Super Bowl History Goes Through The Road to Redemption | 4 Downs

The Eagles and Chiefs meet again with the Lombardi at stake.

Just steps from Bourbon Street, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs have the chance to make history by winning an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy, but to do so need to go through the Philadelphia Eagles who arrive in New Orleans with revenge on their mind.

These Eagles are armed with one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses, the league’s top-ranked defense, and a game-changing MVP finalist, Saquon Barkley. Philadelphia is also singularly determined to avenge a Super Bowl LVII loss to these same Chiefs.

But, Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl MVP, and as he once again illustrated Sunday night, is one of the most clutch performers to ever step on an NFL field.

Inside this column: Takeaways from the AFC and NFC Championship Games, thoughts on each of the new head coaching hires across the NFL, and the graduate-level course in roster building that Howie Roseman has taught the rest of the NFL.

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Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Mahomes outlasted one of his perennial postseason nemeses’ Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the AFC Championship Game, as coordinator Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense forced four turnovers and Philadelphia rushed for seven touchdowns against upstart Jayden Daniels and their division rival Washington Commanders to win the NFC crown.

If there is an NFL script, the writers outdid themselves with storylines this time.

Moments after the red and gold confetti swirled through the frigid Kansas City night, I spoke to a half dozen NFL coaches, front office executives, and scouts to get their first thoughts on this Super Bowl matchup.

Here’s what they had to say:

NFL General Manager

“The Eagles running game has to keep Philly ahead of the sticks. Otherwise, Jalen Hurts is going to be seeing 13 defenders on the field with all of those third-down pressures Spagnuolo will send at him.”