It's been a wild, wild seventy two hours in the world of pro basketball, and obviously with the Jazz being as active as they've been, that has dominated much of the conversation today.
And we'll get back to it later on.
But I believe there's an American football game on Sunday, Porter that we have not talked about yet. I haven't checked the schedule, but is out your understanding as well?
That is that is the case, of course, I think like ten hours of it you can hear on this here radio station if you don't happen to be down in the city of New Orleans, like our next guest.
Yes, indeed, super Bowl fifty nine and the Big Easy Our next guest, Sean Sayed from Sumer Sports, good enough to give us some time on a Thursday.
Sean, Happy Thursday, sir. How are you.
I'm doing really well. It's been a lot of fun to be down in New Orleans. You know, on Radio Row you got all these former players, you got all these current players, all talking about a game that I think is going to be a lot of fun on Sunday.
I agree with you. I agree with you. So here's what we'll do. I'm gonna ask you the question this way, right out of the gates. The Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl fifteen, if what, Sean, If.
Jalen Hurts is able to make three throws. I think that is really what it's going to come down to. Where we've seen how Jalen Hurts has played in the Super Bowl previously. We've seen Jalen Hurts play his best game of maybe the last two seasons against the Commanders, and I think they're gonna find themselves in a situation where they are able to run the ball on that Kansas City defense the way the Buffalo Bill's were able
to run the ball on them. And you think about the Eagles defense against the bill are compared with the Bills defense. Evel's defense is better and the Bill's defense made the stops they needed to potentially win that game. So for me, it really just comes down to I need three good throws from Jalen Hursts and the Eagles fans are going to go home real happy.
Man.
I think you can get three good throws from Jalen Hurts, can't you. That doesn't seem like too much to ask, Sean.
You know, I certainly think so. I think maybe three good throws in the biggest moment on the last late drives in the fourth quarter, so make it maybe a little bit more specific. I do think the Chiefs are going to do a good job of instead of just playing a ton of man coverage and letting you play one on one with aj Brown, They're going to get
into some of their more funky zone pressure looks. For her is going to have to think a second or a third time, and you know, if you're not able to make some of those tight window decisions, it's going to be a tough day for the Eagles.
The Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl fifty nine sean if what I think.
As long as they're not beating themselves. You know, the Chiefs this season, it's been an interesting ride where earlier in the year no some struggles, but as of late, I think they've done a good job getting the ball out quick. I think that a big thing in this game is going to be if their offensive line is
beating themselves. Where you have Milton Williams or Dalen Carter over that left guard spot, you have Jawan Taylor at the right tackle spot, where you might have some issues with Nolan Smith so I think did they play their game in the way that they have been able to play over the last few weeks as they've been you know, removing the stench of, oh, this team is just not good,
even though they keep winning games. I think it really is, you know, if things favor them and they have to be able to play a clink game.
Read earlier today, you know, Vic Fangio causes a lot of chaos for a lot of teams, a lot of quarterbacks. But I read that Mahomes is eight and oh against him, which I did not know until this morning.
What does that say to you? Sean?
You know what, when you look at it at the surface, it's like, oh wow, that is a really big eye popping thing. But when you dig a little bit deeper, you look back to while he was with the Broncos. You look at who are the quarterback of some of those Broncos teams? You see that, you know, you take out some special teams touchdowns. He's only letting up like twenty points a game in a lot of those situations. I think you'd probably be happy that with that for
the Eagles. If be thinking back to last year when Fanjo was with the Dolphins. I thought that international game and you had a really good game plan for dealing with Travis Kelsey, finding ways to bracket him from both sides and really take him out of the game at a few different moments. So for me, you know, I hear that, I see that. I think this Eagles defense is so much more talented than some of the teams
that he's played with. I think that the Eagles offense is also going to be able to keep up in a way that some of those offenses that Fanjo had on side of him just they weren't able to do it. So it's a big one. I think it maybe gives Fanjo a little bit of extra fuel for this game.
A lot of people have surmised, not just this week, but over the course of really the entire season that Howie Roseman has built the best roster in all of pro football. I wonder, Sean, do you agree with that and does the best roster mean that you have the best team?
