peerless Chris Jones
The place Chris Jones traces up on key third downs will likely be a significant component on this matchup. Throughout the common season, he lined up exterior the deal with on 41% of third-down snaps, a quantity that has jumped to 55% within the playoffs. His 22% pass-rush win charge from that alignment ranks third within the NFL over the total season, trailing solely Aidan Hutchinson and Myles Garrett.
Nevertheless, in his final two matchups towards the Eagles, Jones not often rushed from the sting, lining up exterior the deal with on simply 5 of 27 third-down snaps. That will have been a strategic determination, as Philadelphia’s largest power is its offensive deal with duo.
This postseason, the Eagles’ pass-blocking has been sturdy on the skin, with the deal with duo placing up an 81.4 PFF pass-blocking grade. Nevertheless it’s been a distinct story on the inside — their guards and heart have mixed for only a 48.4 pass-blocking grade, which may issue into the place Jones assaults most frequently on this recreation.
Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley will take heart stage
The Eagles run some of the numerous dashing assaults within the league, mixing zone, man and pulling ideas.
Saquon Barkley has been particularly dominant on zone runs this postseason, racking up three scores and 260 yards on 36 carries (7.2 yards per carry). In distinction, he has been far much less efficient on man-blocking runs, managing only one landing and 40 yards on 12 carries (3.3 yards per carry).
The Chiefs protection has been powerful towards zone runs all season, permitting the fifth-fewest yards per carry (3.7 yards per carry). Nevertheless, they’ve struggled towards man runs within the playoffs, surrendering 6.3 yards per carry, which may current a chance for Philadelphia’s floor recreation to take advantage of.
Jalen Hurts must also have alternatives to make improvised performs along with his legs towards a Chiefs protection that has given up 55 rush makes an attempt for 425 yards and 26 conversions on quarterback scrambles, all of which lead the league. Hurts was efficient on scrambles throughout the common season, averaging 9.6 yards per carry with a 53% conversion charge, however these numbers have dropped to six.2 yards per carry and a 20% conversion charge this postseason. Over his previous two matchups towards the Chiefs, Hurts has solely scrambled 3 instances, gaining 17 yards.
Stopping the magic of Patrick Mahomes
The Eagles protection have to be aware of how Patrick Mahomes operates, each within the pocket and when he strikes off his spot. Within the common season, solely Jayden Daniels (176) had extra dropbacks with motion contained in the pocket than Patrick Mahomes (172). Since turning into a starter in 2018, no quarterback has moved off his preliminary dropback greater than Mahomes, and he leads all quarterbacks with 50 landing passes after doing so.
Philadelphia’s protection, nonetheless, hasn’t confronted many quarterbacks who transfer steadily. The Eagles noticed simply 113 such dropbacks in 2024, tied for the eighth-fewest within the league. When opponents did transfer, Vic Fangio’s protection unit allowed a 107.9 passer score — the eighth-highest within the NFL — and surrendered 5 landing passes, tied for seventh-most.
Brandon Graham is hoping for a storybook ending
The potential return of Brandon Graham may give Philadelphia a much-needed increase towards Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing assault. The veteran edge defender has delivered on the largest stage earlier than, incomes an elite 90.4 general grade in Tremendous Bowl 52, by which he recorded seven whole pressures within the Eagles’ win over the Patriots.
Graham’s impression was restricted in Tremendous Bowl 57 towards Kansas Metropolis, as he did not register a single strain on 11 pass-rush snaps. Now, as Philadelphia’s longest-tenured participant, he may have one other shot at disrupting Mahomes. His 20 whole pressures within the common season tied for sixth-most on the crew, and if lively, he may play a key function on this championship rematch.
