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Top Passing Matchup

Philadelphia vs Kansas City

Jalen Hurts has not been forced to do much so far this postseason as the Eagles have easily won their first two games against the Giants, in which the Eagles ran the ball for 268 yards, while in the NFC Championship, the Eagles did not need to do much to secure the victory after injuring Brock Purdy in the first quarter as they ran the ball an astonishing 44 times against San Francisco. The Eagles are more than capable of throwing the ball against almost any team, as evidenced by Hurts’ four 300-yard games this season, but they have a strong preference towards leaning on their rushing attack to set up their passing game as the Eagles threw the ball the 10th-fewest times in the NFL this season. This is an offense that, when they do throw the ball, they’re highly effective as they average the second-most yards per attempt at 8.1 while completing 65.3% of their passes this season. The Eagles create matchup nightmares against any team with wide receivers A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert. Combining those wide receivers with a league-best offensive line led by Jason Kelce and the defense having to compensate for Hurts’ rushing ability makes it a difficult task for any team to stop and a big reason this offense led the NFC in points per game.

Statistically, Kansas City’s pass defense is one of the worst in the NFL. They’ve allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks during the regular season. However, this doesn’t tell the full story. Since Week 9, the Chiefs allowed just 205 passing yards per game, which was the eighth-best in the NFL over that timeframe. In Weeks 1-8, the Chiefs allowed 298 passing yards per game, which was the second-worst over that timeframe. While the schedule certainly has been easier in the second half of the season, a key difference has been the return of first-round draft pick Trent McDuffie who was injured in Week 1 of the year and returned in Week 9. McDuffie is a versatile player who can play on the outside or go down into the slot in a nickel/dime formation. The weak link for the Chiefs in coverage is seventh-round rookie Jaylen Watson, who has struggled with consistency throughout the season and will likely be the player that the Eagles will target against A.J. Brown. Another issue for the Chiefs this season has been touchdowns allowed, as they allowed 33 passing touchdowns which was the most in the NFL this season. This is a number that statistically stands out, but because the Chiefs historically have been a team that gets out to early leads, it forces opponents to throw the ball early and often, as the Chiefs have faced the fifth-most pass attempts this season. The Chiefs' pass rush will be critical in this game as they are second in the NFL in sacks with 55, led by Chris Jones and Frank Clark. The matchup against the Eagles offensive line will be one of the keys to this game.