Kellen Moore may become a Super Bowl champ with Eagles — then get a head coaching job

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore has featured in some big games down through the years, first as a college player and then in the NFL, both as a QB and a coach.

There’s the 2010 Fiesta Bowl, when Moore led the Broncos to a 17-10 victory over TCU to complete an undefeated season. Or his three playing appearances in the NFL, including the 435-yard, three-touchdown game he had against Washington in January 2016.

As quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in Dallas, he coached in five playoff games, including two wins. Now he’s about to partake in the biggest game there is, having helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl in his first year there as OC.

He will be on the sidelines trying to help upend the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty.

Moore’s offense averaged the 8th-most yards per game (362.7) and ranked No. 7 in points per game (27.2) in the 2024 regular season. It has been powered by running back Saquon Barkley, who put together a 2,000-yard season and is just 30 yards off breaking the single-season NFL rushing record, with regular and postseason combined.

The Eagles fell to the Chiefs 38-35 two years ago in Super Bowl LVII. If Moore wants to help fans banish those bad memories with a victory on Sunday, he’ll have to get past a Kansas City defense that gives up an average of just 22.6 points per game.

That defense is led by veteran coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who’s looking for his fifth Super Bowl ring and fourth with Kansas City. He also won one with the New York Giants in 2008.

“He does a really good job in he stresses you in the sense he’s going to make you earn it,” Moore said about Spagnuolo earlier this week.

The Eagles will undoubtedly lean on Barkley, who racked up 2,005 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in the regular season. He’s rushed for 442 yards and five TDs in three playoff games, including three touchdowns against Washington in the NFC championship game.

The Chiefs’ run defense ranks No. 8 in the league, giving up 101.8 yards per game. However, Spagnuolo’s teams often specialize in targeting a team’s main threat. He is known for exotic blitz packages and bringing QB pressure, but the focus could shift against Philly, forcing Moore to call on QB Jalen Hurts more if Barkley is bottled up.

If there’s a threat Kansas City might have no hope of stopping, it’s the infamous Tush Push, aka the Brotherly Shove. The oft-discussed play simply calls for Hurts to line up under center and rely on his great offensive line with a QB sneak, while a couple of players behind him lift and shove Hurts forward. Many of Hurts’ 18 rushing touchdowns this year have come from the Tush Push. The play has also put a dent in Barkley’s numbers — the 235-pound running back often takes the Eagles right up to the goal line, then sees the Tush Push called.

The play predates Moore’s time in Philadelphia, but it’s remained in the playbook because it almost never gets stopped. The Eagles’ size up front, and Hurts’ strength, makes them one of the few teams that can consistently succeed.

“We will try to find a way to get as much big muscle in there and knock it back the other way, but they’re pretty good at it,” Spagnuolo said earlier this week. Moore told reporters he expects the Chiefs to try to stop the run on first and second down, forcing the Eagles into mid-to-long yardage situations where the Tush Push isn’t a viable option. The Eagles’ passing offense ranks 29th in the NFL, very near the bottom, in spite of having talented receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

“The fun part of this two-week journey is you put a lot of the gameplan in last week and then you kind of make those tweaks and adjustments as the week goes on,” Moore said. “Everyone on our team is just trying to absorb as much as they can and put us in the best position to be successful.”

Will Moore be one-and-done in Philly?

There’s a decent chance Sunday evening will be Moore’s final game with the Eagles. Luckily, he may not have to go far. Super Bowl LIX takes place in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Moore is reportedly the Saints’ top target for their open head coaching position.

They are the only NFL team that hasn’t filled their open job yet, making it likely they are waiting for Moore. Moore has coached in the NFL since 2018 and has been an offensive coordinator since 2019 — four years with the Cowboys, a year with the Los Angeles Chargers and a year with the Eagles.

He credited his former head coach at Boise State, Chris Petersen, with helping him think creatively and outside of the box as a coach.

“I think you’re always taking observations everywhere you go, even as a player, you’re always taking notes,” Moore said. “At the back of my mind I always anticipated maybe being a coach; certainly, that got confirmed later into my playing career in Dallas. So you’re always taking notes of things you maybe want to take into a future opportunity, whether that be a coordinator or head coach, whatever that role may be. It’s been a lifelong journey.”