I absolutely agree with it. I think it's it's even further than that, where he's really the guy that hired Fanjium. That's a huge thing for to bring that in there, and you look up and down the roster where I mean how he kind of almost wished a little bit on that Bright Tugh pick so far, at least for one year sort of the signing there, and you're still able to hit on all these players like a Zach Bond in that situation, like Quinn i Mental, like Cooper Deugi,
and so that's been super positive for Howard Roseman. I do think it's the best roster in the NFL. Caley, I do think it's the best team in the NFL as well. I think they are better than the chief want to be able to see on Sunday. The problem is, as everyone knows, you have Patrick Mahonmes and Andy Reid on the other sideline.
Is this the best team the Chiefs have played during this great Mahomes Andy Reid super Bowl run?
In the Super Bowl, you know that is a good one that of course, the Buccaneers team that they lost to was a really really good team. So I think that is the one that you're kind of going up against with Buck had such fun on defense. Although from just a roster up and down perspective, I think it's the best constructive roster. It's just against like that quarterback. I feel like I lean towards rather having Tom Brady even with the Buccaneers, than Jalen Hurds with the Eagle.
Is there a coaching mismatch?
You know, Andy Reid played his college ball locally here at Brigha, me On about forty miles south as the Crow flies, and he has a chance to put himself on a very very short list. And you know, as as we referenced, it does seem like Nick Sirianni the narrative surrounding him, as he has the best roster in football, and there's a lot of questions about whether or not he's the type of coach they can go head to
head against Andy in a game like this. Do you feel like there's a coaching mismatch on Sunday?
I do think that. You know, you'd certainly rather have Andy Reid. At the same time, in the last time that these guys played, in that Super Bowl two years ago, Sirianni had a fourth down decision where he ended up hunting instead of going for it. I think sirian is going to learn from that. I think he's going to be pretty aggressive in this game and put them in an advantageous situation. And I mean you know, whatever you think of Sirianni, he just keeps on finding ways to
win these games. It does seem like there's some intangible value with how he has players associating to each other in the locker room and finding comfort in that way. So even if I would probably prefer to have Andy Reid just in terms of what he brings to a football team, it feels like Sirianni is still the right guy for this Eagles roster.
I'm not going to ask you if this is the best Chiefs team that we've seen with Mahomes and Red in this run, but I will ask you to characterize what type of team you believe it to be. You know, what's a perlative adjective? Is it wildly? Is it veteran? Is it crafty? I don't think it's the best and most talented, But what is your opinion on the type of team this version of the Chiefs are.
It is a brutally efficient team. It really is, where these third downs that they just keep on finding ways to convert the other teams are not able to.
It is.
It's brutal. But as a defense looking at it and thinking, oh man, you haven't been a positive situation and ma homes to be able to figure it out. So that's the really way that I think about them on offense.
On defense, I do think they're pretty opportunistic where you're going to get some weird bliss look like Josh Allen face on that last fourth down in the AFTY Championship game, and if you're not able to block it up, if you're not able to be comfortable, you are not going to be able to win that game.
So you know, the noise around Jalen is fair and understandable, but it's also somewhat interesting. When these two teams played in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, he counted for like three hundred and seventy five yards and four touchdowns, three hundred and four yards through the air. And for me, and I want you to break this down for me, Sean, it just feels like they just prefer to play the way that they've played and they don't need or want him to go for three point
fifty and fourth. They would like that, I'm not sure. I'm not sure it's you know, safe to say they wouldn't want that. But are the criticisms of him a little unfair based off of just the dominant ground game they have, or are there things to really criticize Jalen Hurts about.
I think when we look at just quarterbacks in general, you know, everyone has their ideal type of quarterbacks. Some people like the old school drop back that kind of quarterbacks. Some people want a quarterback back to move around. I think a lot of times we look at it as when the clock is kicking down, are you going to lead an offense down the field through the air. And Hurts has not had to do that this season. You know, there's just been times where you can find a huge
explosive run from Saquon Barkley. I do think some of the criticisms that I feel a little bit better are the ones where you know it is Jalen throwing into tight windows. But at the same time it feels like that Kellen Moore, as often as the coordinator has prioritized just don't turn the ball over. We're going to be able to run over teams. If we throw interceptions, we're going to be sent back. And I keep and I
watched the film the entire season. I keep out picking out specific moments you throw an inbreaker into his own coverage against the Ravens, were able to make successful throws against the Commanders, and so he has it in him. I know he has it in him, and I would love for us to just see all the Super Bowl team again. Where As he said, he's done it once before, just not in a win. If he's able to do
it again, he's able to win that game. I think it really changes the way that people look at Jalen Hurts.
The saquan of fact.
