The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday. Before the big game, we are looking to see how these two teams performed against their common opponents. Here, we take a closer look at the Eagles and Chiefs’ games against the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans to see if there’s anything we can learn.
Week 3: Colts 20-17 Chiefs
Week 11: Eagles 17-16 Colts
THE COLTS (+192 ML) UPSET THE CHIEFS 20-17 😱pic.twitter.com/CssjuavWdz
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) September 25, 2022
The first common opponent we will take a look at is the Indianapolis Colts. In week 3, the Colts pulled off a 20-17 upset over the Chiefs. However, in week 11, the Eagles managed a 17-16 victory over the Colts. Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts, had a standout performance, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, struggled against the Colts defense in their meeting.
Week 9: Titans 17-20 Chiefs
Week 13: Titans 10-35 Eagles
Eagles are 11-1 on the season after 35-10 win over Titans#FlyEaglesFly #TENvsPHI pic.twitter.com/pZJiZRFExd
— David Malandra Jr (@DaveMReports) December 4, 2022
In week 9, the Chiefs took on the Titans and won in overtime, 20-17. The Titans fielded a backup quarterback, Malik Willis, and still pushed the Chiefs to the brink. However, in week 13, the Titans faced the Eagles with quarterback Ryan Tannehill back, but it didn’t matter. Hurts was exceptional, throwing for 380 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for one more in a blowout win for the Eagles.
Week 10: Jaguars 17-27 Chiefs | Divisional Round: Jaguars 20-27 Chiefs
Week 4: Jaguars 21-29 Eagles
. @Chiefs Defeat @Jaguars 27-20 To Advance In The NFL Playoffs
Jaguars vs Chiefs 2023 NFL Divisional Round Highlights NFL Playoffs
Kansas City Chiefs Defeat Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 To Advance In The NFL Playoffs pic.twitter.com/BDxS3BOQKq
— Tyree Holland (@TyreeLHolland) January 22, 2023
The Chiefs’ week 10 win over the Jaguars was reasonably comfortable, with Mahomes throwing for 331 yards and four touchdowns. In the divisional round, the Chiefs won again, even though Mahomes exited the game with a high ankle sprain.
The Eagles also got the better of the Jags in a week 4 victory. Miles Sanders had a big day for the Eagles in their week 4 win over the Jaguars, rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles came back from an early 14-0 deficit to secure the win.
Week 15: Chiefs 30-24 Texans
Week 9: Eagles 29-17 Texans
Fly, Eagles Fly 🦅
Philadelphia beat the Houston Texans 29-17 on #TNF to remain the only undefeated team in the NFL.
It marks the Eagles’ first 8-0 start in franchise history. #NFL #Eagles pic.twitter.com/ni8JapqRO4
— Nothing But Sports (@NBSCENTRAL) November 4, 2022
In week 15, the Chiefs needed overtime to beat the struggling Texans 30-24. Mahomes was almost perfect, going 36 from 41 for 336 yards and two touchdowns, but the Texans somehow found a way to keep the game close.
The Eagles faced also the Texans in week 9 and came away with a 29-17 victory. Hurts was also hyper-efficient against the Texans D. He went 21/27, throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles sealed the win with a 4-yard touchdown to tight end Dallas Goedert in the fourth quarter.
What Did We Learn?
The Eagles are 4-0 against common opponents, while the Chiefs are 4-1. Furthermore, the average winning margin of Eagles victories was 11.5, and the Chiefs average margin during these game was just 3.4.
It does seem that the Eagles were more convincing in putting away mutual opponents. If this was a horse handicap race, they would likely be giving the Chiefs a good few pounds in weight since their form is so much better. However, the NFL is a fickle mistress and we know that any team can beat another on any given Sunday. And after all, the Super Bowl is just one game.
It seems to us that if we were just basing the matchup on these games, the Eagles are rightful favorites with top US sportsbooks. But betting against Patrick Mahomes is a dangerous propostion. It will be interesting to see how the game plays out and if the ‘form’ holds up.
