Super Bowl 57: Who has the edge at each position?
It is convenient to pick a winner for the Super Bowl based on which team has the better record or the team that has looked better in recent games. However, the truth is that football games are often won based on specific positional matchups. In this article, I will explore the different position groups for the Chiefs and Eagles and give who I believe has the edge at each position.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts has been nothing short of spectacular this year. He has clearly put himself in the conversation as a top five quarterback, and I think he will only continue to improve because of his incredibly strong work ethic.
However, I simply cannot say that the Eagles have the edge at the quarterback position when Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback for the Chiefs. Playing as well as he did versus the Bengals with a high ankle sprain not only cemented his case for MVP but also added to his legacy in a significant way.
Mahomes has now led the Chiefs to the Super Bowl in three of the past four seasons, and it would be difficult to make a case for any other quarterback having an edge over him at this point.
ADVANTAGE: CHIEFS
Running back
The Eagles averaged 153.9 rush yards per game this season, which was good for fourth most in the NFL. The Chiefs only averaged 113.5 rush yards per game, which was good for 21st in the league.
The run game for the Chiefs improved throughout the regular season; however, they struggled to get their run game going against the Bengals, only posting 27 yards on 15 carries. Meanwhile, the Eagles have a strong three-headed tandem at the position with Miles Sanders leading the way but Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott showing their value throughout these playoffs.
This is not to mention that Hurts poses an additional threat to the running game for the Eagles. Clearly, it is the Eagles that have the edge here.
ADVANTAGE: EAGLES
Wide Receiver
With the departure of Tyreek Hill this offseason, there were some who questioned whether Mahomes would be able to be as productive with this group of receivers.
Sure enough, Mahomes has been just as productive; the Chiefs replaced the vertical threat that Hill provided with the vertical threat of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and plenty of their younger receivers have stepped up in a big way. With that said, the Chiefs do not have a duo anywhere near the A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith duo that the Eagles have.
Add in the fact that multiple receivers for the Chiefs are banged up right now and it is clear that the Eagles have the advantage here.
ADVANTAGE: EAGLES
Tight end
The Super Bowl features two of the best tight ends in the NFL right now. Travis Kelce led all tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards, with no other tight end coming within 19 receptions and 402 yards of him.
Dallas Goedert finished 7th in total yards among tight ends, despite missing five games after suffering a shoulder injury. Goedert might very well be the 2nd best tight end in the NFL, but there is still a wide gap between him and Kelce.
ADVANTAGE: CHIEFS
Offensive line
I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that we have the two best offensive lines squaring off in the Super Bowl. Three of the eight Pro Bowlers from the Eagles come from their offensive line: center Jason Kelce, guard Landon Dickerson, and tackle Lane Johnson.
The offensive line for the Eagles has posted a run block win rate of 75% and pass block win rate of 62%, which are good for 2nd and 9th in the league, respectively. The Chiefs also have three Pro Bowl offensive linemen: tackle Orlando Brown Jr., center Creed Humphrey, and guard Joe Thuney.
Their linemen posted a 75% pass block win rate and 74% run block win rate on the season, which was good for 1st and 3rd in the NFL, respectively. I think these offensive lines grade out pretty equally and will be two of the strongest units on the field on Sunday, but I will give the Chiefs the slight edge based on the underlying metrics.
ADVANTAGE: CHIEFS
Defensive line
The Eagles led the NFL in sacks by a wide margin this season, accumulating a grand total of 70. The Chiefs happened to finish 2nd, accumulating 55 sacks.
Their unit is led by veteran Chris ones, who was responsible for 15.5 of his team’s sacks. Digging further, the Eagles led the league in pass rush win rate at 52%; whereas, the Chiefs were 15th in pass rush win rate at 41%.
Looking at run stop win rate, the Eagles finished 10th at 31% but the Chiefs finished dead last at 26%. It is fair to say that both defensive lines can get after the quarterback, which should prove to be a significant factor in stopping the two passing attacks led by Mahomes and Hurts.
However, I think the defensive line for the Chiefs will struggle to stop the run game of the Eagles; whereas, I do not believe the Chiefs will be able to run much against the Eagles’ defensive line. I give the edge to the Eagles here.
ADVANTAGE: EAGLES
Linebacker
The linebacking unit for the Eagles is led by star linebackers Haason Reddick and T.J. Edwards. Reddick posted 16 sacks in the regular season, and he has added to that total with another 3.5 sacks in the postseason to give him the edge over Nick Bosa for the league lead. Edwards has a total of 159 tackles, which is good for 7th in the NFL.
The Chiefs are led by second-year linebacker Nick Bolton, who finished 2nd in the league with 180 total tackles. Outside Bolton, the linebacking group for the Chiefs is not spectacular and should be an area the Eagles can expose. I give the Eagles the edge at the linebacker position.
ADVANTAGE: EAGLES
Secondary
In 2021, the secondary for the Eagles was a massive weakness, but that massive weakness has turned into a massive strength in 2022. Much of the turnaround can be attributed to two of the Eagles’ offseason acquisitions. The first was that of defensive back C.J. Gardner Johnson, who the Eagles acquired from the Saints for a 2023 fifth-round pick.
Second was that of cornerback James Bradberry, who the Eagles signed to a one-year deal this offseason. The secondary for the Eagles has limited passing attacks to 171 yards per game, which led the league by a good margin.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ secondary is not a bad unit, but it is certainly not in the same class as that of the Eagles; they allowed opposing passing attacks to 221 yards per game, on average, which was good for 19th in the NFL.
ADVANTAGE: EAGLES
Special teams
The special teams for the Chiefs is led by kicker Harrison Butker and punter Tommy Townsend. Butker has been regarded as one of the game’s top kickers for the past few years, and Townsend was named to this year’s Pro Bowl.
The Eagles will rely on 2021 pro-bowl kicker Jake Elliot and punter Brett Kern, who made three consecutive pro bowls from 2017 through 2019 but was cut by the Tennessee Titans earlier this season and has struggled at times with the Eagles. The return games for both teams are solid.
Overall, special teams is a strength for both squads; however, I will give the edge to Kansas City by a thin margin because they have an advantage at the punter position.
ADVANTAGE: CHIEFS
Game prediction
Tallying up which team has the edge at each of the positions, the Eagles hold the narrow victory 5-4 over the Chiefs. Many of the positional advantages that the teams have are narrow, and it is evident that the two teams are neck and neck. In a game that should come down to the wire, however, I tend to choose the team with the better quarterback.
For as great as Hurts is, I trust Mahomes to make the big play when the lights are shining the brightest. It is also worth mentioning that Andy Reid is the head coach for the Chiefs; outside of Bill Belichick, there has not been a better coach in the 21st century. For as strong as the Eagles are in the trenches, I trust the coach-quarterback combination of Mahomes and Reid to pull out the victory.
PREDICTION: CHIEFS 27 EAGLES 24
