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American Football

Will the ultimate disruptor or the ultimate unit determine the trench war on Super Bowl Sunday?

DAZN

Ryan Baldi

9, Feb

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For the fact he celebrates his 28th birthday the same day and could finish the night with a first Super Bowl win while setting an all-time NFL record for combined rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs, Saquon Barkley will almost certainly lead the headlines if the Philadelphia Eagles overcome the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in New Orleans.

A free-agent signing last offseason, the former New York Giant became only the ninth player ever to record 2,000 total rushing yards in a season.

And his three-touchdown performance in the NFL Championship game against the Washington Commanders powered the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

But Barkley’s success this season has been built on the foundation of Philadelphia’s not-so-secret weapon: their otherworldly offensive line.

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"They're the guys that make it go up front," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said in January.

"Saquon is phenomenal, but he can't be great without the greatness of others."

"Obviously, we're highly talented there. We have really good players, and Stout [offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland] coaches his butt off to get them to perform at a high level.

"So of course, yeah, I see them as having a historic season, being able to send three guys to the Pro Bowl, having two guys on the All-Pro team.

"That's a result of just all the hard work that they do. And I love when they get recognised because, again, like I said, sometimes you don't get recognised for that."

Saquon Barkley Getty Images

And Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, was equally glowing in his appreciation of the unity.

"This group is incredible,” he said.

“Awesome people first and foremost. They work really, really hard. They're aligned. They work well together. I think they bring the physical tone and mentality to our entire football team. They set the foundation.

"We lean on those guys."

Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts earned plaudits for the fact the Eagles ranked second in the NFL this past regular season for rushing yards (3,048) and rushing touchdowns (29).

But it is the offensive line who provide the all-important blocks, holding off opposition defenders and creating the lanes through which Barkley and Hurts burst.

They are the literal driving force, too, behind Philadelphia’s near-unstoppable “tush push”, their trademark QB sneak that had an 82.4 per cent success rate.

And although the Eagles’ passing game has been inconsistent this year, that is no reflection of their offensive line’s work in pass protection – according to FantasyPros, Hurts had the highest average pocket time (2.7 seconds) of all quarterbacks in the league in 2024.

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Of the six Eagles players to earn Pro Bowl selections this season, three came from the offensive line (right tackle Lane Johnson, guard Landon Dickerson and centre Cam Jurgens). Johnson was also named All-Pro for the fifth time in his career, while left tackle Jordan Mailata earned his first All-Pro nod.

“I cannot believe how far I’ve come,” Mailata, who was a professional rugby league player in Australia before first trying his hand at American football in 2018, told reporters this week.

“I can’t believe I’m still here. I can’t believe I’m sitting at this desk with you guys right now at my second Super Bowl. Hopefully, we can finish the job.”

Finishing the job, from the perspective of the Eagles linemen, will mean keeping the Chiefs’ pass rush at arm’s length. It will mean stopping Chris Jones. A task even the best offensive lines in the NFL have struggled with in recent years.

Chris Jones Kansas 2023 Getty Images

Jones has been the top defensive tackle in the league since LA Rams legend Aaron Donald hung up his cleats last year.

Others – including Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter and Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants – have vaulted themselves into contention for that distinction this year, but in a playoff setting there is no one you’d want more at the heart of your defensive line than Jones.

The 30-year-old’s numbers for the 2024 season don’t leap off the page. The five sacks he mustered was the lowest total since his rookie year and his 19 solo tackles was a three-year low.

But Jones’ value cannot be summed up with stats. There is a reason he earned he was named First Team All-Pro for the third successive season.

Jones is the ultimate disruptor. His calibre and reputation mean he often draws double-teams from opponents, with offensive coordinators deploying two linemen in an effort to shackle Kansas City’s most dominant defender.

The attention Jones commands means there are holes elsewhere in opposition pass protection for his teammates to exploit. And even when faced with two blockers, Jones often still breaks through.

His versatility is also a huge asset to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Jones’ ability to rush the quarterback from the interior or line up on the edge and terrorise offensive tackles aids the creativity for which Spagnuolo is known.

Stopping Jones, Spagnuolo and the playoff-practised Chiefs pass rush will be the biggest test to date for the NFL’s best offensive line.