Chiefs Team Breakdown: Everything You Need to Know About KC in Super Bowl 57

 For the second year in a row, leading up to the big game, I will do a full team breakdown for each of the two Super Bowl teams. With 6 days to go to, I figured I would get the first one out of the way today and then the second one tomorrow or the next day. We will start off with the AFC Champion Chiefs, and everything you need to know about them in advance of the SB!

Overall Overview: The Chiefs, for seemingly the billionth year in a row, entered the AFC playoffs as the no. 1 seed with home-field advantage. While last year they fell just short of the Super Bowl to the Bengals, they figured it out this time around, and are back in the big game for the 3rd time in 4 seasons. Head Coach Andy Reid will look to secure his second ring in his 4th Super Bowl appearance (3 with the Chiefs, 1 with the EAGLES). He will face off against his former team. Star Tight End Travis Kelce of the Chiefs will be playing with even another little extra edge, facing off against his fellow All-Pro brother, Jason Kelce (center for the Eagles). With the no. 1 scoring offense in the NFL, the Chiefs, led by likely MVP winner Patrick Mahomes, will look to blow the Eagles out of the water.

OFFENSE

The reason they are in this Super Bowl is because of Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. I know this is nothing new to be said, but Mahomes is seriously a generational player and has a chance to challenge Tom Brady eventually for GOAT status. Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250), passing TDs (41), and QBR (77.5) this season. He will likely win MVP the night before the Super Bowl. 

However, the Chiefs are not in the best position with him right now. By that, I mean he is banged up and will not be close to 100% for the big game. Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Divisional Round win over the Jaguars, and was limited all week before shooting it up and playing in the title game. A high-ankle sprain is generally a 6+ week injury, which is an insane testament to Mahomes. This guy was moving around gingerly but still making some of the most insane off-script plays, including the game sealing 5 or so yard scamper which drew an unnecessary roughness call to get KC into field goal range vs the Bengals. While Mahomes will not be 100%, if he threw for 326 yards and 2 TDs in the title game, we shouldn't be too worried. He always finds a way.

Running Back is a very interesting group for the Chiefs. They do not have a traditional lead back who is a workhorse in their offense. Instead, they rotate three very capable guys who can all hurt you in their own way. Isiah Pacheco, the outstanding rookie 7th rounder from Rutgers, has gotten the majority of the work of late. He is the fastest and most elusive back on the team, and runs as hard as anyone in football. You will see him early and often. Pacheco has combined for 186 yards scrimmage yards on 28 touches through the two playoff games thus far for KC. On top of Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon is the elite third-down back on this team. McKinnon is a smaller back but he too is very fast and an elite receiving threat himself. He is also a weapon in the redzone, scoring NINE total TDs in the final 6 regular season games. Also, now enter back former first rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire. I'd call CEH a bit of a mix of the other two backs, and while he's been out since week 11 with an ankle sprain, he will return for the SB. I doubt he sees many touches, but the LSU alum is a guy who needs to be accounted for when on the field. Don't forget about him.

The pass catching group for the Chiefs looks very different than it did last season. With Tyreek Hill gone, the Chiefs have gone by much more of a committee in terms of spreading the wealth at WR. TE Travis Kelce has remained the best at his position in all of the league, and will be an impossible cover for even the Eagles' elite defense. Kelce is a slippery mover who is one of the hardest players to bring down in football. He is sneaky fast and can shake anyone with a simple spin. Kelce had a whopping 21 catches for 176 yards and 3 scores through the two playoff games. He is still a nightmare. In terms of the other pass catchers on the team, it is anyone's guess who could dominate. Juju Smith-Schuster has been sort of the de facto WR1 throughout the season, but he has been very hit or miss. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has stepped up at times this year, including last week, when he was the top target with injuries at the position, catching 6 passes for 116 yards and a TD. Don't forget about Kadarius Toney, while he may be oft injured, when he plays, which he should in this one, he is slippery as anyone. Mahomes has looked for him more and more lately. I think he should take more of Mecole Hardman's reps in this game. Even without a true WR1 all season, the KC offense had the most receiving yards in football this season.

The Chief OL is another major reason they are here. PFF ranked their line as the no. 4 in the NFL at the end of the regular season. They have a cast of All-NFL talent throughout. Joe Thuney is arguably the best guard in the sport. Creed Humphrey is arguably the best center. While inconsistent at times, Orlando Brown Jr. can be a top 3 OT. And can't forget about Trey Smith, who has been underrated since being drafted late in the draft two seasons ago. This group has a great chance of STANDING a chance against that ferocious Eagle front 7.

DEFENSE 

While I like to think of the KC defense as hit or miss, this front 7 really isn't. This is one of the best, AND most underrated front 7's in the sport. Led by freak interior rusher Chris Jones, who was the best DT in all of football this season, this DL is to be feared by anyone. Jones' 15.5 sacks was the most for any DT in football and 4th most for any defensive player. Rookie edge George Karlaftis has come along well as well, with 6 sacks in the regular season, another 1 last week, and playing as one of the best run defenders in the league as well. Karlaftis and Jones, paired with a rotation of veterans Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap (who can get hot at any moment), gives this DL a chance against the best OL in football on the other side. 

