The Chiefs wrapped up their on-field preparations for Super Bowl LIX on Friday.
The team’s final practice session at Tulane featured special teams work and situational drills as the Chiefs put the finishing touches on their plans for Sunday’s game against the Eagles. Head coach Andy Reid said that his team “powered through it” and that he feels like the team is where it needs to be as they try to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.
“We’re in a good spot,” Reid said, via a pool report by Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “You’ve got to make sure you stay focused the next couple days and keep getting yourself ready. We’ll get a walk through in tomorrow and then go play.”
The only blip for the Chiefs came when practice squad defensive lineman Fabien Lovett left practice due to an illness, but he was not expected to be in the lineup on Sunday and the entire 53-man roster is good to go for the Super Bowl.
Defensive end Brandon Graham said this week that he’s planning on playing in Super Bowl LIX, but the Eagles haven’t ruled him in yet.
Graham is officially listed as questionable to play against the Chiefs on Sunday. Graham is returning from a torn triceps he suffered in November and will need to be activated from injured reserve by Saturday afternoon to be eligible to play.
Graham moved up to full practice participation on Friday, which suggests that has a good chance of happening.
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was a limited participant, but he has no injury designation. Wide receiver Britain Covey (neck) was also limited and the Eagles ruled him out.
Covey is on injured reserve along with Graham and tight end C.J. Uzomah. Uzomah (abdomen) is listed as questionable along with offensive lineman Nick Gates (groin). Gates is the only player on the 53-man roster with an injury designation.
Multiple players are dealing with an illness this week, three days ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he knew of “four or five” players on the team who are battling an illness and that something has been going around the team since before they left for New Orleans.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was limited in practice and missed media availability on Wednesday because of an illness. Quinyon Mitchell reportedly has laryngitis. There’s been no word on the names of the other players who are sick.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told NBC Sports Philadelphia that an illness is going around through some of the team.
Despite that, Eagles players and coaches have indicated that no one is sick enough that they’re in jeopardy of missing the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs added punter Matt Araiza to their injury report on Thursday.
Araiza also handles the holding duties for kicker Harrison Butker, so his absence would affect them in multiple areas, but it doesn’t look like they’ll need to scramble for someone to fill his role. Araiza was able to fully participate in the team’s second practice in New Orleans despite being added to the report with an illness.
The rest of the Chiefs’ report was the same as the one they turned in on Wednesday. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) and right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) were both full participants and wide receiver Skyy Moore (abdomen) was limited. Moore is on injured reserve, so he’ll need to be activated by Saturday afternoon to play against the Eagles.
The Chiefs will hold their final practice of the week on Friday and they’ll issue their injury designations later in the day. Barring any new developments, it appears that they will be short on injury concerns for Sunday.
When Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham tore his triceps in Week 12, it was believed to be a season-ending injury. But the Eagles’ season has now extended to the Super Bowl, and Graham thinks he can play.
Graham told reporters today that he’s feeling good and is optimistic about playing on Sunday against the Chiefs.
“I feel good. No issues. I haven’t had too many problems,” Graham said.
The Eagles still need to activate Graham from injured reserve for him to be eligible to play in the Super Bowl, and they haven’t done so yet. But between Graham’s comments and the comments from Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, it sure sounds like Graham is likely to be on the field for Super Bowl LIX.
It also could be the last career game for Graham, who will turn 37 in April and has been with the Eagles since they drafted him in the first round in 2010. Concluding his career by returning from an injury and winning the Super Bowl would be as good an ending as it gets.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter is dealing with an illness just four days before Super Bowl LIX.
Carter, who missed today’s session with the media, is sick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Eagles will file a practice injury report this afternoon that explains whether Carter participated in practice and if so whether he was limited by his illness.
Carter has emerged in his second NFL season as one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, and the Eagles want him to be at full speed against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The Chiefs are the favorites in Super Bowl LIX, but bettors like the odds they’re getting on the Eagles.
The most popular Super Bowl bet is on the Eagles moneyline, according to BetMGM.
