The Kansas City Chiefs may not have had the strongest defensive season, but it was enough to get them to Super Bowl LIX, where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles. Recently, DB coach Dave Merritt shed some light on how the team plans to approach its defensive strategy.
Speaking to Sports Radio 810 WHB, Merritt revealed that the entire defense—from the front line to the secondary—will be highly motivated. “The guys are very motivated,” he said. However, the primary focus will be stopping Saquon Barkley. “Stop the run first, and then we’re motivated to go there and shut down the passing game.”
Merritt knows the challenge ahead won’t be easy, especially against an Eagles offense that ranked seventh in the regular season and is averaging 35 points per game in the playoffs. He acknowledged the difficulty of the task, saying, “It’s gonna be a tough task.”
The last time the Chiefs played against the Eagles was on November 20 at Arrowhead Stadium. As visitors, Philadelphia managed to make Kansas City suffer, winning the game 21-17. It was a regular-season game, but the control that the Eagles’ offense and defense had over the home team was quite evident.
The Eagles Have the Best Defense
Merritt and the Chiefs know they will be facing a defense as strong as the one they have prepared for Super Bowl LIX. In the regular season, the Eagles had the second-best defense, allowing only 17.8 points per game, and in the playoffs, they are allowing just one point more than their regular-season average.
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The Chiefs Haven’t Been Great at Stopping Opponents in the Playoffs
The Chiefs have played only two playoff games before the Super Bowl, but in both, they struggled to stop their opponents. Against the Texans and Bills, they allowed over 140 rushing yards, which could be dangerous if they allow the same against the Eagles, who have Saquon Barkley. The air game wasn’t completely shut down either, as they allowed a total of 414 yards in the previous two games.
