This week is dragging.

Like, really, is it Sunday yet?

The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Eagles’ are looking for the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, while Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are chasing after the NFL’s first three-peat.

The stage is set for an exciting game. 

The Eagles are the better team, at least on paper. But the Chiefs are still a very good team, and continually find ways to get the job done. Kansas City has won 17 straight one-possession games.

Mahomes is a scary quarterback. He can literally do everything. Again, the Chiefs are just phenomenal in close games. In order for the Eagles to win, they have to avoid a very tight game in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles need to enter the final quarter with at least a two-score lead, but will that happen? The Chiefs don’t get blown out, and most of their games are close. So, I would have to assume the Eagles will be in a very close, nerve-racking game until the final seconds tick off the clock.

That might spell trouble, consider the Chiefs’ ability to make magic happen in one-score games. 

But the Eagles’ path to winning is pretty simple— continue doing what they have been. They need to use up as much clock as they can with every possession. That has been their identity this season, and they should not steer away from it. They should not get too aggressive and force plays. Just do what has been working. No need to take too many risks.

Get Saquon Barkley as many carries as possible. 

Get the clock moving and keep Mahomes on the sideline. 

That will keep the Eagles’ defense fresh and keeping the ball out of Mahomes’ hands is a major key to success. 

The Eagles have the best running back, offensive line and defense in the NFL. They have the tools at their disposal to win, and do so comfortably. The Eagles could start fast and hold on to a nice lead, I just don’t see that scenario unfolding. 

Chiefs coach Andy Reid and defensive Steve Spagnolo are very good with game planning. They will make Jalen Hurts uncomfortable with the blitz. No doubt about that. Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore need to do exactly what they did in the NFC Championship Game — dial up quick passes for Hurts. He cannot hold onto the ball. Get it out fast! 

I am confident that Hurts can do that. 

A.J. Brown said he was not 100% for the first two playoff games and was better for the NFC Championship Game.Now, the veteran wide receiver said he is fully healthy and ready to go. 

Get him the ball! 

Dallas Goedert has been very explosive this postseason, and he should continue his dominance if given the opportunity. DeVonat Smith is just another elite wide receiver.

Get them the ball!

The Eagles have the offensive weapons to do exactly what they need in order to win. Don’t get too cute. Do what has got you to this point.

The Eagles lost three games this season, two of which could have been wins if Barkley and DeVonta Smith did not drop passes. Nothing you can do about that, but the fact is the Eagles technically only have one bad loss. They have been dominant, and that should continue. 

Hurts has been taking care of the ball lately, and that is going to be a huge factor. As long as he doesn’t turn it over again, that’s a winning formula right there. 

Hurts lost a fumble in the Super Bowl two years ago, which led to a Chiefs’ touchdown. I still blame the defense more for the loss, but that turnover did not help, either. Turnovers kill, especially in the playoffs. But Hurts has been very good in that department lately.

His pocket awareness has to be on point, too. He takes a lot of sacks, not great when a player like Chris Jones is on the other side. That’s why getting off quick passes again will be a major difference in the game. 

He also wants redemption. Despite that fumble, he played a great Super Bowl two years ago. I still have that picture saved on my phone of the red and yellow confetti falling as Hurts walked off the field. It hurts to look at it, but I can’t seem to delete it. It makes me hopeful for what can come.

Imagine what Hurts thinks and feels.

I really do think he is motivated to not lose in the Super Bowl happen again. He wants it, probably mire than anyone on the teams. Hurts will have another great game because of his willingness to not lose again.

Just limit turnovers, avoid mistakes and dropping key passes, and the Eagles should be victorious. 

Then there is the Eagles’ defense. 

Vic Fangio’s unity has been stout this entire season. Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Cooper DeJean. Quinyon Mitchell, Zach Baun and others have been electric.

The defense can get to Mahomes and rattle him. The defense can do just enough to get the job done.

This Chiefs offense is not the scariest of the last few years, but they might be the most willful. Again,  the Chiefs put together a lot of spectacular close victories this season. Some were lucky, like the blocked field goal against the Chicago Bears, which would have won the game. They won by missed game-winning fields, also lucky bounces.

But the Chiefs also won games with fourth-down stops on defense and plenty of winning drives on offense.

Mahomes’ decision-making is unmatched. He ranks fifth with a 69 quarterback rating this season (postseason included). His QBR on third down is 90, which ranks first. When he scrambles, he has the third-most scramble rate in the league.

How can the Eagles stop him?

Since Week 6, when DeJean was inserted into the starting lineup, the Eagles have allowed a league-low 5.2 yards per attempt and 171.9 passing yards per game. Mitchell and Darius Slay are also good in coverage, and safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship are very strong pieces to the puzzle.

Not to mention the Eagles front seven has been explosive, posing a threat every game.

Smith has been on fire in the playoffs, with four sacks while playing over 80% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. If Smith, Carter and Josh Sweat are on Sunday, Mahomes could be forced into making some errant throws, maybe even mistakes. That is rare for Mahomes, but it could happen. This is the best defense he will face this season, in my opinion.

Kansas City running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are also threats. Hunt did a very good job in Pacheco’s absence after the latter was injured. Since returning, Pacheco hasn’t necessarily been great thi season, but that explosive playmaker is still there. Same deal with Travis Kelce. He hasn’t had his best season, but he can still break tackles and get yards after the catch.

Pacheco, Kelce and Mahomes are my top worries. Hopefully Fangio has plans to bottle up Kelce and force Mahomes to look elsewhere, which will be very crucial.

The Chiefs wide receivers aren’t as scary. The one that poses the most threat probably is Xavier Worthy. But the Eagles’ secondary should be fine with Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

If the Eagles’ bring pressure, and contain Mahomes to an extent, the Eagles will be in great position. 

The suspense is building as Sunday approaches.

The Eagles have the chance to stop the Chiefs’ three-peat, something most NFL fans do not want to see. 

More than likely, the Eagles can get the job done.