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With the NFL's conference championship games now in the books, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are set to square off for football's ultimate prize in Super Bowl LVII.
This will mark Philadelphia's first Super Bowl appearance since 2017 when they won the Lombardi Trophy with Doug Pederson at the helm. Six years later, the overhauled Eagles have returned to the NFL's biggest stage with second-year head coach Nick Sirianni stalking the sideline and dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts under center.
Let's take a look at how the Philadelphia Eagles got to this year's Super Bowl and why they will defeat former Eagles head coach Andy Reid and his Chiefs squad.
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How Did The Eagles Get Here?
A late-season blip aside, this is a squad that's been dominant throughout 2022. Although they dropped two of their last three regular-season games - with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts sidelined in both the losses - the Eagles still finished the year as the NFC East champions with a 14-3 record, earning the top overall seed in the NFC.
After an opening-round bye, Philly flexed their muscles in a 38-7 beatdown of the New York Giants in the Divisional round of the playoffs. It was a performance that reminded fans just how terrific the Eagles have been this season.
The same can be said of their NFC Championship game romp over the San Francisco 49ers. While many expected a rugged, hard-fought contest, the Eagles dominated a Niners team that lost not starting quarterback Brock Purdy early in the game, as well as backup QB Josh Johnson. The game was never in much doubt and Philly earned a 31-7 victory to claim the NFC title.
Philadelphia consistently shined under second-year head coach Nick Sirianni this year, excelling on both sides of the football. The Eagles finished the season ranked third in the NFL in Total Offense DVOA and average points per game (28.1), while also grading out sixth in Total Defense DVOA en route to allowing the league's fewest passing yards per game.
Why The Eagles Will Win Super Bowl LVII
While we'll touch on multiple keys to the Eagles' 2022 success, it feels appropriate to start with Philly signal caller Jalen Hurts. Before going down with an injured shoulder in Week 15, Hurts was a legitimate MVP candidate that displayed the ability to both pick apart teams through the air and destroy them with his legs.
Completing passes at an impressive 66.5% clip, the third-year pro passed for a career-high 3,701 yards this season, despite missing two games and being throttled back in multiple others when his team led by wide margins. Hurts also picked up 760 yards on the ground and led all QBs in the NFL with 13 rushing TDs.
Hurts' growth as a quarterback in his third NFL season has been aided tremendously by a draft-night sign and trade deal that brought A.J. Brown to Philly. The former Tennessee Titan has been worth every penny, as Brown recorded career-highs in receptions and receiving yards in 2022 while tying his career-best in TDs.
Brown's running mate in the Eagles' receiving corps, former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, has performed as advertised since joining the professional ranks. Smith has proven to be a dynamic playmaker with game-breaking ability that topped 100-yards receiving in five games during the regular season.
Hurts and this deadly receiving corps - that also includes stud tight end Dallas Goedert - could have a field day in Super Bowl LVII against a Kansas City defense that allowed the most passing TDs in the NFL during the regular season and also relinquished the league's fourth-most rushing yards to the QB position.
Philadelphia isn't just all offense, either. The Eagles feature a pair of shutdown corners in Darius Slay and James Bradberry that helped the squad finish the season ranked first in the NFL in Pass Defense DVOA.
While the defensive line did show some lapses at times earlier in the year, the midseason acquisitions of veterans Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh helped sure up the run-stopping unit. Philly finished the regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in total yards allowed per game.
This rugged Eagles defense certainly has a huge challenge ahead against a high-octane Kansas City offense but Philly seems better equipped to handle Patrick Mahomes than most, thanks to the aforementioned top-ranked pass defense led by Slay and Bradberry.
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