The countdown to the Super Bowl inches closer and all eyes are on who will hoist the trophy. There is plenty of attention toward Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, and plenty of others. But sometimes football is won and lost in the trenches and this very well could be the case on the biggest stage.
While this is not the same Eagles’ defensive line that tallied 70 sacks in a season and faced Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl two years ago- Philadelphia is capable of taking over a game in this area. This is especially concerning as Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 times during the regular season and has been sacked five times across the first two playoff games. Mahomes was taken down at least once in 13 of the 16 regular season games he has played and was sacked five times in two separate games.
The odds on DraftKings Sportsbook are set at 2.5 sacks for each team with odds set for each individual player as well. I like the Eagles pass-rush to cause some issues and record over 2.5 sacks. Nolan Smith is my favorite bet to record a sack on the defensive line which you can read about here and I also like Josh Sweat to make his presence felt in the backfield
You can bet on this on DraftKings Sportsbook and also can tail me in betting this in the DK Network betting group here.
Why the Eagles will sack Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl:
The Philadelphia Eagles finished the season ranked second in points allowed and gave up the fewest yards in the NFL. They also ranked second in rushing touchdowns allowed, sixth in passing touchdowns conceded, and 14th in sacks tallied on the team.
Josh Sweat led the team with 8.0 sacks with Nolan Smith right behind him with 6.5 takedowns. 13 different players registered at least 0.5 sacks on the season. Smith has taken his game to another level in the postseason logging 4.0 sacks across the first three playoff games. As a team, the Eagles logged two sacks against the Packers, five sacks against the Rams, and three sacks against the Commanders in this playoff run.
The Chiefs’ offensive line finished the year ranked fifth in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, but grades better during the run compared to the pass. They ranked 30th in the NFL over the final four weeks of the regular season and have not received a PFF grade above a C since Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers. Their biggest weakness comes at the tackle position which is especially concerning from a pass-rush standpoint. Jawaan Taylor headlines these concerns after finishing the season ranked 62nd out of the 81 qualified tackles on PFF. Taylor allowed a team-high 41 pressures and seven sacks during the regular season. Only seven tackles in the league gave up more pressures. He is expected to primarily be matched up with Nolan Smith during this game.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio plays a more conservative style of defense that does not involve much blitzing outside of the front four. Philadelphia is talented enough to win these individual battles and rotate bodies to keep their pass rushers fresh throughout. Philadelphia was unable to produce a sack against Patrick Mahomes in the first Super Bowl matchup and will be looking to change this in this game. With an improved defensive unit, a weakened Chiefs’ offensive line, and improved turf on the field- expect some better results.
While Nolan Smith headlines my optimism, there are legitimate reasons for belief across this Eagles defensive line. Philadelphia has committed to investing in the trenches and this has been just as large of a reason for their success as their skill positions. Expect a commanding performance from this Eagles’ defensive line and I like them to bring down Mahomes at least three times at +105 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