The Eagles opened as +110 underdogs, which means a $100 bet will pay $110 if they win. The Chiefs opened as -130 favorites, which means a bettor has to wager $130 to win $100 if the Chiefs win. With more money coming in on the Eagles, those lines have started to shift, with the Eagles now at even odds at many sports books, and the Chiefs down to -120.
The point spread has also shifted slightly at some books, with the Chiefs going from 1.5-point favorites to 1-point favorites.
More bettors are putting their money on the Eagles than on the Chiefs in every state except Kansas.
Tom Brady is easily the greatest postseason quarterback in NFL history. But Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has put himself into a position where he could be the clear No. 2 with a win over the Eagles on Super Bowl Sunday.
Here’s where Mahomes stands in some of the NFL’s most important playoff quarterback categories:
Wins by a starting quarterback: The Chiefs have won 17 postseason games with Mahomes as their starting quarterback. Mahomes has surpassed Joe Montana, who won 16 postseason games, for the second-most wins by a playoff starting quarterback in NFL history. Brady has the record, with 35 postseason wins.
Super Bowl starts: Mahomes will start his fifth Super Bowl on Sunday, moving him into a tie with John Elway for the second-most ever. Brady started 10 Super Bowls.
Super Bowl wins: Mahomes can win his fourth Super Bowl on Sunday, which would move him into a tie with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the second-most ever. Brady won seven Super Bowls.
Super Bowl MVPs: Mahomes has won three Super Bowl MVPs, tied with Montana for the second-most ever. If he wins his fourth on Sunday, he’ll be one behind Brady, who won five Super Bowl MVPs.
Passer rating: Mahomes’ 105.8 playoff passer rating is the second-best ever among quarterbacks with at least 150 career postseason pass attempts. Baker Mayfield is the record holder at 105.9.
Passing touchdowns: Mahomes has thrown for 43 touchdown passes in the playoffs, fifth-most all time. If he throws three more, he’ll surpass Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers, who are tied for second with 45. Brady has the record with 88.
Passing yards: Mahomes has 5,557 passing yards in the playoffs, good for No. 7 all time, and he has a chance of moving ahead of Montana (5,772), Brett Favre (5,855) and Rodgers (5,894) and into fourth place all time on Super Bowl Sunday. Tom Brady’s record of 13,400 career postseason passing yards is safe for many years.
Passes completed: Mahomes has 490 completions in the postseason, which is No. 5 all time. At Super Bowl LIX he’ll likely move ahead of Ben Roethlisberger (498) and Rodgers (501) and into third place all time. Tom Brady’s record is 1,200 playoff completions.
The Chiefs aren’t carrying any major injury concerns into Super Bowl LIX and the Eagles’ biggest question mark on that front is defensive end Brandon Graham.
Graham is trying to return from the torn triceps he suffered in Week 12 of the regular season and he returned to practice last week. The Eagles said he would have been questionable to play in a game last weekend and head coach Nick Sirianni indicated at his Wednesday press conference that he’s in a similar spot as the practice week gets set to begin.
Sirianni also noted that it would be a big plus for the Eagles if Graham is able to play.
“We’ll see here is by the end of the week,” Sirianni said. “If he’s able to be out there with us, it would mean a lot to this football team. Just his leadership — Obviously his ability to play and the things he can do, but it would mean a lot for us out there. If he’s out there, I know he’ll make plays that help us win the football game.”
The Eagles will release their first practice report of the week on Wednesday and they will need to activate Graham from injured reserve if he is going to play on Sunday.
It doesn’t look like injuries are going to be an issue for the Chiefs heading into Super Bowl LIX.
Head coach Andy Reid said at his Wednesday press conference that there were no injuries to report as the team heads into their first practice since arriving in New Orleans for Sunday’s game against the Saints. Reid said every player on the roster will take part in that practice session.
That was also the case during the Chiefs’ practices in Kansas City last week. Wide receiver Skyy Moore was the only player to receive an injury designation for a hypothetical game last Sunday and would have been doubtful to participate, although he’s on injured reserve so will needto be activated in order to have any chance of playing.
The injury outlook could change if something goes wrong in practice, but, for now, it looks like health will be the least of the team’s concerns.
