Last week was tough, and to be honest, I’ve tried to clear it out of my mind as much as I could the second that game clock hit zero. The Kansas City Chiefs' offense didn’t score a touchdown until midway through the third quarter, the passing defense kept getting shredded by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert over the middle of the field, and worst of all, the Chiefs sustained another injury to their receiving core, this time to Xavier Worthy with a dislocated shoulder.
But as life moves on, so too does the NFL. Week 2 brings the Chiefs a daunting challenge in a Super Bowl 59 rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles did manage to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in their season opener; however, it wasn't pretty.
Star Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter got thrown out before even taking a snap, receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for just four catches, and if not for a few costly drops, CeeDee Lamb would have had close to 200 yards, as he was constantly taking advantage of Eagles third corner Adoree Jackson.
Eagles Offense vs. Chiefs Defense
As these two teams stand right now, I do believe Philadelphia is the better overall team. It was true in the Super Bowl, and it’s true right now. The Eagles' offensive line is better, specifically at the tackle positions; the receivers are unquestionably better without Rashee Rice and Worthy, and the defense is communicating and supplying pressure with four much better than the Chiefs did last week.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was largely held in check in the Super Bowl, totaling just 57 yards on 25 carries. Barkley did damage in the passing game, though, catching six balls for 40 yards. Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill are fine linebackers, but neither of them is any match with Saquon Barkley running a quick wheel or angle route out of the backfield.
At this point, I really don’t understand the skepticism around Jalen Hurts.
The veteran QB has led the Eagles to 38 regular-season wins since 2022 and two trips to the Super Bowl. Hurts is protected by one of the league's best offensive lines and has a top-five receiving duo in Brown and Smith. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had been adamant that superstar CB Trent McDuffie would continue to move around the field in between playing outside and in the slot. Whoever McDuffie is not covering is who Hurts needs to throw the ball to.
It has yet to be officially announced, but it seems as though Hurts will be without his safety valve and red-zone target TE Dallas Goedert this week. That’s a huge win for the Chiefs, as Goedert has done some damage to this team historically in the passing game, but is also a great blocker who regularly chipped off the edge, which made it that much harder for guys like George Karlaftis and Mike Danna to cause pressure from the outside of the line.
The Chiefs' defense has some major issues to work out, and they won’t all be fixed this week. The communication on the backend last week was distorted as safety Jaden Hicks is still working out his new starting role. Getting pressure with four will probably be what decides this game. Chris Jones had a very quiet game in Week 1. He needs to be an elite force on Sunday for the Chiefs to speed Hurts up and cause him to throw a couple of errant balls.
Chiefs Offense vs. Eagles Defense
Kansas City is fighting an uphill battle on the offensive side of the ball. While the offensive line is an improved version of itself from the Super Bowl, the receiving options are lessened now without Worthy, who constantly got behind the Eagles’ secondary, which contributed to him having a huge fourth quarter.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid cannot keep putting everything on Mahomes’ shoulders. While he is good enough to handle it, we saw what that looked like last Friday. The Chiefs need to be able to run the ball and stick with it throughout the game. Isiah Pacheco returned 100% from injury and received a laughable five carries last week, where he averaged five yards per attempt. The best way to minimize Philly’s pass rush is to effectively run the football, which is what this interior offensive line is best at.
Without Worthy and Rice, the Chiefs are forced to spread the ball around to a bevy of targets.
Hollywood Brown had a couple of miscues early last week, but came up in a big way for the Chiefs with 10 grabs. Travis Kelce is not who he once was, but he sure looked good on his 37-yard score down the sideline. Fellow tight end Noah Gray should get more run in this game as the Chiefs hopefully turn to more 12 personnel. Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton combined for 96 yards last week. That’s about the best version of what they can give this team, and it needs to continue.
Expect to see more playing time for rookie RB Brashard Smith. I wrote an article on him a few weeks ago about how Smith adds a level of speed and explosiveness to this offense. I really think the Chiefs would benefit from supplying him with six to eight touches in this game.
Finally, I need to see better play out of both Chiefs offensive tackles.
Rookie LT Josh Simmons played well last week in his first pro action. He was called for two penalties and allowed four pressures. But when he lost, Simmons lost slowly (which matters), and he instantly corrected it the next play.
RT Jawaan Taylor aggravates Chiefs fans to no end. His four, yes count them, four penalties last week were absolute drive killers and the same miscues that have plagued him for years. The second I hear his number associated with a flag in this game, I'd better see backup tackle Jaylon Moore coming in to take Taylor’s spot. Moore was signed to a healthy contract this offseason, and can’t continue to sit on the bench when Taylor is clearly hurting this team.
How can the Eagles beat the Chiefs?
- Don’t turn the ball over
- Feed Saquon Barkley
- Cornerbacks need to win their matchups against this beat-up Chiefs receiving room
How can the Chiefs beat the Eagles?
- Don’t turn the ball over
- Emphasize establishing the run early
- Get pressure with four on defense
Score Prediction: Eagles win 34-27 (I’m a diehard Chiefs fan, but I’m also objective.)