Super Bowl LIX Preview: Is the Threepeat Inevitable?

And so, it has happened. What they said couldn’t be done is on the verge of becoming reality. There was no way the Chiefs were actually as good as their record. There was no way they could sustain this style of winning tight games with tons of luck all the way to New Orleans. I mean, there was just… no… way.

Until there was.

And so here we are with deja vu all over again as the Chiefs and Eagles (snore) square off for the second time in three years while once again the likes of the Bills, Ravens, Lions, and Texans are watching from home. This isn’t the matchup most NFL fans wanted, but admittedly, it figures to produce a close game.

So who has the edge?

Offense

You can’t argue this one — the Eagles are the more explosive team with Sequin Barkley tearing the league apart and Jalen Hurts being a viable dual-threat. The Chiefs lack explosiveness, though they picked a great time to finally hit the 31-point mark (32) in the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs’ run game isn’t what it was, and protecting Patrick Mahomes will be paramount. But the Chiefs do not figure to fare nearly as well in a shootout. Edge: Eagles.

Defense

Both teams bring very strong defenses, but Philly’s has been the best in football all year. They are stacked across the board and the pass rush could be the true game-wrecker. But the Chiefs finally have their cornerback tandem of Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie healthy, a duo who may be just as good as Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell, not to mention the breakout rookie star Cooper DeJean. Chris Jones can take over at any point, and you never know what Steve Spagnuolo has up his sleeve. But by a whisker… Edge: Eagles.

Special Teams

This is where the Chiefs need to take advantage. Jake Elliott has struggled all year and Harrison Butker is perhaps the game’s most clutch kicker who happens to finally be healthy. Kick returns have been a strength for Kansas City with the Chiefs leading the postseason ranks in both kick and punt return average after ranking in the middle during the regular season. If the Chiefs can get a big return or two from either Nikko Remigio or Samaje Perine (think Kadarius Toney two years ago), momentum could shift in KC’s favor. Edge: Chiefs.

Coaching

You can’t dog Nick Sirianni anymore, turning his team around after a 2-2 start following last year’s dreadful finish. But Andy Reid is the new GOAT for a reason. With two weeks to prepare in his illustrious career, Reid is 31-7, while Sirianni is 5-1. If there is any edge for the Chiefs to have, Reid will find it. Spagnuolo is a pressure wizard, especially late in games, and despite much being left to the imagination, Matt Nagy has started to get his speed guys involved more this postseason. Edge: Chiefs.

Intangibles

It seems like this one heavily favors the Chiefs. Mahomes’ career postseason numbers, especially in the wins department, are incredible. Mahomes is the first QB ever to win multiple playoff games six straight years (for reference, Tom Brady, who currently has more than twice as many career playoff wins than Mahomes, never did that more than three consecutive seasons). At 17-3, and only one postseason loss to an active quarterback (Joe Burrow), Mahomes seemingly cannot be stopped in January and February. Kansas City has won an absurd 17 straight one-score games dating back to Christmas Day 2023, seemingly inviting these type of affairs at every turn. Heck, their largest deficit at any time in any game this year is 10 points (Week 4 at the Chargers), which is the same deficit Mahomes has rallied from in all three of his Super Bowl victories. Philadelphia boasts perhaps its strongest team ever, but could be considered lucky as well to have survived a Rams comeback after beating a very undermanned Packers team in unimpressive fashion. It is also very difficult to play well after a flawless performance, which of course the Eagles had in their 55-23 dismantling of Washington in the NFC Championship Game (it is worth noting that in the past 25 seasons, 14 of the 22 Super Bowls in which one team had a larger margin of victory in the championship game actually lost in the big game). Edge: Chiefs.

Prediction

It is so tempting to pick the Eagles — so VERY tempting — but I predicted the three-peat before the year and I might as well stick with it here. The Chiefs defy the odds every single time, it seems, and even in a revenge game, the Eagles may just come up short once again. Chiefs, 31-24. MVP: Patrick Mahomes.