Chiefs Offensive Line Faces Toughest Test Yet In Super Bowl LVII

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The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line was a shell of itself the last time they were in a Super Bowl. With injuries to Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, the blocking unit was forced to adjust on the fly for the biggest game of the year. It was not the only reason as to why Kansas City lost Super Bowl LV to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, it prompted the Chiefs to completely rebuild the offensive line in the following offseason.

That has helped create one of the more stout units in the NFL. Four of the five current starters were added that offseason after the Super Bowl disappointment to Tampa Bay. Joe Thuney was given a massive five-year contract in free agency, coming over from the New England Patriots. Just before the 2021 NFL Draft, Kansas City swapped multiple draft picks with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire Orlando Brown Jr. Shortly thereafter, the Chiefs landed center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith in the 2021 NFL Draft. Both picks have looked like steals for Kansas City ever since those selections.

Overall, the Chiefs have done well in keeping Patrick Mahomes clean. Of quarterbacks that played in every game this season, Mahomes was sacked the third-fewest times this year (26). Only Tom Brady and Jared Goff were sacked fewer times this season.

Even with that prior success and sustained growth, the Chiefs offensive line will face their toughest test of the season in Super Bowl LVII. What awaits with the Philadelphia Eagles pass rush? Let’s kick it off.

Fast And Physical

In a sense, the Eagles pass rush is very similar to what Kansas City just saw in the AFC Championship Game with the Cincinnati Bengals. Philadelphia exudes extremely physical pass rushers. Combine that with the density and power of this defensive line, and blockers are often left scrambling. Moreover, the Eagles provide excellent speed and closing burst as a pass rush, something that is rare for their size. We saw that closing burst create an injury to Brock Purdy in the NFC Championship Game, essentially ending the San Francisco 49ers’ campaign right then and there.

On the other hand, the Eagles are incredibly instinctive as a pass rush. They do not get too far upfield. They do not attack with the exact same pass rush plan, play in and play out. Furthermore, Philadelphia does a tremendous job of muddying up the interior of the quarterback’s pocket, creating condensed areas in the middle of the field.

Remarkable Runs

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We have discussed the excellent season of the Kansas City pass rush. In total, the Chiefs had 55 sacks in the 2022 regular season, the second most in the NFL. The only team with more sacks than Kansas City? Of course, that would be these Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles finished the regular season with an incomparable 70 sacks in 17 games. Four players had double-digit sack totals this year. Haason Reddick led the way with 16. Meanwhile, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham totaled 11 sacks each. Even Fletcher Cox (seven) and Milton Williams (four) combined for 11 sacks from the defensive interior.

What makes this even more impressive, is the runs that some of these pass rushers have been on for the last two or three years. Reddick looked like a first-round bust with the Arizona Cardinals. Obviously, sacks are not the only way to be productive. But, his early career splits and last few years have been complete opposites of each other. The Temple product had just 7.5 sacks across his first three seasons. He broke out with 12.5 sacks in 2020, his final year in Arizona. To boot, Reddick cashed in with 11 sacks last year during his lone season in Carolina with the Panthers.

After missing all but two games last season with an injury, Graham returned to record his first double-digit sack season this year. Finally, Hargrave and Sweat also produced their first double-digit sack seasons this year. All of these pass rushers have had remarkable careers. Though, no campaign has been as dominant as this season.

What Wrinkles Have Eagles Shown?

Interestingly, the Eagles have not had to use as much wrinkles or eye candy, compared to other NFL pass rushes. In fact, Philadelphia actually saw their sack rate increase to 11.8 percent when rushing four or fewer defenders out of their base defense. The Eagles are a much more passive pass rush than most, so to speak. Generating pressure without relying on extra rushers is incredibly rare in today’s NFL.

Even still, Philadelphia has occasionally shown some fascinating wrinkles as a pass rush. The Eagles are not afraid to overload to one side of the defensive line. When that happens, it is anyone’s guess as to what the defensive tackle will do. He may drop out and spy the quarterback. He may stunt or twist to the opposite side of the overload.

Elsewhere, the Eagles have been effective with blitzing linebackers or defensive backs. Despite not doing it that often, it has been able to catch opposing offenses off guard. The sneaky thing about those back seven blitzers, is the speed that Philadelphia has at their disposal. Simply put, the Eagles linebackers or defensive backs can cover ample amounts of ground instantly when being shot out of a cannon.

How Will Chiefs Attempt To Keep Mahomes Clean?

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So, how will the Chiefs attempt to keep Mahomes clean? As mentioned above, he has not been sacked much this season. We know how historically successful he has been against the blitz. The comfort that Mahomes has found when using his legs could also be a benefit to Kansas City.

All told, the Chiefs are much stronger as a blocking unit from the interior. That places offensive tackles Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie under immense pressure. As stated in the past, speed has been a detriment to Brown Jr. Wylie can be susceptible to playing with a high pad level at times, leading to issues against power. The Eagles still have superb defensive tackles. Though, the strength of their pass rush comes from the edges.

Kansas City may look to utilize Jerick McKinnon as a personal protector as much as possible. His technique and lower body strength has surprised blitzers at times. You may also see tight ends like Noah Gray stay inside to help chip the Eagles edge rushers. Lastly, the Chiefs have shown that they will use a tight end to block with their body, rather than arms, so to speak. This helps affect the eye and feet discipline of opposing pass rushers.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs Super Bowl LVII articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.