If the message to the Patriots' brain trust wasn't clear heading into Sunday's Super Bowl, let's hope it is now. If you want to return to the playoffs sooner rather than later, look no further than the offensive and defensive lines.
The Eagles are World Champions for many reasons — their infrastructure, a deep roster, and high-end playmakers — but this title happened because they bullied the Chiefs like no one since the last time KC lost in a Super Bowl (February of 2021 to the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers). But unlike that game, this Philadelphia team didn't have to call a single blitz to terrorize Patrick Mahomes. That's right. Mahomes dropped back 42 times, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn't dial up a single exotic. Instead, Fangio leaned on his front four to control the game. They did more than that. They dominated.
"That’s our pride,” said Josh Sweat (2.5 sacks). “Vic didn’t want to blitz. We knew if we had to blitz, we’d be in trouble. We put it on the four-man rush, and we made it happen.”
“When you win on a four-man rush, and you can just cycle guys through, and they are still winning, you don't have to blitz,” said linebacker Zack Baun. “Great game-planning, great communication, we were all on the same page all game.”
The Eagles recorded six sacks of Mahomes. That had never happened before in his 132 career games. They also forced a pair of interceptions, in part because of pressure. Through three quarters, the pressure rate was over 50% (Somewhere, Jacoby Brissett broke out into a cold sweat). The job done by Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Sweat, and Nolan Smith in pass-rushing situations (and reserves Brandon Graham, Jalyx Hunt, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo) deserves more headlines than it will get - sorry, but mainstream football media don't know or care about line play - but they will get their flowers here (I'm sure they're deeply touched). What was hammered home - again - was having four rushers on the field capable of winning their one-on-one battles.
“The boys up front are some bad mother(bleepers),” said CB Cooper DeJean, himself a big player in the game with a critical pick 6.
“I didn’t expect anything else,” said safety Reed Blankenship. “They’ve been doing it all year. They don’t need no help. They’re demons up front.”
The Eagles DL performance in the biggest game was their best of the season. They got an assist from the Chiefs offensive line, which had been a problem all year and couldn't hold up Sunday. Joe Thuney was finally exposed at left tackle, which makes sense because he's a left guard by trade. Mike Calliendo, an undrafted free agent inserted into Thuney's spot, had the kind of night that will require some intensive therapy over the off-season. Fangio moved Sweat opposite KC RT Jawaan Taylor. Prior to this, Sweat didn't stray off the opposite side. That strategy struck gold.
“They let me go crazy,” he said. “I don’t think I ever got more than two in a game (editor's note: he hadn't).”
Meanwhile, a Philly offensive line built on drafting well and developing (they signed $80 million worth of extensions this spring) controlled a Chiefs front that had been their best asset in this playoff run. Jalen Hurts was sacked just twice (and one was all on him) and had enough time to identify the matchup he wanted and get the ball there. It was a stark contrast, seeing the ordinarily unflappable Mahomes look harried and unsure, his footwork coming apart as the game progressed. Meanwhile, Hurts - who is getting shine now that his regular season didn't warrant - had time to Google precisely how you make a Pat O'Brien's Hurricane before dropping dimes to A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith.
Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata were named second-team All-Pros. Landon Dickerson, Mekhi Becton, and Cam Jurgens all received All-Pro votes. They average 6'6" and 338 pounds.
“It’s important to have good talent,” said OL coach Jeff Stoutland. “But then, on top of that, there’s a mindset.”
That leads me back to One Patriot Place. If the Pats are to rise, they need to earmark a significant amount of their financial resources and draft capital to build an offensive line that needs a massive overhaul.
Perhaps Mike Onwenu is a building block. David Andrews, if his body allows it, would be more short-term. But the rest? Flotsam and jetsam (Vederian Lowe, Ben Brown, and Demontrey Jacobs), or unproven and underwhelming (Caedan Wallace, Layden Robinson, Sidy Sow).
The Eagles, for instance, invested a first (Johnson), second (Jurgens and Dickerson), and developmental seventh (Mailata) in addition to taking a one-year flyer on Becton, a top-10 draft pick who washed out with the Jets. Their top reserve, Tyler Steen, came via the thrd round.
The Eagles invested similarly in the defensive front. Carter (future DPOY?), Davis, and Smith were all selected in round one, with Carter a top-10 pick. Williams came via the third round, as did Hunt. Bryce Huff, a star for the Jets and a huge free agent signing this spring, was inactive for the game (Fangio doesn't love him. I'd make that call if I were Wolf/Cowden).
Unlike with their OL, the Pats actually have a couple of players up front who can win one-on-ones in Christian Barmore (health pending, though he is working out) and Keion White. But beyond that, they struggled to affect the quarterback in 2024-25. There are a plethora of players in this draft class who could change that, and double dipping makes all the sense in the world. Again, this organization can't fix all that ails them in one fell swoop, but the best strategy is to follow the lead of Philly and build with the right players from the inside out. It's not the sexiest approach, but it is a winning one, and the Pats haven't done much of that in recent memory.