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Lane Johnson Shares Eagles' Reaction to Facing Chiefs in Super Bowl Again

It's a Super Bowl LVII rematch in New Orleans.

Tom Dierberger

Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni greet each other after Super Bowl LVII in 2023.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni greet each other after Super Bowl LVII in 2023. / Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Eagles were the first team to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIX with a commanding 55–23 victory over the Washington Commanders last Sunday. A few hours later, the Eagles watched as the Kansas City Chiefs finished off the Buffalo Bills 32–29 in the AFC championship game to set up a rematch on football's biggest stage.

Two years ago, the Chiefs edged the Eagles 38–35 in an exciting Super Bowl LVII clash in Glendale, Ariz. So, what was the Eagles' reaction when they learned they would be taking on quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City dynasty yet again in the Super Bowl?

"It's not like a revenge game," Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said Saturday in a press conference. "It's more of a—we need to play our football game. And we need to play well. I feel like last game we had some turnovers, we had some penalties, had some issues. When you play a team like this, they're just so good they don't give the other team anything. And they've been like that consistently."

After the 2022 season in which the Eagles cruised through the NFC bracket as the No. 1 playoff seed, they earned a spot in Super Bowl LVII and jumped out to a significant 24–14 lead at halftime.

But the game unraveled after the break, as the Chiefs scored on all four of their second-half possessions, including a 12-play, 66-yard drive that burned over five minutes late in the fourth quarter and resulted in Kansas City taking a 38–35 lead with eight seconds to play.

The Eagles' defense didn't have any answers for Kansas City in the second half, and the offense sputtered on a three-and-out early in the fourth quarter when they were trailing 28–27.

It doesn't sound like Johnson and the Eagles hold a grudge from the Super Bowl loss two years ago, but they are certainly hoping green confetti falls from the Caesars Superdome this time around.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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