Super Bowl 59 Insights: Kevin Negandhi Joins the Show

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00:00Hello everyone, it's Adam Kaplan here again for SportsCritic at Super Bowl 59, and the

00:04man to my right is a native Philadelphian like myself.

00:08He's a diehard Philly fan.

00:10He's from ESPN.

00:11It's Kevin Nagani.

00:12Kevin, great to see you.

00:13Good to see you, Adam.

00:14All right, so let's get to it, man.

00:15I want to start before the season for you, because I have my own expectations for the

00:19Eagles.

00:20Where were you at with this football team to start September?

00:22I was like, I have no idea, because remember where we were, right?

00:26Seven and one, and then you lose six to seven, the greatest historical collapse in Philadelphia

00:31Eagles history.

00:32So you had no idea.

00:34I think every week was, we're going to learn something.

00:36We're going to learn something.

00:38And it felt like the team was learning a lot about themselves in the first four weeks,

00:42right?

00:43Especially, you can make a case that the first four weeks when they were two and two, it

00:47was preseason.

00:48They looked sloppy.

00:49They were trying to understand Fangio's defense.

00:51They weren't in sync.

00:53And they were just going off of talent, right?

00:55And then you got that by, then they started figuring things out.

00:58So to me, every week was a learning experience.

01:02And then after that Ravens game was the first time I was like, okay, they could have a deep

01:06run.

01:07So Kevin, you know, as a big time fan, you know the team very, very well.

01:10So let's talk about the defense.

01:12Yeah.

01:13How do you explain guys like Zach Bonnick come out of nowhere and become the best inside

01:16backer in football?

01:17Vic Fangio.

01:19That's how I described it.

01:20This is coaching.

01:21This comes down to understanding your talent and roster, and then being able to move it

01:25around to the benefit of your strengths.

01:27And Fangio has been a godsend for this team because he's ignited Jalen Carter.

01:32The talent was always there.

01:34It's just understanding the motivation to play.

01:36I think they've done an incredible job of realizing that with Nolan Smith.

01:40I think they've done an incredible job of making sure Quinion is not a rookie.

01:44Cooper Dejean is not a rookie.

01:46And they hit, man.

01:47It is fantastic to watch an Eagles team that actually hits, that is around the football,

01:53that tackles really well.

01:55We haven't seen a team that tackles this well.

01:57I'm going to go all the way back to those early 90s Bud Carson, old Buddy Ryan teams.

02:03And that's what makes me feel really good about Sunday.

02:05All right.

02:06Offensively, obviously the biggest story in the National Football League is number 26,

02:09A'Quan Barkley.

02:10Yeah.

02:11Look, he was obviously in a better space here, but it's been really remarkable.

02:15You're old enough to remember Wilbert Montgomery.

02:17Yeah.

02:18Who was one of the best backs in Eagles history.

02:19But now we're having one of the best, and probably will be the best by the end of Sunday,

02:22the best season in NFL history for a running back.

02:25Your thoughts on Saquon, what you've seen.

02:27He's perfect for this team.

02:29It's amazing when you have the greatest offensive line in Eagles history.

02:33Sorry, Jason.

02:35I know Jason's not a part of it, Kelsey.

02:37But you have the greatest offensive line in Eagles history.

02:39And it's the best in the NFL.

02:41And then you put a back.

02:43We were just, I was talking to somebody about this the other day.

02:47When Saquon has the football, it feels like I'm watching Bo Jackson.

02:53And by the way, no one's a bigger Bo Jackson fan than me.

02:55I thought he was the greatest athlete ever, before the injury.

02:58Bo Jackson had speed and power.

03:01And Saquon has the same thing.

03:02He has speed and power.

03:05Because when he gets in that open space, there's a different level.

03:08So when you combine all of that, and the patience that he has, and the ability to understand

03:13that, hey, just give it a little beat here on this pull, I'm going to have the opening

03:18one-on-one, and then hit the hole differently.

03:21I think he's been perfect for this team.

03:24It was the best signing in all of football.

03:27And Howie has hit every single thing out of the park this offseason.

03:32Very similar to the 2017 offseason, right?

03:34Where he nailed every single piece.

03:36This is almost historic, Kevin.

03:37Absolutely.

03:38You're absolutely right.

03:39And by the way, one thing I do want to add before we get out of here is that he reminds

03:43me of Allen Iverson as a football player.

03:45You never know when it's going to come.

03:47That big run.

03:48But when it does, it's electric and it's special.

03:50And it's so humiliating for the defense.

03:53They're chasing him down the field, and then you see him wait.

03:56Sometimes Barkley looks back and he's just like, wow.

03:58Totally.

03:59I'm blown away by what we're seeing here.

04:00To your point, too, I'll add one other thing.

04:03These are the best of the best at their position in the entire world.

04:06To see his teammates come up to him and say, you're Superman, or you're the greatest player

04:12on the planet, that to me is the greatest compliment you could ever give an NFL athlete.

04:19When the teammates are saying that to you.

04:21Because they've all seen it.

04:23They've all crushed their high school teams in college, and they've been the one of ones.

04:27And then all the one of ones on that team are saying, no, this is the guy.

04:32That's the greatest compliment you could ever give a player in the NFL.

04:35Kevin, I'm going to put you on the spot here as a guy who grew up in the area like I did.

04:39Is this the best professional sports team you've seen at Baltimore?

04:41Oh, not yet.

04:42Can't say that until they win.

04:44But OK, up to this point.

04:45But from a talent standpoint, is it right up there for you?

04:48Yeah.

04:49Absolutely.

04:50They're more talented than 2017.

04:51More talented than 2021.

04:55I should say 2023.

04:56So yeah, you can make that case that they're the most talented team.

05:03But the best teams are the ones that win it.

05:05No matter what.

05:06Because listen, if you're in Philadelphia, you know that 2010-2011 Phillies team was

05:13unbelievable, right?

05:15They didn't win it.

05:16Right?

05:17Phillies, yes.

05:19But 2008, that Phillies team completely, they won it.

05:21So you have to say that.

05:22That 83 Sixers team is the most talented team that I've ever witnessed, right?

05:26So they've got to seal the deal on Sunday.

05:29All right.

05:30Give us the score for Sunday.

05:3131-27 Eagles.

05:32Wow.

05:33Mahomes will have the football in the final five minutes.

05:39And this year, they've got Vic Fangio.

05:41They don't have Jonathan Gannon.

05:43So my biggest concern...

05:46You couldn't help it.

05:47I couldn't help myself.

05:48My biggest concern, Adam, is the middle of the field.

05:51Because, listen, Zach Ertz is an Eagles legend.

05:56Travis Kelsey is a completely different tight end to Zach Ertz right now.

06:01And Ertz ate us alive across the middle.

06:04And they're going to extend drives in the middle, because 87 always knows where 15 is

06:09and vice versa.

06:11And they're going to find a way to extend drives.

06:13And the minute they have that covered, 3rd and 7, Mahomes is going to run and extend

06:17a drive.

06:18So that's my concern there more than anything else.

06:20All right.

06:21You got it from this guy right here.

06:23He's got it.

06:24The Eagles winning 31-27.

06:25For Kevin Negande, I'm Adam Kaplan.

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