PHILADELPHIA — Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts says he learned from the Super Bowl two years ago against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he’s trying to help his teammates prepare for a week and a game that are unlike any other in football.
“I think in hindsight, from a perspective that everyone’s not really experienced that before, everything that comes with the week, I think something that’s big is just being a good influence on the guys that haven’t been there before, being able to answer questions and open that door so everyone’s that much closer when we go out and experience it,” Hurts said Friday.
“In the end, it’s a business trip and it’s an opportunity we’ve worked to have, and we want to take advantage of it.”
A top order of business will be solving Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the man of a million exotic blitzes who was with Andy Reid’s Eagles years ago. He has one of the top defenses in the NFL, one that’s eighth in stopping the run.
In fact, the Chiefs haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in the postseason since 2018. “Spags” was on Hurts’ mind.
“He’s been great, he’s been great,” Hurts said. “Very high success rate in what they do. Great players, a great defensive back group, obviously Chris Jones up front. And so it’s going to be a great challenge.”
The Birds’ Saquon Barkley, who ran for 2,005 yards during the regular season, has averaged 147.3 yards per game through three weeks of the playoffs. Even though he didn’t go for the single-season rushing record of 2,105, against Kansas City he has a chance to break the overall record (regular season and playoffs). His 2,447 yards are only 30 shy of besting Terrell Davis’ 2,476, set in 1998 with the Denver Broncos.
“The only thing that makes it special – whether we had gotten the rushing record during the season or if we get the all-time rushing record, playoffs included – the only thing that makes it special is winning the Super Bowl,” Barkley said. “This profession that we’re in, the sport that we’re in, there’s a lot of great things that we’ve accomplished so far, up to this. But if you don’t get the job done next Sunday, maybe when you’re in your 30s and 40s and you look back it, you’re going to think about how special it was, but it’s kind of going to make it feel like you came up short.
“All those (other) things are important, all those things are cool, and I would love to accomplish that. But the most important thing is winning the Super Bowl, because if you do that, it just makes everything else you accomplish even more special.”
Spagnuolo and the Chiefs are likely to try forcing Hurts to throw over the middle, which hasn’t been his strong suit, while trying to neutralize Barkley, if possible.
Hurts and Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes have similar QB ratings (105 and 105.2, respectively) this postseason. Mahomes, who has played two playoff games compared to Hurts’ three, has completed 66.7 percent of his passes to Hurts’ 69 percent with an average of 211 yards per game to Hurts’ 168.3. Hurts has tossed seven touchdowns compared to Mahomes’ four, and neither has thrown a pick.
The two went toe-to-toe in the Super Bowl two Februarys ago, and the Birds won a regular-season meeting 21-17 in November of 2023.
“Stopping the run, they’re really good on the back end,” Eagles receiver A.J. Brown said. “They play hard. That’s the reason why they’re in this position year after year after year. So, we’ve definitely got our hands full.”
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NOTES >> Defensive end Brandon Graham (triceps) again practiced on a limited basis Friday. OLB Nolan Smith (illness) also saw limited action. … ILB Zack Baun didn’t practice due to a groin injury. He had been a full participant the day before. … Also sitting out were RB Kenneth Gainwell (concussion/knee), C Cam Jurgens (back), G Landon Dickerson (knee) and WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring). … Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is the frontrunner for the New Orleans Saints’ head coaching job, according to multiple reports.
Source: Berkshire mont