Eagles Team Breakdown: Everything You Need to Know About PHI in Super Bowl 57

 Yesterday we learned all about the Kansas City Chiefs, their roster, and how they got to Super Bowl 57, today we will do the same, but with the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. With this out, you will be receiving my OFFICIAL game prediction later this week along with my NFL honors predictions. 

Overall Overview: For the second time in the last 5 seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl. While their last appearance (which they won) was so recent (2018), their roster is about as different as it could be in that span. When you see a team head to multiple Super Bowls within the same 5-7 years, it is usually the same nucleus of players getting them there. Nope. There are some repeats, but very few. The Doug Pederson/Carson Wentz/Nick Foles led Eagles team is no more. While that team won with an air raid like offense, this Eagles team, led by second year starter Jalen Hurts, is run heavy, and beats everyone with that plus their elite defensive unit. Second year HC Nick Sirianni, who took over for Pederson, is in his first Super Bowl on the job as well. These Eagles may be a very different looking team from the Super Bowl LII winning team, but I think they are BETTER than that team, and by a decent bit.

OFFENSE

Once again, this team has been led by the breakout of second year starting Quarterback Jalen Hurts. What a story this kid has been. From not even a first rounder in the draft, to a mid-tier starter in 2021, to the likely MVP runner-up in his third year is quite the rise. Hurts is one of the most unique QBs in the NFL, with a big arm and huge rushing ability. While he struggles with accuracy sometimes, he seems to find his wideouts when it is needed most. But then again, the Eagles don't always rely on the arm of Hurts, as his legs are probably even better. Hurts combined for a whopping 35 TDs this season (22 passing, 13 receiving) in only 15 games as well. Hurts also just turned the ball over six times this season, which is near the bottom of the league. While Mahomes may win league MVP this season, Hurts was a close second.

Hurts should basically be considered inside of this category of Running Backs on the Eagles. Philly was the no. 5 rushing offense in the NFL this season, as they have a committee of really good runners. Jalen Hurts ran for 760 yards and 13 scores, but then there's Miles Sanders, who was the RB1 of the team with 1,269 yards and 11 scores of his own. With Hurts and Sanders in the same backfield, the RPOs, which Philly LOVES to use more than anything, are impossible to not bite on for opposing defenses. Don't forget about reserve runners Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, both can go off on any given play. Gainwell ran for over 100 yards in the Divisional round victory over the Giants while Scott has a TD in both of the Eagles' post-season games this year as well. Philly will run early and often.

The elite running game sets up an intermediate/deep passing game as well. The Eagles have one of the very best Wide Receiver cores in the sport. Headlined by off-season mega-deal AJ Brown (who caught 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 scores this season), you cannot forget about WR 1B which is none other than Devonta Smith either. The former Heisman winner Smith caught 96 balls for 1,196 yards and 7 scores himself. He routinely makes some of the most miraculous grabs you will ever see and is in the midst of an unreal sophomore breakout. With these two flying around, it makes the quick pass off of the RPO so dangerous and also sets up the deep shot after many run plays force the safeties shallower. Dallas Goedert is also one of the few elite TEs in football. He is a pure receiver out there in a TE body. He moves so well and will make any contested catch he is tasked with. Teams may have forgotten a bit about him as he's missed a lot of time recently with injury, but he is back now, and is going to be a big factor in the Super Bowl!

And I haven't even mentioned THE focal point of this offense yet. The offensive line. This IS the best OL in football. PFF says so, and the world agrees. What a cast of rugged guys they have in the trenches here. Their bookend tackles feature 6'8 monster Jordan Mailata on one side, and then the future Hall of Famer Lane Johnson on the other. He is genuinely up there for best OT of the 2010s. Inside they have the best center in football and another future Hall of Famer in Jason Kelce. Kelce has been getting praised like crazy of late for his stout blocking that has bought this run heavy offense so much time. The Kelce brothers are unreal. With this OL, Jalen Hurts rarely is pressured much to throw, and this running game can flourish. The Chiefs are going to have a hard time blowing up plays against a unit so good and hard to move. This could wind up being a trackmeet as the Eagles are the no. 2 scoring offense in the NFL, only behind KC...

DEFENSE

Find me a weakness on this team. For real. Now we head to the defensive side, where their DL is simply unreal as well. You've got All-Pro 15+ sack man Haason Reddick on one side, future HOFer Fletcher Cox in the middle, ELITE interior rusher Javon Hargrave is also in the middle, and then the ageless wonder in Brandon Graham on the other side. Reddick has been going feral lately, sacking the QB at an insane rate. Reddick has 1.5+ sacks in both playoff games this year for Philly and has a league leading 6 forced fumbles on the season. I think he will pick on Andrew Wylie. Graham himself had an elite 11 sack season as well, despite being 34 years old. If this is his last hurrah for Philly, what a run. Cox and Hargrave had 7 and 11 sacks on the year too, this DL is going to outsack anyone, like they did throughout the regular season and playoffs. 