The LB core to wrap out this front 7 is even better. Willie Gay and Nick Bolton are very good players. They can play pass coverage and elite run defense. They are involved in every play. The two combined for 268 tackles during the regular season. These two give them a great chance of spoiling all of the RPO action and running the Eagles like to do on offense.

The real hit or miss aspect of the defense is the secondary. The Chiefs have a nice young CB duo in L'Jarius Sneed and rookie first rounder Trent McDuffie. While Sneed has been the more consistent of the two all season, McDuffie has turned it on of late, and was ELITE last time out against the Bengals, where he had 6 tackles and two huge pass breakups in the win. Justin Reid and Juan Thornhill also are younger, slightly hit or miss safeties, and they will need to bring their A-game against this elite Eagle receiving core. While the front 7 is so good, the back end of the D worries me a little, especially against this talented of an Eagle offense. Then again, this team seems to turn up on D when the lights are brightest, behind 'big-game coordinator Steve Spagnuolo'. 

While the Chiefs were amongst the most yards and points allowed on defense during the regular season, their bend but don't break mantra has seemed to hold up well so far throughout the playoffs. They will need to stand one more test here against the Eagles.

REASON CHIEFS COULD WIN: Philly D can't contain Mahomes. For the Chiefs to win this game, Patrick Mahomes is going to have another big game. This isn't a very insurmountable task for the best QB in the game, even on a bum ankle. We have seen him do it time and time again, and with the elite offensive line that the Chiefs boast, if he can just have a second or so to throw, KC will be in a good position to win. 

REASON CHIEFS COULD LOSE: Eagles' RPO offense exposes KC's mid-tier D. It feels like a matter of time for the Chief D to simply be exposed. They have good talent that can rise to the occasion, but it feels like they have been lucky a lot, and are bound to be exposed at some point. This RPO-heavy Eagle O has been a mystery for every single defense to face them all year, so I don't exactly have the utmost confidence in this MID TIER Chief D to do so, and if they can't, it could get ugly quick.

X-Factor - WR Kadarius Toney: This feels like an easy pick to me. Kadarius Toney has been budding to break out for weeks, and this feels like the game he could do it. It is a dangerous thing when a team forgets about a player as talented, fast, and slippery as Toney, and the second they do, the Chiefs will throw it in their face. Toney is one of the most electric players I've ever seen. It looks like he is playing without ACLs sometimes. He cuts without sacrificing any speed, he is also probably the fastest player on this ultra fast Chief team. Toney has 2 TDs on the year with KC, but is yet to really have that signature moment. It looked like he found it when he scored an unbelievable TD vs Cinncy in the title game, only for it to be called back at the last minute. In the Divisional Round, Toney saw a season high 7 targets, and already had 2 in the first quarter of the title game before missing the rest of the game with injury. With two weeks to prepare and rehab from that, he should be at full health and ready to go for the big game. I expect him to make at least one WOW play that could turn the tide in this big game.

IMPORTANT IN-GAME MATCH-UPs

Chiefs CBs Sneed & McDuffie vs Eagles WRs: Like I said earlier, L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie are two young promising CBs for the Chiefs, but man are they hit or miss sometimes. While both had great plays at times last time out against the Bengals, they also were both exposed by elite WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins multiple times. With AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith next up, there is no break for these two. The Eagles are a run-heavy offense, and so when they go for the big shot, and hit, it is bad news. Sneed and McDuffie will simply have to bend but not break against these guys.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones vs Eagle OL (specifically Jason Kelce): This is another must-see match-up in the game, pitting the best DT this season against the best C this season. Strength on strength, who gets the upper hand? I can't say who I think right now, because I have no idea. Whoever wins that sort of individual match-up will give his team a major boost in chances to win this one. 

FOR THE CHIEFS TO WIN, EXPECT...

-Travis Kelce to continue to eat
Kelce has really yet to have been slowed down in the post-season, and with Mahomes less than 100%, it will be key for him to find Kelce over and over again. If they can do so, they will have a great chance to win

-Mahomes' ankle to not limit him much
If he looks the same as he did two weeks ago against the Bengals, the Chiefs are in good shape. Given that he has healed in that time frame, the odds are high that he will be as good, if not better, pending a re-injury in game / the effects of the elite Eagle D

-The secondary to bend but not break
Just like last time out, bend but don't break. They certainly gave up their share of big plays, but when it mattered most, this porous secondary figured it out. They will need to do the same to win this game

-OT Andrew Wylie to hold up
Even though KC has a top 4 ranked OL in football, they do have one glaring weakspot. RT Andrew Wylie has been pretty inconsistent/bad at times this year, and the Eagles know that. If they pick on him, Wylie will need to figure it out, because he could be the one to let the whole cookie crumble. If Wylie can hold up and just allow 1-2 sacks max (preferably less), the Chiefs will be in a good spot

TOP 7 CHIEFS in the SUPER BOWL (in honor of SB fifty-SEVEN)
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB
2. Travis Kelce, TE
3. Chris Jones, DT
4. Creed Humphrey, C
5. Joe Thuney, OG
6. Trey Smith, OG
7. Nick Bolton, LB

This was the ultimate Chiefs breakdown, and soon I will have the Eagle edition of this, followed by my actual Super Bowl game prediction later this week!