You know, I always push back on narratives that seem to seep into kind of unani feel and the whole like, hey, the running back position is dead. No it's not, and the whole like, hey, the running back position is back.
No, it never went anywhere.
But when you have the elite guys, the Dereck Henry's, the Saquon Barkley's, there will always be a place for elite backs and there's always room at the top. I think that's an old James Webster quote or something. But what is the Saquon Barkley effect? To break this down for us? Because Super Bowl a couple of years ago, Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, but most of the rushing came from Jalen and obviously the Saquon effect changes them. How do you articulate what the Saquon Barkley effect is.
Saquon Barkley is a home run hitter. There are going to be times where he hit singles and he hits doubles, but it feels like, you know, Barry Bonds during his record seven run It's just so hard to contain him snap after snap where you know you want to stuff the box, you want to have a bunch of players there and you're that line of scrimmage. If he breaks your first level, he's just gone. So for him to be that level of player in a just part of NFL history where look, it is a passing leap, you
win games by passing the ball. But the Eagles have such a good offensive line, they have such a good run game that they don't always need it. And it's just the entire season has been a back and forth. Are they going to be able to figure out? Are they going to be able to figure out? Kind of doesn't matter up until this point because they're here, but they are going to have to, I think figure it out. At least one time against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He did not break Eric Dickerdson's single season record probably could have but sat out of the final game, but he is thirty yards away from breaking Tell Davis's single season record for combined rushing yards in the regular season and the playoffs. John, if he goes for one hundred plus and they win, is there a case to be made that we've just witnessed the greatest season from a running back in the history of pro football.
I think there's a really strong case. And absolutely I think what I would say, even though I understand you know, it's not the regular season record. It is maybe one or two more games, just based on having more games in the regular season. This offense is successful because say, Kuon Barkley makes incredible cuts in really tight spaces. He's such a large physical force. Get like you see him moving around, but the way that he is so nimble in those short areas, that's been so so fun. We
are just so lucky to see it. And look when you look at the last I mean ten to fifteen super Bowls, not a ton of guys are going over one hundred rushing arts. But I would like nothing more than a see Saekwon go for one fifty and then him being the one that's raising that Super Bowl MVP trophy.
Steve Spagnolo deservedly so has received a lot of credit for this iteration of the Chiefs run with the defense being as dominant, if not more so, at times than the offense. Tell me, Sean how the Chiefs defense, either personnel or schematically, how did they go about their business of trying to limit this this ground game in Saquon Barkley.
I think you you know, you throw resources out the problem, You put a bunch of big bodies inside. You try and force them. You know, maybe you you know, if it's a read type play you forced you on. It hurts to be the one to keep it. You do what you can to prevent Saquon from having that sort of attacking vertical style. I think the tough part is, though, you also have to worry about Devonte Smith and Arian Brown.
So if you want to keep you know, two I safties, you want to keep up as the cornerback out there. Now you only have seven players in the boss. That might be a situation where I would like to be Eagles to attack Chris Jones a little bit in the run game early on, you know, see how many stats, he wants to keep up playing, see how is he going to have the stamina late in the game to
be able to rush the passers. So, you know, I don't love the matchup, particularly from that run game perspective, but I think when you get to those passes situations, that's when things start to turn a little bit more.
For the chief reference the record that Mahomes has against Fangio, you were good to kind of dig a little bit deeper as to what that is all about and what has impressed me the most, Sean, and then I'll kind of see the time to you about the Mahomes evolution or growth or what has what have you is just his ability to be cerebral and figure out what that game needs and bring it during that game, simply just to win, even if it's three zero, like it doesn't
matter to them. But does VIC Fangio do something different this time around, because it does feel like it's a little bit of a pick your poison, Like what what do you try to take away if you're VIC Fangio to at least make Mahomes uncomfortable.
I think a big thing is going to be those throws over the middle of the field. Those throws in the flat area kind of shallots the outside where save You're Worthy has been so much more successful. At this point in the season, I do think you're going to get a game where the Chiefs are throwing the ball relatively quickly. So they've done that more recently because their offensive line, you know, it just has some tight, tough
situations up there. I think for Fangio, as he's continued to evolve this year, you know, if you played, he's playing a little bit of a different coverage than what he's used to, and so I love that growth, even in like whatever, you're forty to five of this guy's coaching career, But it feels like you're gonna have situations where Eagles Dv's just gonna be a little bit tighter. They're going to take a little bit of that air out of the coverage. They're going to be playing closer
to those receivers. So you're forcing you know, not only Mahomes to make the right choice over and over, You're forcing the offensive line to be able to protect properly over and over, and then you're forcing the receivers. Where you've had situations this year where Zavi're Worthy just has one of his feet just out of bounds and it
ends up incompletion. So it might not be oh, we can be Patrick Mahomes, but you should, I think, be able to find other spots along that roster that you're able to take advantage of.
