As Super Bowl LVII draws near, there are any number of matchups deserving of attention. In fact, if you go position by position, you’ll see pretty quickly that this Chiefs versus Eagles showdown is even more of a coin flip than you might expect. But what about the immeasurable qualities of these two contenders? The secret, beneath-the-surface weapons working in each club’s favor?
Here’s a brief overview of five different Super Bowl intangibles, and which team has the edge going into Sunday’s contest:
Coaching
We talk a lot about the coaches, yes, and we can bear witness to at least some of their decisions, such as in situational play-calling. But it’s still hard to fully quantify the impact of, say, an entire coaching staff’s resume or philosophy. The Chiefs would seem to be an easy winner here, employing one of the greatest coaches to ever appear in multiple Super Bowls in Andy Reid. There’s no doubt Big Red is an offensive innovator whose biggest toy — a player who happens to wear No. 15 — further emboldens his creative instincts. His defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, can be equally as playful thanks to timely blitzes. But the Eagles probably aren’t getting enough credit, either. DC Jonathan Gannon relies more on straightforward front-four pressure — and relatively safe alignments on the back end — to get results. But the tandem of Nick Sirianni and primary play-caller Shane Steichen has casually been one of the most aggressive — and successful — on key downs like fourth-and-short.
Edge: Even
Depth
This one’s intangible only in the sense that you can’t know exactly what type of performance awaits on the bench in the event of an emergency. It’s also a fairly clear victory for the Eagles. Start at the most important position, for one: if Patrick Mahomes goes down for Kansas City, the Chiefs’ title hopes will rest with Chad Henne, 37, who’s thrown all of 18 passes the last two years. If Jalen Hurts is sidelined for Philly, the Eagles would turn to Gardner Minshew, who’s started 24 games the last four seasons. Other premium spots are better-stocked on the Eagles’ end as well, such as up front, where former starting left tackle Andre Dillard is a swing reserve; off the edge, where Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham rotate behind Haason Reddick; and cornerback, where safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has played before.
Edge: Eagles
Health
Both sides have knicks and bruises going into the game….
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