NEW ORLEANS – Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are pursuing historical past and some of Taylor Swift’s information.
Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles stand of their approach.
The Chiefs (17-2) will attempt to change into the primary crew to win three straight Tremendous Bowls after they face the Eagles (17-3) on Sunday within the Superdome.
It’s a rematch from two years in the past when Hurts practically led the Eagles to a championship solely to observe Mahomes snatch it away by rallying Kansas Metropolis to a 38-35 win on Harrison Butker’s 27-yard subject purpose with 8 seconds left.
Mahomes lifted the Chiefs to an extra time win towards San Francisco in one other Tremendous Bowl rematch final 12 months. Now, they’re poised for a three-peat, a phrase coach Andy Reid doesn’t use a lot.
“I believe the one time I’ve heard him say it’s to the media at any time when y’all ask him about it,” Mahomes stated. “He’s very locked in on simply, ‘How can we be nice with our cadence immediately at observe?’ in order that’s simply the stuff that Coach Reid focuses on.”
Reid gained extra video games than any coach in franchise historical past throughout his 14 seasons in Philadelphia however couldn’t win the large one, going 1-4 in NFC championship video games and shedding a Tremendous Bowl to the Patriots. He went proper to Kansas Metropolis after the Eagles fired him following the 2012 season and has constructed a dynasty because of Mahomes, Kelce, Chris Jones and others.
“You don’t have time to consider all that,” Reid stated of the three-peat. “You’re targeted in on the job at hand right here and that’s enjoying towards an amazing Eagles crew.”
Jones, the three-time All-Professional defensive sort out, echoed his coach’s viewpoint.
“We don’t discuss no three-peat,” Jones stated. “I believe that’s what we’re right here for. We perceive that. We perceive there’s another sport till the offseason and we will do no matter we wish to do. Our important focus is ensuring we’re ready for the Eagles.”
It doesn’t matter what the Chiefs say, everybody else is speaking about it. No crew has accomplished it within the Tremendous Bowl period, although the Inexperienced Bay Packers gained an NFL championship in 1965 and adopted by successful the primary two Tremendous Bowls. Kelce even began all of the three-peat speak on stage final 12 months when he stated the crew’s purpose was to win three.
“That is gonna be our largest check but,” Kelce stated. “They acquired numerous nice gamers however the largest factor is that they play nice collectively. You possibly can see their communication. You possibly can see the accountability they’ve, particularly within the secondary. It’s not gonna make my job any simpler.”
These Eagles are completely different from the group that fell simply brief towards Kansas Metropolis in Arizona two years in the past.
They’ve the NFL’s most dynamic participant within the backfield. Barkley rushed for two,447 yards with seven touchdowns of 60-plus yards within the common season and playoffs.
“The purpose has all the time been to win it, not simply to get right here,” Barkley stated.
Dropping to the Chiefs two years in the past solely motivated Hurts much more. He’s decided to hoist a Lombardi trophy and even had a photograph of him strolling off the sphere with Kansas Metropolis’s pink and yellow confetti falling round him because the background on his cellphone.
“It’s had an amazing driving pressure,” Hurts stated of that loss. “It lit a flame, lit a hearth in me, and to have this chance once more is strictly what you’re employed for.”
Hurts, Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and a dominant offensive line current a serious problem for Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
The Eagles even have the league’s No. 1-ranked protection, that includes eight new starters from 2022 and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
All-Professional linebacker Zack Baun and rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean plus the emergence of defensive sort out Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith has reworked a defensive unit that fell aside final season.
“We’re lucky to have Steve Spagnuolo, however I inform you that Vic is a type of guys,” Reid stated. “He’s simply a type of actually artistic defensive minds that survived a very long time on this league. He’s been time-tested, and, he has the belief of his gamers.”
If the Chiefs win, Reid and Mahomes can be one step nearer to Invoice Belichick and Tom Brady. They’re midway to the six Belichick and Brady gained collectively in New England and Mahomes remains to be 4 away from Brady’s seven rings.
“I’m attempting to be the best Patrick Mahomes that I may be. That’s clearly a purpose of anybody’s — to be the best at their career — however with a purpose to do this, you need to be the best which you could be each single day,” Mahomes stated.
“Every time I’m accomplished with soccer, if I depart the whole lot on the market — the way in which that I really feel like I’ve to this point — so far as effort and mentality, I’ll be proud of the outcomes.”
A win for Kansas Metropolis additionally would give Kelce his fourth ring, the identical variety of Grammy Awards his pop star girlfriend has gained for greatest album. Total, Kelce has 18 playoff wins and Swift has 14 Grammys.
“She’s up there being the celebrity that she is and by no means taking no for a solution and all the time working her tail off. I higher match that vitality for positive,” Kelce stated.
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