The 2024 NFL offseason is officially underway after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII to secure back-to-back Lombardi wins.
It was enjoyable for Fletcher Cox and the Eagles to see Deebo Samuel and the 49ers suffer another heartbreaking defeat, but now the real work begins.
There are lessons to be learned from every game played, and even though Philadelphia wasn’t in the Super Bowl, they can take formulas and gems from both teams.
With NFL free agency fast approaching, here are five things the Eagles can learn from the Chiefs’ 25-22 win over the 49ers in overtime.
It's okay to spread the football around
The Eagles had two 1,000-yard receivers, and then the drop-off was evident even after Dallas Goedert’s production on offense.
In the Super Bowl 58 win, MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed passes to eight different players, including nine grabs for Travis Kelce and six grabs for rookie Rashee Rice.
An offense can get stale without creativity or secondary options outside the big 3.
Cornerback play is important
Darius Slay and James Bradberry could depart this offseason, but Super Bowl 58 proved that good cornerback play is essential.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy was 23 of 38 passing for 255 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on the night.
Kansas City defensive backs held the 49ers to 6.7 yards per pass attempt, while outside Christian McCaffrey’s eight catches for 80 yards and a score, the 49ers pass catchers were dominated.
Brandon Aiyuk had three catches for 49 yards, while Deebo Samuel was held to 3 catches for 33 yards. Jauan Jennings led San Francisco pass catchers with four grabs for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Per PFF, second-year cornerback Trent McDuffie allowed nine yards on seven targets into his coverage against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Eagles have decisions to make, and landing a Trent McDuffie or L’Jarius Sneed should be the first move.
Linebackers matter
It was a sloppy 25-22 win for Kansas City, and a huge reason for the lack of offensive explosion centered around the elite linebacker play on both teams.
Fred Warner led the 49ers with 13 tackles, while Nick Bolton led the Chiefs with 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and two QB hits.
Leo Chanal had 6 tackles, one tackle for loss and one QB hit.
Linebackers from both teams made a significant impact against the run and in the passing game.
Jordan Davis has to step up
Jalen Carter was the runner-up for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, but Jordan Davis will be the most critical piece for the Eagles, especially if Fletcher Cox retires.
Kansas City defensive tackle Mike Pennel earned a more prominent role for the postseason and played 115 dominant snaps during Kansas City’s four-game run to the Super Bowl.
Pennel saw 40 snaps in the Super Bowl against San Francisco, nearly the same number of snaps he played in the regular season, but dominated in every facet.
According to PFF, the 49ers averaged just 1.7 yards before contact and 0.266 EPA on run plays, ranking as their second-worst output of the season.
On the 21 run plays where Pennel was on the field for Kansas City and San Francisco, they averaged -0.350 EPA per play, which would have been their lowest mark all season in a complete game. For comparison, the least efficient running game in the NFL this season belonged to the Chargers, at -0.235 EPA per play.
The Eagles need dominance in the middle going forward.
Pressure burst pipes
Brock Purdy was 23 of 38 passing for 255 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on the night, but Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo made it a point to pressure Purdy in crucial situations.
The 49ers’ star signal-caller was 2-of-6 passing for 29 yards, 4.8 YPA, and a 50.0 rating when blitzed on third down.
Vic Fangio doesn’t like to blitz often, but it’ll be imperative in 2024 for the Birds to pressure the opposition.
