The Chiefs are on the verge of making history! The four-time SB champions are looking for a three-peat against the one-time SB winners, the Philadelphia Eagles. If any of the Chiefs think they know what they’re up against since this is a rematch of SB LVII… just hold on buds! This year’s Eagles are a whole different beast. You’d do well not to overlook their improved offensive and especially defensive capabilities even if you are supporting the Chiefs from the bottom of your heart. The Chiefs HC Andy Reid has seriously warned the locker room along those same lines. Wanna know what’s the warning for Patrick Mahomes and Co.? Let’s dive in.

Andy Reid was on The Pat McAfee Show where he was asked about the tremendous defense of the Eagles, led by their DC Vic Fangio. The Chiefs coach said, “Man, that guy, I can’t get rid of that guy. He’s everywhere, and he’s tough. He’s got a great scheme and that defense plays their heart out that’s a tremendous defense offense too. But that you’re asking me about the defense and Vic is as good as anybody in this league, man. He (is) everywhere he goes he puts together these defenses that are tough.” Vic Fangio joined in the 2024 offseason and has improved the Eagles’ defense to becoming the top-performing unit within a year. 

To talk about the Eagles’ defense and Fangio’s contribution, he has nurtured monsters like Zack Baun, Reed Blankenship, Oren Burks, Nolan Smith, and Cooper DeJean. And you know, where does Zack Baun stand in the solo tackles in the entire league? The star LB is 3rd in solo tackles (93), and 2nd in forced fumbles (5), and has intercepted one throw. His one INT looks pale, right? But there is another defensive player who is a master at interceptions. Reed Blankenship is 10th in the league in interceptions. Massive, right?

But let’s set aside the stats for some time and talk about Vic Fangio. In his first meeting with the Eagles‘ defensive players, Fangio just bashed them saying, “It’s not your fault you don’t work hard. It’s not your fault, you just don’t know how. But that’s going to change now that I’m here.” And since he landed in Philadelphia, Fangio has done a he-k of a lot of work to get to this level. And that’s why Andy Reid is saying Vic is “everywhere.”

But wait, Andy Reid also elaborated on the Eagles’ threats in the podcast. The threats are not just real, but potentially powerful enough to stop the Chiefs from making history. 

Andy Reid’s offense under the Eagles’ shadow

When Andy Reid was on The Colin Cowherd Show Wednesday, he gave some glimpses of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl plan as well. While talking about the strategy, he spoke about the potential threats they face as well. Reid said, “Their skill position and their D-line uh jumps out at you they’ve got great skill they’ve got a quarterback that can deal it their offensive line is strong they’ve been bang they were banged up a little bit but they’re strong um uh and then that D line in their speed uh on the second level the linebacker level and the in the back end with the secondary shows up.” And complementary to this, former NFL legend Greg Olsen also talked about the Eagles when he was on the same podcast.

Greg Olsen said about their Offense: “It doesn’t matter if you bring in 50 players, you can line up the entire team and they are going to get 98% clip. It’s not just the case with everybody.” The Saquon Barkley-led Eagles offense is killer and they can do everything if they get a narrow chance. In fact, before their wild-card round against the Packers, Matt LaFleur was a bit scared of Saquon Barkley as he was explaining, “If other RBs get a space they would run 20 yards, but if Saquon Barkley gets that, he would run for 80 yards.” The fear is real. The Chiefs’ fatigue is real. The Eagles’ strength and explosive threat on offense and defense is real. 

So, the competition is tough, and excitement has already skyrocketed. If you are rooting for Andy Reid’s Chiefs in the SB game, make sure to respect the opponent as the Chiefs HC himself shows you how! Super Bowl LVII went down to the wire, with scores tied until 8 seconds left on the clock. Will Super Bowl LIX prove to be a thriller as well?