Super Bowl LIX: Eagles face off against Chiefs for epic rematch in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - It's a hunt for revenge for the Philadelphia Eagles, who suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs just two years ago.

The Birds could rewrite history while also denying the Chiefs a historic third straight Super Bowl victory.

Tune into FOX 29 for kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, with coverage starting even earlier on FOX, FS1, and Tubi.

The backstory:

The Eagles are soaring into the Super Bowl following a dominating 55-23 victory against the Commanders for the NFC Championship in Philadelphia last month.

Saquon Barkley wasted no time, scoring a record-setting 60-yard touchdown during the team's opening drive.

Jalen Hurts and Barkley set yet another record, scoring 55 points with a combined six touchdowns, while the team capitalized on four turnovers by their divisional rivals.

The iconic tush push worked its magic yet again, drawing several penalties along the goal line and ultimately gaining two touchdowns.

Dig deeper:

The Eagles were successful on 28 of 34 tush push attempts this season, according to Next Gen Stats. Overall, Hurts converted 35 of 43 attempts this year on third- or fourth-and-1 from anywhere on the field, plus any other runs from the 1-yard line.

Can the Chiefs stop the tush push?

The Eagles fell short to Kansas City 38-35 when they played each other in the Super Bowl two years ago, but it wasn’t because of the tush push. Hurts scored two touchdowns with the play against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

In the AFC title game, the Buffalo Bills converted only twice on six attempts with their tweaked version of the tush push against the Chiefs. 

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, has had at least two weeks to devise a scheme to stop Hurts.

"I think the Eagles have perfected this thing over however many years it’s been and that offensive line, I think they’re built for it," Spagnuolo said.

Key Matchups:

The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line could prove to be a pivotal factor in the outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Eagles offense

While Hurts isn’t at the level of Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, he did shine in their first Super Bowl matchup. Hurts delivered a record performance in the Super Bowl, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown, running for 70 yards and three scores, and adding a game-tying 2-point conversion.

Hurts is trying to become the fourth quarterback to win the Super Bowl as a starting quarterback after losing his first Super Bowl start.

The Eagles also set an NFL record for most yards rushing in a season with 3,731 in the regular season and playoffs. The Eagles have a chance to break their own record for most touchdown runs in a season. They have 39 heading into the Super Bowl — three shy of the mark they set in the 2022 season.

Eagles defense

Barkley isn’t the only new face from the last Super Bowl matchup creating havoc on the field.

The ninth-overall pick in the 2023 draft, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, flourished this season with five sacks, 53 QB pressures, 12 QB hits, five batted passes and two forced fumbles.

Led by Carter, the Eagles have three of the top eight and four of the top 22 interior pass rushers in the NFL this season.

Here are some more numbers that might force Mahomes to take one last look at the film to get a bead on just how great the Eagles defense has played this season.

The Eagles led the NFL in total defense at 278.4 yards per game for the seventh time in franchise history. The Eagles ranked No. 1 in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (174.2) for the second time in the last three years. Oh, and the Eagles are plus-27 in turnover differential from Week 8 through the postseason.

The other new face who made all the difference won't be found on the player roster.

At 66, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has incorporated eight new starters into a defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in 2023 and turned it into one of the league’s best as the Eagles led the NFL in advanced efficiency metrics.

Fangio has been integral in the defensive rebuild in Philadelphia. He saw enough in free agent Zack Baun to turn him from a special teams player, who got limited time on defense as an outside rusher in New Orleans, into an All-Pro inside linebacker and finalist for AP Defensive Player of the Year in Philadelphia.

He also helped incorporate two rookie starters into the secondary in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, which played a big part in the turnaround.

One major blemish is on Fangio's resume, however: His 0-8 record against Mahomes as a head coach in Denver and coordinator in Miami.

Special teams

Here is where the Eagles could run into trouble if the Super Bowl runs down to the last play -- and it’s the Chiefs, so that comeback drama is very much a real option.

Once so reliable he was nicknamed "Jake the Make," Jake Elliott had the worst season of his career. He missed eight field goals in the regular season, and went only 1 for 7 from beyond 50-plus yards. He missed a combined three extra points in the playoffs and another field goal from beyond 50.

"I don’t think Jake really dwells on it. That’s the great thing," special teams coach Michael Clay said. "He’s the kind of guy that, almost like a golfer’s mindset, you will hit a bad shot here as a golfer, but how do you bounce back from it? His mental is so strong. I’m never too worried about him. He’ll flush it after the first one."

Elliott made all three extra points and was successful on both field goals (of 35 and 33 yards) against Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

Harrison Butker has stayed at the top his game for Kansas City. One of the most accurate kickers in the NFL, he kept Kansas City in the Super Bowl last year against San Francisco with a trio of field goals, including a 57-yarder in the third quarter, before his 29-yarder at the end of regulation forced overtime. Kansas City went on to win, 25-22. He kicked the winner with 8 seconds left to beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Big picture view:

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are pursuing history, and the Eagles stand in their way.

The Chiefs (17-2) will try to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls when they face the Eagles (17-3) on Sunday in the Super Dome.

It’s a rematch from two years ago when Hurts nearly led the Eagles to a championship only to watch Mahomes snatch it away by rallying Kansas City to a 38-35 win on Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds left.

Mahomes lifted the Chiefs to an overtime win against San Francisco in another Super Bowl rematch last year. Now, they’re poised for a three-peat.

However, these Eagles are different from the group that fell just short against Kansas City in Arizona two years ago.

They have the NFL’s most dynamic player in the backfield. Barkley rushed for 2,447 yards with seven touchdowns of 60-plus yards in the regular season and playoffs.

Hurts, Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and a dominant offensive line present a major challenge for Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

The Eagles also have the league’s No. 1-ranked defense, featuring eight new starters from 2022 and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun and rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean plus the emergence of defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith has transformed a defensive unit that fell apart last season.

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