Posted inEditorials / Opinion

It’s All About the Line: Breaking down the Super Bowl

For football fans in Laramie, this Super Bowl was exciting, but not the matchup that they hoped for. Of course, nearly the entire state of Wyoming was rooting for Josh Allen to lead the Bills to the big game and win it all, but they’ll have to wait another year to see this dream played out again. 

In terms of the game on Sunday, the Eagles put together a clinic in the trenches, which proved to be the key to stopping the Chiefs dynasty juggernaut. While dominating the line of scrimmage isn’t a novel idea to win football games, the Eagles executed on a level that shocked America. 

The Eagles defensive line got to Patrick Mahomes an incredible 6 times in the Super Bowl, with Kansas City allowing only 2.4 sacks per game this season. On top of that, they only let the Chiefs rush for 49 yards, with Mahomes picking up the majority of those yards. Overall, they only ran the ball 11 times.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles ran the ball straight into the heart of the defense 45 times, and it worked. Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and company racked up 135 yards on the ground while also nearly matching the Chiefs in pass yards. 

At the end of the day, I believe that this game showed the value of “old-fashioned” football in a modern NFL that’s all about the quarterback. There are certainly more pieces to the game than just this simple take, but the ability of the Eagles to control the trenches like it was some sort of WWI battlefront was too powerful to overlook. 

Laramie fans are all too familiar with high-powered running backs dominating the field. Ashton Jeanty graced War Memorial this past fall and showed the power of an unstoppable run attack. The older Pokes supporters may remember the 1988 Holiday Bowl when Barry Sanders’ 5 TDs and 222 yards rolled Oklahoma State to a 62-14 victory. 

That being said, this idea can easily be applied to those hoping for another Bills Super Bowl run or even a shot for the Cowboys at the Mountain West title. Investing in the line can’t be overstated now, and I think that the Bills and Pokes have the other pieces to make it worthwhile.

For the Bills, Josh Allen just won the MVP and has easily proved his NFL-level prowess. With a strong rushing attack aided by powerful offensive and defensive lines, it may just be enough for them to take the final step to a championship. 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys will host the return of Harrison Waylee next fall after an injury redshirted him last season. He’s shown flashes of greatness over the last two years and a strong front could make him one of the best backs in the country if he stays healthy. 

Kaden Anderson settled into the helm at quarterback by November 2024, and with a breakout year from Chris Durr Jr. and the other wideouts, the Pokes could present a solid offensive group. If the defense can lean into their “Cowboy Tough” persona and control the defensive line, I truly believe the Pokes can hang in the Mountain West Championship conversation into November. 

With all these opinions and ideas out there, Laramie will still have to wait through a long summer before they can be proven. Even with heartbreak and hard feelings from this season, it’s still a great time to be a Cowboys (and Bills) fan in Wyoming. 

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