The ultimate game of the 2024 NFL season is here. The Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) will square off with the Philadelphia Eagles (17-3) in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana; kickoff is set for Sunday at 5:30 PM Arrowhead time.

The city of New Orleans is hosting the title game for the 11th time, tying Miami, Florida, for the most by any single city. The first was Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium, a game in which the Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

55 years later, the Chiefs are returning to New Orleans with a chance to make NFL history: no team has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls. To do so, the Chiefs would have to defeat the Eagles on the biggest stage for the second time in three seasons. Two years ago, the Chiefs kicked a field goal as time expired to win Super Bowl LVII.

The Chiefs’ motivation to be unprecedented, three-time defending champions will go head to head with the hunger and revenge from Philadelphia’s side. Here are five things to watch in an epic matchup:

1. Patrick Mahomes playing through traffic

Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes saved his most impactful performance of the season for the AFC Championship win over the Bills. Specifically, he was disciplined in the pocket and efficient on quick passes, completing 12 of 15 attempts for 140 yards and a touchdown. He also made the most of each rushing opportunity.

He or the ball will likely need to get out quick against Philadelphia, even though the Eagles blitz at the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme will center around trusting a talented four-man rush unit headed by defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Carter nearly exclusively lines up to the offense’s right of the ball. That primarily sets him up against right guard Trey Smith, but left guard Mike Caliendo has interior disruptors like Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, or Moro Ojomo to work against. The defensive tackle room has four sacks and 25 quarterback pressures combined this playoffs.

Center Creed Humphrey will need to keep his head on a swivel to uphold the front of the pocket.

Second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith has four sacks this postseason himself. He will primarily align over Chiefs’ right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

2. The gravity of Saquon Barkley

A key factor for the Chiefs’ defense will be how committed the scheme and players are to sealing run lanes against Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley.

This postseason, Barkley has touchdown runs of 62, 78, and 60 yards. Those game-breaking plays boost a three-game stretch with only a 34.8% rushing success rate; in the regular season, that would’ve ranked 34th among qualified running backs.

A plan to limit Barkley’s explosive plays would involve safety Justin Reid consistently playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo may also use three-linebacker sets featuring linebacker Leo Chenal.

The interior defensive line and linebackers will have a lot of responsibility to break through the wall of blocking. It will be harder to do that on the edge, so look for those defenders to be stout on the backside and pick their spots to try to blow up a run.

3. The Chiefs’ plan for coverage

If the focus is on restricting Barkley, it puts pressure on the Chiefs’ back end to limit big completions to wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, plus tight end Dallas Goedert.

Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts wants to target Brown downfield and to the perimeter. This season, Brown has aligned on the outside for 82% of his snaps with an average depth of target of 13.2 yards. Still, the Chiefs’ outside cornerbacks can’t play soft in alignment, because Brown can be lethal on slants.

The use of cornerback Trent McDuffie will be one to watch. Brown’s physical skill set seems to give McDuffie the most trouble, so a better individual matchup would be Smith; he is Philadelphia’s primary slot receiver. The Chiefs may lean towards trusting cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams on Brown, shading a safety over when possible.

Goedert has been the Eagles’ leader in receptions (15) and receiving yards (188) this postseason. He is Hurts’ safety blanket and can take advantage of the space created by other playmakers. Sure tackling and tight coverage by Chiefs’ linebackers and safeties will be key to limiting Goedert’s impact.

4. Getting running backs to the second level

The Eagles’ front is multiple and disruptive, taking up a lot of space as opposing offenses try to work the run game.

The Chiefs need to find ways to get running back Kareem Hunt to the second level, whether by creative run schemes or pass plays that set up Hunt to break tackles. Hunt forced seven missed tackles on run plays in the AFC Championship, according to PFF.

5. Situational football

The Super Bowl will come down to either side’s situational execution. The Chiefs ranked second in third-down conversion rate this year, while the Eagles’ defense allowed the third-lowest rate. The Eagles’ offense ranked 10th, facing a Chiefs’ defense that finished allowing seventh-highest rate of third downs.

Both offenses ranked in the top four in fourth-down conversion rate as well. The Chiefs will not find Philadelphia’s short-yardage scheme to be as simple to defend as the Buffalo Bills’ last week; the best way to defend the “Tush Push” is to avoid short-yardage scenarios. That’s why run blitzes on early downs can be high risk, but high reward: the Eagles’ play calling becomes less dynamic on long downs.

The Chiefs will likely need to win through the air in the red zone due to Philadelphia’s enormous front for goal-line situations. Look for the speed of wide receivers Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Justin Watson attempt to open up windows for tight end Travis Kelce and others.