It’s the City of Brotherly Love against the team NFL fans are starting to hate.
The Eagles and the Chiefs will meet for the second time in three years when they face off in Super Bowl 59 on Sunday in New Orleans. Kansas City won the first matchup 38-35, part of an incredible three-year stretch that has featured 40 regular-season wins, two championships and a chance at being the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.
All that success has created plenty of jealousy around the league. But Philadelphia isn’t some plucky underdog neutral fans can easily get behind. The Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the third time in eight years after assembling one of the best collections of talent in the NFL.
It should be a fierce fight to see who gets to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Each team has clear strengths and not many weaknesses.
Here’s who has the edge at each position:
Quarterback
There’s not much room for debate here, right?
Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts might go down as one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks of all time given the fact he’s impossible to stop inside the 1-yard line. But he’s not Patrick Mahomes. No one is. Mahomes’ 17 playoff victories are the second-most by any quarterback in NFL history, behind Tom Brady (35). Oh, and Mahomes doesn’t turn 30 until September.
Edge: Chiefs
Running back
Another easy call.
Any time a player makes Eric Dickerson nervous about losing his single-season rushing record, they’re doing something right. That’s Saquon Barkley, who gained 2,005 rushing yards during the regular season and has added another 442 (on only 66 carries) in the playoffs.
Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco don’t keep defensive coordinators up at night nearly as much.
Edge: Eagles
Wide receiver
The Chiefs have gotten by with aging veterans DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster as well as speedy rookie Xavier Worthy. It’s a decent yet unspectacular group.
The Eagles have one of the NFL’s best duos in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Brown had 96 yards the last time these teams met in the Super Bowl, and Smith had 100.
Edge: Eagles
Tight end
One player earns all the headlines here by being part of the NFL’s most popular family and dating the world’s most famous pop star. But Travis Kelce isn’t the only reason Kansas City has the advantage. Noah Gray has been a great sidekick, catching 40 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns this season. Gray has almost been as productive as Philadelphia’s No. 1 tight end, Dallas Goedert (42 catches, 496 yards, two touchdowns).
Edge: Chiefs
Offensive line
Left tackle has been a sore spot for Kansas City all season. It became such a glaring weakness that the team was forced to move left guard Joe Thuney to the outside. The Eagles remain one of the NFL’s best units despite losing future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce — Travis’ older brother — to retirement in the offseason. Their “tush push” quarterback sneak with Hurts is unstoppable as ever.
Edge: Eagles
Defensive line
Say this for both teams: They know how to build in the trenches.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is one of the NFL’s best game-wreckers. Defensive end George Karlaftis is excellent at chasing quarterbacks down.
The Eagles’ depth is frightening. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter leads the group, and edge rusher Nolan Smith emerged late in the season. This is one spot that’s too close to call.
Edge: Push
Linebacker
Nick Bolton has been a huge part of the Chiefs’ success the past four years, making 458 tackles in 57 games.
Philadelphia just has so many options in the middle of the field, however. Zack Baun is a defensive player of the year finalist. Nakobe Dean is a standout contributor. Oren Burks has two forced fumbles in the playoffs. It’s truly an embarrassment of riches.
Edge: Eagles
Secondary
The Chiefs have a lockdown cornerback in Trent McDuffie and a strong safety group led by Justin Reid. Rookie Jaden Hicks, a Bishop Gorman High alum, is also playing key snaps in the playoffs.
The Eagles have their own share of first-year contributors in cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, two of the finalists for defensive rookie of the year. It’s a talented group, though Philadelphia’s lack of experience on the back end prevents it from having a clear edge here.
Edge: Push
Special teams
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott has been a little shaky in the playoffs, missing three of his 12 extra-point attempts and one of his seven field-goal tries.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been perfect, plus the team has a dangerous returner in Nikko Remigio.
Edge: Chiefs
Coaching
Kansas City’s Andy Reid will coach in his sixth Super Bowl on Sunday, tying Don Shula for the second-most appearances behind Bill Belichick (nine). Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has four rings. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni probably deserves more credit for going 48-20 and reaching two Super Bowls in his first four seasons in Philadelphia. But his résumé doesn’t stack up with a surefire Hall of Famer.
Edge: Chiefs
