Road to Super Bowl 59: Eagles, Chiefs Take Different Paths
- Kansas City is going for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl win.
- Philadelphia in the big game after finishing as No. 2 seed in the NFC.
- Make bank with our top NFL Super Bowl picks! Join with our promo code HUDDLE125.
For the second time in three Super Bowls, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will square off for the championship of the NFL. These teams have been two of the best in the league over the last few years and it’s not a surprise to people that make NFL predictions to see either of them back in the Super Bowl.
But they took different paths to this year’s Super Bowl 59 despite being among the betting favorites at BetUS Sportsbook all season long. Let’s take a quick look back at how each team earned its spot in this year’s championship contest.
Roads to Super Bowl 59
Eagles Soar Thanks to New Addition
After a Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs (38-35) two seasons ago, Philadelphia had a disappointing follow-up in 2023, finishing 11-6 and losing in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. That led to this past offseason, when the team made some of the biggest NFL news with the signing of free-agent running back Saquon Barkley.
The superstar ball carrier was just what Philadelphia needed, having a huge season running the ball and becoming the ninth player in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards rushing in a season. Barkley is among the favorites for many of the regular-season awards in the NFL and is second in Super Bowl MVP odds at +225.
Behind the play of Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles cruised to another NFC East title and entered this postseason as the second seed in the NFC with a 14-3 regular-season record. Philadelphia’s first playoff opponent? The Green Bay Packers in a rematch of the regular-season opener the two teams played in Brazil.
Like the previous matchup, the Eagles cruised to the 22-10 Wild Card win at home, thanks to Hurts’ two touchdown passes. The defense shut down the Green Bay offense, intercepting Packers quarterback Jordan Love three times in the win.
The toughest game of the postseason for Philadelphia was a home game against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. Because of the Washington Commanders’ upset of Tampa Bay in the Wild Card round, the Eagles got the highest seed remaining in the Rams for their opponent.
This was the Barkley show, with the All-Pro rushing for 205 yards and touchdowns of 78 and 62 yards.
Saquon Barkley is the only player in NFL history with 4 touchdowns of 60+ yards against one team in a single season. Remarkable he had 4 home runs against the Rams this year. And Saquon Barkley had over 500 total yards against the Rams this season.
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 20, 2025
Despite that, the Rams hung tough in the snow, with the Eagles’ defense needing a last-minute stop to pull out a 28-22 victory and a spot in the NFC Championship Game.
The Commanders’ Cinderella run – which included an upset of the top-seeded Detroit Lions – gave the Eagles a home game for the NFC title. And Philadelphia didn’t let the opportunity pass it by, routing its division rival 55-23, for its second Super Bowl trip in three seasons.
Once again, Barkley set the tone with a 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage and the defense forced four Washington turnovers to turn the game into a rout. While some NFL picks had the surging Commanders to pull off the upset, Philadelphia played its best game of the postseason to advance to the championship.
Chiefs Advance, Even If It Wasn’t Pretty
Any season that begins with Patrick Mahomes running the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense also begins with the Chiefs as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Now, the franchise has a chance to become the first in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl titles.
Kansas City had a gaudy 15-2 regular-season record, tied with Detroit for the best in the NFL, but the team’s point differential of +59 ranked 11th in the league, showing how many tight games the Chiefs played.
The only blemish on the team’s record, other than a season-ending loss to Denver when the Chiefs rested their starters, was a 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Many took that loss and the team’s struggles to get dominant wins as signs that the team was vulnerable come the postseason, and that was reflected in many NFL expert picks going against the two-time defending champions.
After a first-round bye, the top-seeded Chiefs took on the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round. Houston wasn’t expected to do much in the postseason after a disappointing 10-7 regular season, with many expecting a Kansas City rout.
The 23-14 victory seemed good at a glance, but the Chiefs needed 10 fourth-quarter points – and a couple of controversial penalties – to pull away from a tight contest to get the win.
15 yards for unnecessary roughness for colliding above a sliding Patrick Mahomes pic.twitter.com/7tblh6DLPC
— Christian D’Andrea (@TrainIsland) January 18, 2025
Because of that, many felt the Chiefs were vulnerable despite playing at home for a rematch with the Bills in the AFC Championship Game. But Kansas City pulled out its magic again, edging Buffalo and quarterback Josh Allen 32-29.
The Chiefs haven’t looked like the dominant offensive juggernaut of old for much of this season, but they’re back in the Super Bowl for the third straight time and fifth time in six years. And they’re slight favorites in the Super Bowl odds to beat the Eagles again.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Question of the Day
What was the last team to appear in three straight Super Bowls?
The New England Patriots played in Super Bowls 51, 52 and 53, winning 51 and 53 and losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in 52.
