This NFL showdown electrifies the USA
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, the top teams of the season, face each other in the Monday Night Game. It is a rematch of the last final - and perhaps also a preview of the next final.
Many have been eagerly awaiting this duel. More than nine months. 280 days, to be precise. Monday Night Football. Kansas City Chiefs versus the Philadelphia Eagles. The champions meet the runners-up. A rematch of Super Bowl LVII. That's as good as it gets in the NFL right now. It is "the most anticipated Super Bowl rematch of all time", according to the TV station "CBS". The online portal "The Athletic" writes of "Super Bowl 57 ½" and "sports.yahoo.com" simply calls the game "The best of the best". This is only the second time that the prestigious Monday night game has been the stage for the rematch of the previous final.
The reunion after the epic showdown on February 12 in Glendale is both a look in the rear-view mirror and a preview of a possible new final duel on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. Both have been the two outstanding teams so far this season. Philadelphia leads the NFC with a record of 8:1 wins, Kansas City the AFC with 7:2. "Two teams that always find a way to win. Monday Night Football, the world is watching, it's going to be great," says Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes - and adds: "I'm glad we're playing at home."
Can Philadelphia "slay the dragon"?
Although both teams have made some personnel changes during the season break, the main protagonists are still the same. There is no favorite, but according to "sports.yahoo.com" an away win for the Eagles would be more important than a home win for the Chiefs. Philadelphia is a "well-coached, talented team that can beat any opponent", they say. But after the Super Bowl defeat, Philadelphia must now show that they are capable of "slaying the dragon."
The Eagles are flying high to the Chiefs. They are the fourth team to win eight of their first nine games two seasons in a row in the past 30 years. And, attention, Philly fans, the other three clubs (Dallas/1995, Denver/96 and Indianapolis/06) have all been champions in their second year. "You are what your record says about you. And that's why we're in a good position," emphasizes Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.
Bruised Hurts practices without knee brace
He was pleased to note on Thursday that Jalen Hurts was able to practice without a knee brace. The quarterback had complained of pain in his left knee after the 28-23 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 5. He has been plagued by this problem for weeks. According to Hurts, it was therefore ideal that the Eagles had last weekend off. The Chiefs know that success on Monday depends above all on not allowing Hurts, who loves to run, to develop. "If we can limit his game, no matter what, we're doing something right," defensive tackle Chris Jones emphasized.
Of course, both teams' press conferences over the past few days have focused heavily on the Super Bowl, with the Eagles' questions about it evoking very different memories than the Chiefs'. And of course, in preparation for the rematch, the Eagles had to watch the replays of the 35-38 loss on February 12 to see what to avoid at all costs this time. For example, the scene in the 21st minute when Jalen Hurts tried to evade the charging Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, but fumbled and lost the football, allowing Bolton to easily tie the game at 14-14. Hurts had otherwise played an outstanding final.
Outstanding Hurts with one crucial mistake too many
He was involved in 26 of the Eagles' 35 points, including taking the football into the end zone for a touchdown three times himself and running for 70 yards, more than any quarterback had ever done in a Super Bowl before. But this fumble and the resulting seven points for the Chiefs were one crucial mistake too many in such an evenly matched game.
Everyone is carrying different wounds from the game, says Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. The question, however, is how to respond. Defensive end Brandon Graham, for example, says honestly that "there are a lot of us who are still hurting from the loss." However, he doesn't want to dwell too long on the past, preferring to focus on the present - and the near future.
A reunion in 84 days?
"If we do what we have to do, then the pain will soon be over. Then we'll have the championship trophy in our hands," says Graham. 84 days remain until the next Super Bowl. At the moment, Kansas City versus Philadelphia would not only be a conceivable final game, but without a doubt the best thing that could happen to the league.
But back to the current duel. Jason Kelce doesn't buy into the "Super Bowl rematch" talk. Because nothing that happens on Monday will "undo anything from the final," adds the 36-year-old Eagles center. The fact that he and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce went head-to-head for the first time in the Super Bowl was one of the big stories surrounding the final. Even mother Donna made several TV appearances.
This time, however, the reunion of the brothers takes a back seat. Instead, it's more about Taylor Swift. As is well known, the singer has been Travis Kelce's girlfriend since September. Whether Swift will be at the Arrowhead Stadium on Monday is one of the big questions in the run-up to the game. After all, the 33-year-old is an Eagles fan and grew up almost 100 kilometers west of Philadelphia.
But because she is now in a relationship with the opponent's most important pro besides Patrick Mahomes, a Philadelphia radio station has drawn the consequences - at least temporarily. As of 5 p.m. on Friday, "Q102" is no longer playing Taylor Swift songs. "There is only one Kelce Swift duo in our city that we are interested in," says the station. This refers to Jason Kelce and running back D'Andre Swift. "Q102" announced that the Swift boycott would continue until Tuesday.
The upcoming Monday Night Football match between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, both top-tier teams in the NFL, is highly anticipated and serves as a rematch of Super Bowl LVII with Patrick Mahomes leading Kansas City. This game is being touted as "the most anticipated Super Bowl rematch of all time" by CBS.
In the NFL, where every game is crucial, the outcome of this Monday Night Football duel between Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs versus the talented Eagles could heavily impact their respective standings in the AFC and NFC divisions.
Source: www.ntv.de
