On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The game will kick off at 3:25 Arrowhead time, pitting the last two Super Bowl champions against each other. The Chiefs are coming off a close 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Eagles won the NFL’s opening game against the Dallas Cowboys 24-20.
It is only Week 2, but this game already feels like a must-win for the Chiefs, so they can avoid falling into a 0-2 hole.
Here are five things
to watch in Sunday’s matchup.
1. The Chiefs’ energy
There isn’t much of a way to sugarcoat it: in Week 1, Kansas City came out flat against Los Angeles. Earlier this week, the team’s early lack of energy was noted by head coach Andy Reid and starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
For the Chiefs to have any chance at beating the Eagles, they’ll need to play with a sense of urgency right from the opening kickoff. Otherwise, they could fall behind early — just like they did against Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX.
A chance for revenge — and reminding naysayers that Kansas City is the team of the decade — should be enough to get the team fired up.
2. Who covers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — and can the Chiefs rush the passer?
Both of the Eagles’ top wideouts were quiet in Week 1, which should raise alarms for the Chiefs. With quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and a great offensive line, Philadelphia could beat Dallas with a ground-and-pound game — which means they didn’t have to put much on tape in the passing game.
Both Brown and Smith have tormented the Chiefs in the past, so it will be interesting to see how Kansas City goes about covering them. Previously, the Chiefs have put cornerback Trent McDuffie on Brown, leaving others to cover Smith.
This time, however, Kansas City could switch — putting McDuffie on Smith and using a combination of players to double and bracket Brown. The Eagles are extremely deep, so assigning two players to Brown would leave a weakness elsewhere — but if McDuffie can hold Smith back, that will limit the impact Philadelphia’s passing game can have.
Up front, the Chiefs’ defensive line needs to play much better. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was hit only four times last Friday — and Kansas City was unable to get any pressure on him without blitzing. If Hurts has time to throw (and his two favorite targets are open) it could be a long afternoon in Kansas City.
3. Attempting to run the ball more
The Chiefs only attempted 10 handoffs against the Chargers, giving five carries each to Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Pacheco gained 25 yards with his looks, while Hunt picked up 16 — adding 10 more yards on two receptions — but neither had a chance to get into rhythm. And once Kansas City was behind by multiple scores, the team had to abandon the running game.
On Sunday, the Chiefs will face a juiced-up pass rush, including third-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter in his season debut.
A week ago, the Cowboys’ Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams combined for more than 100 yards against Phialdelphia. Kansas City will need to do something similar to keep the Eagles’ defense honest — and control the line of scrimmage.
The Chiefs’ offensive line has players who can make holes for their running backs. But they will need to execute at the right moments — and the backs will have to hit the holes at the right time.
4. Eyes on the right tackle
On Friday, right tackle Jawaan Taylor was probably Kansas City’s most scrutinized player. In Week 1, he led the league in penalties with two false starts and two holds. These flags stalled drives put the team in poor situations.
Asked about it on Friday, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy did not hold back.
“Loud and clear’ could mean any number of things. But if Taylor continues to struggle on Sunday, the Chiefs could easily decide to replace him mid-game with Jaylon Moore.
Whether or not the scrutiny on Taylor during his time in Kansas City has been fair, he has recorded an NFL-high 40 penalties through the last two seasons and Week 1. It appears to have made the coaching staff reach a breaking point.
In recent years, the Chiefs’ offense had plenty of other hurdles to overcome, so these penalties have been back-breaking. This week, Taylor’s margin should be very slim.
5. Stopping the Eagles’ dynamic running game
While Philadelphia’s offense is stacked, its bread-and-butter continues to be its dominant offensive line — and Hurts’ and Barkley’s legs.
In February’s championship game, Kansas City managed to limit Barkley’s production. In 25 carries, he gained just 57 yards, including a long run of 10 yards. Linebackers Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill carried the load against the Eagles’ star running back — and on Sunday, they’ll continue to have that responsibility. They could use a solid performance by the defensive line to help them.
Can the Chiefs stop Philadelphia’s double-edged sword — Barkley in the traditional running game and Hurts when he decides to take off? That will be a key factor in this matchup.