GLENDALE, Ariz. — Super Bowl LVII features the two top seeds in the NFL playoffs, Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both teams are 16-3 this season including the playoffs, both offenses have scored exactly 546 points, and both have MVP finalist quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes.
It is the two best teams the league has to offer, fighting for their second Super Bowl ring in five years. The big game seems like one of the closest, toss up matchups we’ve seen in recent years, but the Eagles should be favored in almost every matchup.
Except for one: Matching up against the connection of Mahomes and star tight end Travis Kelce.
If Jonathan Gannon’s defense can limit Kelce, they win this game.
That will be easier said than done.
The brother of Eagles star center Jason Kelce might be the most dangerous open field threat the NFL has ever seen at the tight end position, catching passes from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time.
How will Gannon plan for Kelce?
The Eagles' base scheme is zone heavy. They aren’t going to throw everything out the window and change for one game, considering what they do made them the #1 passing defense in the regular season.
However, Kelce thrives with option routes over the middle of the field against zone coverage.
Considering the Chiefs no longer have a Tyreek Hill-type of elite wide receiver to also worry about, Gannon might be wise to use one of his two elite coverage cornerbacks in Darius Slay and James Bradberry to shadow Kelce all night long.
Even if the rest of the defense stays in zone, the Eagles should play almost similar to a “box-and-one” basketball zone, so Kelce doesn’t get free off the line of scrimmage.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE LOCKED ON EAGLES PODCAST: Apple // Google Podcasts // Spotify // Stitcher // TuneIn
Philadelphia’s secondary has the talent and depth to be okay on the boundary if Slay or Bradberry move around the formation to follow Kelce. If Marquez Valdes-Scantling or JuJu Smith-Schuster take over the game, then you can live with that result.
The Eagles saw first hand back in 2018, during Super Bowl LII what matchups against a team’s top, elite weapon can do to a game for better or worse.
New England Patriots star TE Rob Gronkowski couldn’t get anything going against CB Jalen Mills and the right side of the defense in the first half, catching just one pass for nine yards. It stalled multiple red zone drives for the Patriots, forcing them to settle for field goal attempts.
Then in the second half, New England adjusted, moving Gronkowski to the other side against CB Ronald Darby and S Corey Graham. Former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz didn’t have Mills or even star S Malcolm Jenkins shadow him and it nearly cost the Eagles their first ever Super Bowl.
Gronkowski blew up, catching eight passes from Tom Brady for 107 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles were able to hold on, winning 41-33, but it was thanks in little to the defense.
Philadelphia has the advantage on both sides of the line, they have the weapons on offense through the air and on the ground to keep up with Mahomes, and the talent to cover his weapons.
If Gannon can properly use that talent to limit the new Brady-Gronk, elite QB-TE connection that is Mahomes and Kelce, it is a safe bet to assume the Eagles will be world champions.