Rematch and next Super Bowl?
This NFL showdown electrifies the USA
By Heiko Oldörp
November 19, 2023, 9:22 a.m
With the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, the top teams of the season face each other in the Monday Night Game. It’s a rematch of the last final – and perhaps also a preview of the next final.
Many people have been waiting longingly for this duel. More than nine months. 280 days to be exact. Monday Night Football. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles. The champion welcomes the runner-up. A rematch of Super Bowl LVII. There’s simply nothing more that can be done in the NFL at the moment. It is “the most anticipated Super Bowl rematch of all time,” according to the TV channel “CBS”. The online portal “The Athletic” writes about “Super Bowl 57 ½” and “sports.yahoo.com” simply calls the game “the best of the best”. For only the second time, the prestigious Monday game is the stage for the new edition of the last final.
The reunion after the epic showdown on February 12th in Glendale is both a look in the rearview mirror and a preview of a possible repeat final duel on February 11th, 2024 in Las Vegas. Because both are the two outstanding teams so far this season. Philadelphia leads the NFC with a record of 8-1, while Kansas City leads the AFC at 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 made some personnel changes during the off-season, 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. It says that Philadelphia is a “well-trained, talented team that can defeat any opponent.” But after the Super Bowl defeat, Philadelphia now has to show that it is capable of “killing the dragon.”
The Eagles are flying high against 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, beware, Philly fans, the three other clubs (Dallas/1995, Denver/96 and Indianapolis/06) all became 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.
Ailing Hurts trains without a knee brace
He was pleased to note Thursday that Jalen Hurts was able to practice without a knee brace. The quarterback again complained of pain in his left knee after the 28:23 win against the Dallas Cowboys on November 5th. He’s been struggling with this problem for weeks. In this respect, Hurts said, it was ideal that the Eagles had no games last weekend. 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 play, no matter what, we’re doing something right,” said defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Of course, both teams’ press conferences over the past few days have focused a lot on the Super Bowl, although the questions afterwards brought up completely different memories for the Eagles than for the Chiefs. And of course, in preparation for the new edition, the Eagles had to watch the recordings of the 35:38 defeat on February 12th again to see what should definitely be avoided this time. For example, the scene in the 21st minute when Jalen Hurts tried to avoid the charging Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, but stumbled and lost the football, so that Bolton was able to easily equalize to make it 14:14. Hurts otherwise played an outstanding final.
Outstanding Hurts with one crucial mistake too many
He was involved in 26 of the Eagles’ 35 points, including bringing the football into the end zone three times for a touchdown and gaining 70 yards, more space than any quarterback has ever done in a Super Bowl. But this fumble and the resulting seven points for the Chiefs were one crucial mistake too many in such an even game.
Everyone carries different wounds from the game, says Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. The question, however, is how to react to it. Defensive end Brandon Graham, for example, honestly says that “there are a lot of us who are still really hurting from the loss.” However, he doesn’t want to spend too much time dwelling on the past, preferring instead to focus on the present – and the near future.
See you again in 84 days?
“If we do what we have to do, then the pain will soon be over. Then we will have the championship trophy in our hands,” said Graham. There are still 84 days until the next Super Bowl. At the moment, Kansas City against Philadelphia would not only be a conceivable final, but would undoubtedly also be the best thing that could happen to the league.
But back to the current duel. Jason Kelce doesn’t believe in the talk of “Super Bowl revenge.” Because nothing that happens on Monday will “undo anything from the finale,” adds the 36-year-old Eagles center. The fact that he and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a brotherly duel for the first time in the Super Bowl was one of the big stories surrounding the final. Even mother Donna made a number of TV appearances.
This time, however, the brothers’ reunion takes a bit of 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 Arrowhead Stadium on Monday is one of the big questions leading up to the game. Because 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 professional alongside Patrick Mahomes, a radio station from Philadelphia has drawn conclusions – at least temporarily. Since Friday, 5 p.m., “Q102” has stopped playing Taylor Swift songs. “There’s only one Kelce Swift duo in our city that we’re interested in,” the station said. This refers to Jason Kelce and running back D’Andre Swift. “Q102” announced that the Swift boycott would last until Tuesday.