We are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Yesterday we looked at the two offenses. And now today, we will look at the defense of both teams, and who has the better players. Let’s see how they stack up.
Edge Rushers- Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham vs Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Carlos Dunlap, Michael Danna
Deciding what to count Chris Jones as was the first tough decision. He is listed as a Defensive Tackle and spends a lot of time rushing from the inside. But the Chiefs are also more than willing to slide him to the edge and have him battle the RT or LT. In the end, I decided to count him as an Interior Lineman because that is where he spends most of his time.
Either way, the edge at Edge Rusher goes to the Eagles. The Chiefs have a good edge rush for a normal team. But the Eagles have historical depth from the edge (and for the interior for that matter, but we will get to that next). Haason Reddick gives Chris Jones a run for his money as the best defensive player between the two teams. And he has been on an absolute tear. He got after Daniel Jones all night in the first game and then got after Brock Purdy/ Josh Johnson all day vs the Niners.
After him, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat can also get after the opposing QB. This is the first team in NFL history to have 4 guys rack up double-digit sacks. And 3 of those guys come off the edge for the Eagles. The Chiefs’ edge rush is good. But the Eagles Edge Rush is great. And the matchups vs other teams’ tackles leans the Eagles’ way too. Orlando Brown is good enough to match up with Sweat or Graham on the Left Side. But Haason Reddick vs Andrew Wylie will be a dangerous matchup for the Chiefs. Wylie has allowed 9 sacks this season, and he is facing off with the guy currently leading the league in that stat.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have Lane Johnson on one side, and Jordan Mailata on the other. While Mailata can occasionally be beaten as a pass blocker, no one is beating Lane Johnson. The guy has barely given up any pressures in the last two years, let alone any sacks. The Eagles Edge Rushers will have a far greater impact on the game than the Chiefs will.
EDGE: Eagles
Interior Defensive Line- Cox, Hargrave, Suh, Joseph, Davis, and Williams vs Jones, Nnandi, Williams, and Saunders
Okay, so the Chiefs have the best player in Chris Jones here. As great as Javon Hargrave has been, he is no Chris Jones. Jones is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. He is a bonafide Super Star. Not many guys can dominate at any spot of the D Line, but he can.
But the Eagles’ depth is way better. The Eagles have so many Defensive Tackles getting snaps that I couldn’t fit their first names in the header. And it is not just empty depth. Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh, Fletcher Cox, and Hargrave all produce. While Jordan Davis may not stuff the stat sheet, you can still see his impact when on the field. The Eagles can constantly rotate in new guys, keeping them fresh all game long. A veteran like Cox had a resurgent year because he does not have to play each and every snap.
This is another case of the Chiefs being good, but the Eagles being great. Chris Jones is a one-man wrecking machine. But the Eagles have an army of productive interior linemen. Since the additions of Joseph and Suh you can’t really run on this team, and if you try to pass on them chances are they will get to your QB. And once again, the Eagles are better suited to neutralize the Chiefs’ interior line than the Chiefs are to do the same to the Eagles.
Edge: Eagles
Linebacker- T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White vs Willie Gay and Nick Bolton
This one is tough to call. T.J. Edwards is the best linebacker between the 2 teams. But Kyzir White is probably the worst linebacker between them. He started the season strong, but lately, White could be classified as the weak link in the Eagles’ defense. White is by no means bad, but average would be a fair adjective. The Chiefs meanwhile just have a solid down-the-middle pair of linebackers in Gay and Bolton. Neither do anything super special, but neither are weak. They do their jobs at an acceptable level.
T.J. Edwards is probably the difference maker. We came into the season seeing him as a quality linebacker, and he has emerged as perhaps a star Linebacker. he holds up well in pass coverage, and seems to always be making tackles in the backfield. The difference between the two linebacker groups isn’t large, but if you are giving an edge to anyone, it is the Eagles. Both groups will have a tough matchup stopping the other side’s Running Backs and Tight Ends. But The Chiefs Linebackers also have to worry about Jalen Hurts taking off, so it might be a tougher day for them than the Eagles guys.
Edge: Eagles
Cornerbacks- Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox vs Trent McDuffie, L'Jarius Sneed, Joshua Williams, and Jaylen Watson
This is Eagles all the way. The Chiefs have some talented young players at corner. But Sneed is the most experienced corner of the group, and he is in year 3. After him, McDuffie, Williams, and Watson are all rookies and have occasionally looked like rookies. There is potential there. But the floor for this season is lower than the ceiling is high. And they will be contending with AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. Thankfully for them Sneed finally cleared concussion protocol so he should be good to go. but even with him they may not be capable of slowing down the Eagles WRs.
The Eagles meanwhile have two All-Pro Caliber corners on the outside in Darius Slay and James Bradberry. And Avonte Maddox in the slot is nothing to sneeze at either. The Eagles have the best cornerback room in the whole league. The stats will back that up. They allowed the least passing yards per game in the league. And the Chiefs’ WR room is not as capable of challenging them as the Eagles’ WRs are of challenging the Chiefs’ Secondary. Of course, Patrick Mahomes is the great equalizer, but he has used his WRs less this year than he ever has before.
Travis Kelce is the main guy to worry about, and that will be more on the Safeties and Linebackers than the corners.
Edge: Eagles
Safety- CJ Gardner Johnson, Marcus Epps, and Reed Blankenship vs Justin Reid, Juan Thornhill, and Bryan Cook
This one is closer than the Corners. CJ Gardner-Johnson is great. But Marcus Epps is at best decent. The tandem of Reid and Thornhill is probably better than Gardner-Johnson and Epps. It can be a bit of an adventure when Cook comes out on the field. But the same can be said about Blankenship.
This is probably the one position on defense you could say is better for the Chiefs. it is not by a ton, and overall the Eagles’ full Secondary is much better. But if you break it down to just the Safeties, the starting tandem of Reid and Thornhill beats Gardner-Johnson and Epps, even if you could argue Gardner -Johnson is the best of the bunch. And while Goedert creates a matchup advantage vs the Chief’s Safeties, Travis Kelce vs the Eagles’ Safeties may be an even bigger matchup issue.
Edge- Chiefs
Final Breakdown
Edge Rusher- Eagles
Interior D-Line- Eagles
Linebacker- Eagles
Cornerback- Eagles
Safety- Chiefs
