Super Bowl LIX is almost upon us, and unfortunately, the Denver Broncos will be forced to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles from their sofas.
Despite that pain though, the Broncos could stand to learn a lot from the two teams left standing, as they look to return the Mile High City's franchise to its former glory.
Here are the three biggest lessons the Broncos should take from the Chiefs and Eagles:
1. The Value of a Dynamic Running Back
The Denver Broncos running back room left a lot to be desired in 2024, and those limitations often stalled out the offense. With that in mind, remedying that shortcoming this offseason could launch the Broncos' attack into the realm of contention though, as this year's Super Bowl representatives demonstrate.
It's practically impossible to imagine the Philadelphia Eagles reaching the Super Bowl without Saquon Barkley turning in one of the most dominant seasons we have ever seen from a running back at any point in NFL history.
Without Barkley, last year's Eagles team lost six of its last seven games, including a one-and-done playoff appearance. As a result, Howie Roseman and Co. went back to the drawing board and recognized the opportunity to take advantage of the rest of the NFL overlooking the running back position.
Philly's rushing attack was very strong in 2023, but it also wasn't exceptional, ranking fourth in Expected Points Added (EPA) per rush and 11th in yards per rushing play, but there was a lot of meat left on that bone. The offensive line was doing its job, and the plays were there to be made, but the Eagles' backs were cashing in far too infrequently. Metrics that attempt to separate running back play from line play painted that picture very clearly. Despite finishing seventh in Yards Before Contact (YBCo) per carry, which looks at how much push the line is getting, Philadelphia ranked 25th in Rushing Yards Over Expectation (RYOE), which looks at the yardage created by the running back, in 2023.
Then, it seemed like the situation should only get worse when the Eagles lost legendary center Jason Kelce to retirement. Surprisingly though, the addition of Barkley has more than negated the eldest Kelce's exit.
In 2024, Philadelphia fielded the league's best rushing attack by EPA per rush, and second-best in terms of total yards gained, behind only the Baltimore Ravens' very own historic ground game. Catalyzing that turnaround was dramatically better running back play, as the Eagles climbed all the way from 30th to second in RYOE per carry in 2024, again trailing only the Ravens, with the only notable upgrade being Barkley.
The 2025 Broncos could mirror the turnaround the Eagles experienced from 2023 to 2024 if they manage to hit on the right running back in either the draft or free agency. This past season, Denver ranked 11th in YBCo per carry but 24th in RYOE per carry and 30th in Yards After Contact (YACo) per carry, eerily similar to the figures Philly's run game was producing prior to the addition of Saquon Barkley.
Thankfully for the Denver Broncos, this year's draft class is loaded with potential star running backs who could lead a similar rushing resurgence.
2. Investing in the Trenches Pays Off
The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs both managed to reach this point thanks, in part, to wide-sweeping investments on both sides of the offensive line.
Every single starting member of the Eagles' offensive line was either one of the first five draft picks in their class at their position or is currently one of the six highest-paid players at their position. Right tackle Lane Johnson is both. On the other side of the ball, all but one of Philadelphia's starting defensive linemen was a first-round pick, with the exception being No. 73 overall pick Milton Williams, who is certain to become one of the league's highest-paid defensive linemen in a month when he fits free agency.
Plus, the weight of those investments, both literally and metaphorically, can be felt on every single snap the Eagles play.
On top of ranking third in YBCo per attempt, the Eagles rank sixth in average time to pressure and were responsible for the eighth-lowest rate of pressure allowed. Not only has this plowed the way for the aforementioned run game, but it has also allowed Jalen Hurts to be the best version of himself by limiting his exposure to pressure.
Meanwhile, the Philly defense is first in yards allowed, first in yards per play allowed, second in EPA per play allowed, and seventh in time to pressure.
The Kansas City Chiefs fall right in line with this trend too.
At signing, both Joe Thuney and Jawaan Taylor were among the highest-paid players at their respective positions, Creed Humphrey was the highest-drafted center in his class, and Trey Smith was viewed as an elite draft prospect until blood clot concerns pushed him down the draft board. Then, KC's defensive line features two first-round picks, two highly paid veteran pass-rush specialists, and arguably the best defensive lineman in the league in Chris Jones.
Investing in the trenches doesn't guarantee you the elite units that these two franchises have cultivated, but it does provide your team with an outstandingly high floor and an offensive and defensive foundation that can easily be built upon to form more elaborate structures.
Now, the Denver Broncos have generally done a solid job making these investments. Four of their five offensive linemen are high-paid figures, and they've got a top-tier piece on the defensive line with Zach Allen, but they would be wise to continue to make these investments.
The team hasn't drafted a tackle in any round since Garett Bolles in 2017. They haven't drafted an offensive lineman on the first two days of the draft since Quinn Meinerz in 2021, and they haven't drafted a defensive lineman on the first two days of the draft since their 2019 selection of Dre'Mont Jones.
The foundation is stable for now, but it's time for some minor renovations to avoid a full-scale model in a few short years.
3. Have a DC Who Regularly Vexes QBs and OCs
If you are lucky enough to advance far in the NFL playoffs, you are bound to run into some of the sport's top offensive minds and some of the league's most lethal quarterbacks.
The NFC boasts offensive wizardry in the form of Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, Kevin O'Connell, Ben Johnson, and Nick Sirianni, while the AFC is home to monstrous quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and CJ Stroud.
When facing one of these human blow torches, in order to feel confident in one's ability to advance, you have to have a mental giant on your staff who can consistently bedevil the nuclear warhead on the opposing sideline.
The Kansas City Chiefs have Steve Spagnuolo, a defensive coordinator who quite literally has defensive game plans enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for their genius. When they run into one of the AFC's kaiju quarterbacks, Spagnuolo knows all the right buttons to press to make Josh Allen look like Josh Rosen or Joe Burrow look like Joe Milton.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles have Vic Fangio -- the defensive coordinator who quite literally sent Sean McVay into a depression spiral and made him reconsider if he even wanted to coach anymore. When they run into one of the NFC's whiz kids, Fangio knows just how to separate soul from flesh, just like he did with Drew Lock in 2021.
It's not good enough to just bank on your own genius offensive mind or superhuman quarterback and pray they'll be enough to save you. You need a defensive mind that can dial up the right curveballs to make life difficult for your opponents.
Whether or not the Denver Broncos have such a figure in Vance Joseph remains to be seen, but it's something Broncos Country would be wise to monitor over the coming seasons.