Chiefs' Bieniemy: Eagles' defense 'a nightmare for an offensive coordinator'
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy praised the Philadelphia Eagles' defense Friday ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
"Seventy sacks - these guys are pretty damn good," Bieniemy said, according to Aaron Ladd of KSHB 41 News. "That's a nightmare for an offensive coordinator."
The Eagles roster arguably the NFL's deepest defense after the midseason additions of the likes of Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh, and Robert Quinn to an already solid unit. This season, Philadelphia became the first team to ever have four defenders with 10-plus sacks (Haason Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham).
Philly finished the regular season with 70 sacks, comfortably the best mark in the league and 15 ahead of the second-place Chiefs.
"It's going to be a challenge," Bieniemy said, according to Charles Goldman of The Chiefs Wire. "Their second wave of guys they have coming in are very good."
Kansas City has done a solid job in pass protection, ranking seventh in pass blocking, according to PFF. However, it was outplayed in the trenches during its last Super Bowl appearance, a loss to the Buccaneers in 2021 in which Tampa Bay registered 10 quarterback hits and three sacks on Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs have since bolstered their O-line, bringing in four new starters through the draft and free agency. Bieniemy believes Kansas City - owners of the league's top-ranked offensive unit - will rise to the occasion come Feb. 12.
"We've got five guys up front that take tremendous pride in protecting the quarterback," Bieniemy said.
"Our guys will be ready," he added, per Ladd.
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