How do you think the Chiefs go about trying to establish their run game? You know Pacheco, I don't know if he's healthy or what. When he's right, he's as violent of a runner as there is in pro football. But since he came back from the injury, he just does not look the same. And they signed Kareem Hunts obviously, who was with them a number of years ago, and I don't know man from the eye tests over the past few weeks, Kareem looks like the more valid, consistent
option out of the backfield. How do you think Kansas City goes about their business of trying to establish a run game.
I think they're not going to try and establish a run game. I think they should throw the ball seventy five times to get the ball out quick, obviously, but use that as a way to replace it early on
against the Bills. You're running those RPOs where it ends up as quick throws kind of over that middle of the field area sometimes kind of quick out to your right side a lot of times, because I think the Eagles feel pretty comfortable, you know, if the Chiefs want to try and run inside where the Chiefs usually have your left guard, your center, your right guard playing at a really high level, but their left card it's playing left tackle right now, Eagles would be more than happy
if the Chefs are trying to kind of establish that run game in any way, it just doesn't feel like what the Kansasity's biggest strength is right now.
Now to your point, if Kansas City does try to do that and they just simply have no success because everything is locked up, do you do you think we see a different approach or recalibration, because again, like I said, the most impressive thing to me about watching this iteration of the Chiefs is they seem to kind of, you know, be exchanging jobs. If we can use the boxing analogy early on and they're find a ropodope you and then
knock you out in the tenth. So if it starts out, you know, Kansas City trying to do what you're saying, I mean, obviously they got to recalibrate and do something different and find more balance.
Now, well, you know, it's a tough situation when you think about it. I don't think like balance has to be the goal for the Chiefs. I mean, I'm the Coran points that it is going to be the goal for any single offense. I think for them to use quick throws as sort of a replacement for their run game.
And I'm not saying, hey, don't run the ball at all. Right, you want to be able to see if you're able to get in positive looks that the Eagles want to play with lighter bodies on the field overall to deal with the passing game. So maybe you are able to kind of attack that in the run game and may be more of well, who's on the field for a defense that we can kind of decide to attack that way. It's going to be a big problem for the Eagles is they have to bring out, you know, heavier players.
You get an extra linebacker on the field in some of those situations. And now that's the back and forth. I think we'll be able to see that pretty early on in this game.
All right, Sean, before I set you loose, we got you know, we're not gonna have you on prior to the game on Sunday.
So I gotta know, man, I gotta know.
Who you're taking to win the game. I need a final score and I need your MVP.
I have the Eagles winning twenty seven to twenty four. I think it's going to be a jail. It hurts MVP by getting that Super Bowl MVP back after losing the Chiefs previously. I think when I look at that AFC Championship game, the way the Bills look, the Bills could have won that game. They were in a positive situation where you've got the stops that you needed to you're able to run the ball on them. I think
the Eagles have a better defense than the Bill. I think the Eagles have a better run game than the Bill. So it's hard for me to look at all of that and think anything other than I get you know, you don't get bonus points for picking against Patrick Mahomes. I understand that, But for me, it feels like top to bottom, Eagles have a better roster. I think it's a situation and a matchup that they're going to be able to win.
Here where can people go find your work?
Sean, can you check me out at science Schemes on Twitter. I'll be breaking down the game certainly after on a bunch of podcasts talking about things with some kind people like you.
There you go, Sean, Hey, I appreciate the time, enjoy the game, and Shafe travels.
And be well, okay, thanks you much.
Really appreciate it all.
Right, Sean Saia, the director of Communications for Summer Sports. Our good friends who stopped by pretty much on a weekly basis during the pro football season. Super Bowl fifty nine and the Big Easy will begin coming up on Sunday. As my computer refreshes at four thirty pm on Fox. Our pregame coverage and the game and the postgame coverage will give you ten hours of Super Bowl coverage on Sunday.
As we are your home with the biggest and the best football events college m pro here in the market.
Chiefs Eagal should be a good one. That line has moved.
Kansas City is a one point favorite and the over under is forty eight point