Chiefs Offense Breakdown
The Super Bowl is here and one of the biggest matchups that will be on display Sunday night are the two high-powered offenses of both the Eagles and Chiefs.
This Chiefs offense has been a powerhouse all season, but will have to play without some key offensive weapons.
The offense for the AFC Champions saw a big shake up over the offseason with the loss of star wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
The Chiefs wasted no time rebuilding their offense roster as they went on to add JuJu Smith Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. In addition to them, Kadarius Toney joined their roster in a trade with the Giants.
All this offensive weaponry is led by the proven talents of the team in Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Since the moment they were paired, they have been one of the deadliest combinations in the NFL.
Mahomes, the face of this offense, is coming off yet another stellar year in which he looks to be named MVP once again. Mahomes threw for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns during the regular season and, aside from an injury scare in the playoffs, has shown no signs of slowing down.
There really will be no good way to contain Mahomes so the best way to shut him down is to take away his downfield options. If anyone is up to this challenge, however, it’s the Eagles defense.
Kelce is the second biggest threat on this offense and has been a puzzle that few defenses were able to solve during the regular season. Kelce’s 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns was one of the best among tight ends.
Kelce’s impact was limited in the last game played against the Eagles as he was held to 4 catches for 23 yards. Kelce has been someone who Mahomes has relied on all season especially for short passes, and him being shut down in this game would further complicate the game for Mahomes.
Look for the Eagles to put someone in the middle or have plays that involve a player coming down to cover the middle to limit Kelce.
As mentioned above, the single most important aspect of this offense isn’t a person, but rather a sheet of paper: The Injury Report.
According to Head Coach Andy Reid, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney were held out of practice.
Hardman has now been moved to the injured reserve list which means he is out for the Super Bowl, time will tell with the other two. On the brighter side, Clyde Edwards-Helaire was activated from the IR to the roster.
Smith-Schuster and Toney have both since practiced and seem to be on their way to play. If Mahomes is without Smith-Schuster, Hardman and Toney, he will have a tough time improvising on Sunday night, against a loaded Eagles defense.
While it still remains to be seen just how well the Chiefs offense stacks up against the Eagles, it will certainly be a challenging and entertaining game.
Ethan Ellis is a second year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ece5133@psu.edu.