The Linebacking core is probably the weak point of this team, and even that isn't bad. Kyzir White and TJ Edwards are beyond serviceable and are just great tacklers in general. They do the rare cleanup work for this nearly perfect DL.

The secondary rivals the DL in terms of just how great they are. Darius Slay has been a Pro Bowler/All-Pro for years upon years now. While he is past 30, he is still chugging along as a lockdown CB1. The revelation for this secondary was James Bradberry. The Giants were not willing to pay him in the off-season, and releasing him led Bradberry right to Philly where he enjoyed a renaissance season, earning NFL All-Pro honors with 17 pass deflections and 3 INTs. For this speedy Chief offense, they will have a hard time getting open on these two. While the second safety spot is a bit of rotation of average players, the S1 spot is held by first-year Eagle CJ Gardner-Johnson. What an addition he was. CGJ had a league leading 6 INTs this year and 8 pass breakups. He was the ballhawking back man Philly had been yearning for. 

In general, how do you gameplan for this defense. Try and go 5 wide and the Eagles' pass rush will get home in a second. Try and block extra and get locked down by the elite secondary of the Eagles. There is no right answer with these guys, and I'm sure Andy Reid is learning that through film if he did not already know.

REASON EAGLES COULD WIN: The pass rush dominates. We have seen the Buccaneers dominate a Super Bowl against the Chiefs in recent memory by doing so. Patrick Mahomes was running for his life all game and they could not get any offense going at all. On a bum ankle, Eagle DC Jonathan Gannon could send all they can at Mahomes and see how he reacts. With 3 guys that had 10+ sacks this season on the DL, it could be an easy formula to winning.

REASON EAGLES COULD LOSE: They can't keep up in a shootout with Mahomes. Even though this Eagle D is good, they are yet to see anyone like Mahomes. If Patty has another all-time game like he tends to when the lights are brightest, it could put Philly in a shootout with KC. While the Eagle offense is great, I am not sure they could continue to go blow for blow with Mahomes all game long.

X-Factor - RB Kenneth Gainwell: I briefly mentioned him earlier, but Gainwell feels exactly like the dark horse, X-Factor type of player who could take the Super Bowl by storm (reminds me of the James White SB where he scored 4 TDs for the Patriots). Gainwell has been a pleasant surprise down the stretch this year for Philly as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield. Gainwell is a lightning quick missile out of the backfield at 5'9 and about 195 pounds. I could see the KC D missing an assignment or two on him and getting burnt for it. Gainwell is an awesome 3rd down back type of player, and I see him scoring 1 TD at the least in this game. Watch out for no. 14 (he is a running back, don't get confused by the #). He is my sleeper for Super Bowl MVP!

IMPORTANT IN-GAME MATCH-UPs

Eagles LBs TJ Edwards & Kyzir White on Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: This is my receiving game match to watch for in this one. I don't think the All-Pro CB duo of Slay and Bradberry will have too much trouble against the likes of Juju and MVS, but I do worry about how badly Travis Kelce will be able to gash the middle of this D. Whether it would be Shaquem Griffin (bad) or Darius Leonard (amazing) on Kelce, he would work you. Kelce is the definition of a match-up nightmare, and the Eagles are going to have to scheme like hell to limit him. Kelce has gone for under 50 yards in a game just THREE times all season. That is crazy. I think if the Eagles can hold him to under 100, it would be a major win in their books. Kyzir White and TJ Edwards are the two LBs who will probably be covering him most. They will need to lock and figure Kelce out to the best of their abilities. That is so much easier said than done, but this is a crucial in game match-up for the Eagles.

Eagles IOL (specifically Jason Kelce) vs Chiefs DT Chris Jones: 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 EAGLES TO WIN, EXPECT...

-The pass rush to get home in a big way
That has been what this team has done all year, so if that continues in this game, they will be in great shape to win. Still, the Chiefs boast a top 5 OL and so that is no sure thing.

-Jalen Hurts to play turnover free, and rush for 1 or more TDs
This has also been what Hurts has done all year, so if he can do it in this one, it should be business as usual and that usually has meant a win for the Eagles. When Hurts rushes for a TD or more, the Eagles are 10-1. 

-They hold Travis Kelce in check
If Kelce has 100 or less yards, that could be a win for the Eagles. 100+ means he is really cooking and that would be bad news for Philly. 80 yards and a TD for Kelce on the night would be a good thing for Philly honestly, and they will need that.

-DeVonta Smith to have a big play or two
Whenever Devonta Smith is out there making crazy circus catches for Philly, they are usually in crucial moments. If Smith gets hot, he will not drop another pass. They need to feed him early and often because once he is going, there are few players harder to stop.

TOP 7 EAGLES in the SUPER BOWL
(in honor of SB fifty-SEVEN)
1. Jason Kelce, C
2. Jalen Hurts, QB
3. Lane Johnson, OT
4. Haason Reddick, EDGE
5. Darius Slay, CB
6. AJ Brown, WR
7. DeVonta Smith, WR

With these teams so evenly matched (check the numbers), this is going to be an awesome, close game! Very soon I will release my official game prediction!