Super Bowl reports

The Diagonals Guru is in Glendale, Arizona, the site of Super Bowl LVII, sending in his reports on the Big Game and soaking up the atmosphere around State Farm Stadium.

Here, from the site where the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off for NFL glory this Sunday, the Guru takes a look at what has brought both teams to this stage.

CHIEFS BUILD A DYNASTY
There is no doubt that the Kansas City Chiefs have been the most consistently dominant team of the last five years.

They have reached five consecutive Conference Championships, and will be playing in their third Super Bowl in the last four years.

Initially, one might think that this kind of success shouldn’t have much precedent.

Although you might be surprised to learn that 15 teams had made it to back-to-back Super Bowls, when the Chiefs made it in 2020 and 2021.

Now, of those 16 total teams, only three have made it to three Super Bowls in four years. Interestingly, only the Buffalo Bills made it to four in a row, and they lost all of them.

It’s easy to associate decades with certain franchises: the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, the San Francisco 49ers and Redskins in the 1980s, the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and the New England Patriots in the 2000s and 2010s.

Were those Jim Kelly Bills a dynasty or do you have to win titles to be considered a dynasty?

And in the specific case of the Chiefs: does one title suffice to be considered a dynasty?

“I honestly don’t care,” stated head coach Andy Reid, when asked if he thought the Chiefs were a dynasty. “We’re simply as good as our last game, and that’s where our head is at.”

While Reid put on the tape with the catchphrase, I have no doubt that these types of conversations matter more to fans than to coaches. At least at the time things are happening, since everyone cares about their legacy when all is said and done.

Beyond differing opinions, there are several indications that the success the Chiefs are enjoying is even more sustainable than we’ve seen so far.

History tells us that head coach and quarterback cranks are the foundation of any championship team, and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are probably the best of the best at their respective positions today.

In Mahomes’ case, he is signed long-term and has yet to have a single bad season in the NFL.

Prior to the start of last season, the AFC West was supposed to be the best division in the league, however, both the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos ended up disappointing.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Chiefs have dominated their division, winning it every year since 2016.

Kansas City is a young team that also has a great freshman class that has made an impact this season: George Karlaftis, Isiah Pacheco, Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Skyy Moore and Leo Chenal.

In other words, the strong get stronger and the future smiles on them.

Likewise, I’ll clarify, even if it’s semantics, in my opinion, you have to win at least two titles to consider yourself a dynasty.

That’s why I think Kansas City has more than a game on the line Sunday, since if they win a second ring, they would be joining a much more elite group, and a conversation that Andy Reid doesn’t want to talk about.

THE EAGLES’ STRENGTH IS IN THE TRENCHES
Needless to say, it won’t be easy for the Chiefs to win, especially considering that if you look at the various positional groups, the Philadelphia Eagles appear to be stronger in every role but quarterback, head coach and tight end.

It’s easy to get carried away with quarterbacks or offensive fireworks, but most of the time it’s the big men in the trenches that define games, and no one is better than the Eagles in that regard.

Philadelphia has the best offensive line in the NFL, which managed to push the physical 49ers defensive front in the NFC Championship.

Week in and week out, they’ve been among the best ground attacks in the NFL, and it’s largely due to the front five imposing its will.

“It helps a lot to have had continuity,” opined left tackle Jordan Mailata. “We’ve been healthy for most of the year, so it makes it easier.”

Right tackle Lane Johnson, suffered an injury and is actually still playing hurt, but he’s in a class by himself; he hasn’t allowed a catch in two seasons.

And the “captain” of the ship is center Jason Kelce, who is the brains and soul of this fantastic unit; Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo are underrated.

Add to that the fact that the Eagles have a quarterback who is a constant threat on the ground in Jalen Hurts, and this offense becomes an impossible puzzle to crack.

And if you want more trenches, but on the opposite side, the Eagles defensive front has been historically good.

So much so that Philadelphia finished the season with 70 catches, the third most in history.

Four Eagles players recorded at least 11 catches in the regular season, and Philadelphia finished with 27 forced turnovers.

It’s been many years since Fletcher Cox has been among the NFL’s best defensive tackles, and the additions of rookie Jordan Davis, Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh only made them stronger against the ground attack.

Haason Reddick finished the season with 16 catches, and has continued to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks in the postseason; Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham have had great seasons.

Of course, it also helps to have the best through-the-air defense in the NFL, since on the few occasions when the Eagles don’t get pressure, the secondary manages to weather the storm.

When Andy Reid came to Philadelphia as head coach in 1999, he imposed a philosophy that persists today on the Eagles franchise: “Build from the trenches.”

And that identity that Reid established in Philadelphia back then could be the difference between victory and defeat for the Chiefs’ head coach today.