The final time Kansas Metropolis Chiefs star cornerback Trent McDuffie performed towards the Philadelphia Eagles (in final yr’s common season), he predominantly performed from the slot whereas ex-teammate and present Tennessee Titan L’Jarius Sneed held down the perimeter.
Quick ahead to this yr, and the gauntlet of being the person on the skin has fallen at McDuffie’s toes. It’s a problem he has taken head-on and is wanting ahead to on Sunday in Tremendous Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
To organize for the sport, McDuffie stated he watched Tremendous Bowl LVII — through which the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 — and the 2023 rematch, through which the Chiefs collected a 21-home win.
“Truthfully, actually simply taking a look at how they have been attacking us, seeing simply the issues that I can enhance upon so far as technique-wise,” defined McDuffie from the rostrum on Wednesday. “I’m on the skin this time, so simply watching extra tape on A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.”
It’s a problem that McDuffie says he relishes, particularly inside the model of protection the Chiefs play.
“I really like how aggressive coach [defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] is,” McDuffie stated. “To play in a protection like that. It’s been numerous enjoyable as a result of he’s going to make the most of you in a number of methods. So I all the time say, like earlier than the sport pre-week, it takes just a little bit extra self-discipline to essentially know your performs — finding out and ensuring you realize at every sure state of affairs what we are able to name figuring out that he’ll name sure performs. Simply figuring out that on the finish of the day like he’s going to belief us to go on the market and make performs. And that provides you numerous confidence.”
That is as large of a stage as you will see that in soccer. There has by no means been an even bigger sport within the sport’s historical past, and due to that, McDuffie stated you need to play as near good as doable.
“[We gotta] watch the movie, ensuring that on the again finish, we all know what we’re doing, you realize, and don’t have any errors… I say it’s certainly one of them video games the place it’s only a man-on-man, It’s who on the finish of the day, goes to do their greatest technique-wise and who’s going to take advantage of performs? We love these challenges. We love being in these moments once you get to go towards two prime receivers actually within the league, and I do know on the backing we’re excited to go on the market and compete.”
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A.J. Brown
“A.J. Brown does a very good job being bodily on the level of assault, going up, getting the ball,” stated McDuffie, complimenting his upcoming foe. “He’s acquired a terrific catch radius, and he’s somebody that (Philadelphia quarterback) Jalen Hurts actually trusts.”
With a man Brown’s dimension and energy, McDuffie stated it’s essential to match “fireplace with fireplace.”
“AJ Brown’s bodily,” he repeated. “And likes to get soiled, you realize?”
McDuffie seems like he has a good suggestion of what Brown likes to do, however figuring out it and stopping it are two various things.
“He likes to slant. He likes his large bounce ball fades, and what I’ve seen is simply his reference to Jalen Hurts… You gotta be sure you’re on level always.”
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DeVonta Smith
On the opposite facet of the sphere, McDuffie has a completely completely different set of issues to mitigate with Smith.
“[He’s] a kind of guys that has numerous velocity,” warned McDuffie. “He’s a winner. So you bought to respect that. And I imply, Jaylen Hurts finds him. He will get the ball to him.”
Along with being quick, Smith can be a wonderful route runner who can slip a defender with the perfect of them, “DeVonta, he clean. You understand he’s a Heisman winner. Somebody who could make performs throughout the sphere, so you bought to have respect.”
The Chiefs are one sport away from the immortal title of being the one workforce in historical past three-peat as Tremendous Bowl Champions. However it’s one thing that McDuffie hasn’t allowed himself to consider till now.
“The mentality of this workforce is, it’s very very like one week at a time. One purpose at a time… it was by no means like a subject of dialog that was like we acquired to realize this. At all times identical to, let’s simply preserve working— let’s simply get to our subsequent purpose.”
That modified barely after the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Payments within the AFC Championship Recreation two weeks in the past, “After we beat the Payments, I bear in mind sitting there with B Prepare dinner (Bryan Prepare dinner) identical to. Rattling, bro. Like we even have this chance. We are able to’t let nothing get in our technique to distract us in relation to that purpose.”
McDuffie desires to win for himself and to have the ability to put his identify in as a part of a slice of this historic second. Nonetheless, he stated he additionally desires it as a lot for his teammates as he does for himself, “Everyone is genuinely household, and that’s why we’re capable of have such a mindset on the market of simply confidence in going on the market and taking part in free.”
