The KC Chiefs play the Eagles in Philly. Here’s how they can avoid a 3rd straight loss
The Chiefs travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a clash of 1-2 teams at Lincoln Financial Field.
Sunday’s matchup marks just the ninth meeting between time the Chiefs and Eagles, and the series is tied at 4-4.
The Chiefs, however, have won the last two since Andy Reid took the helm in 2013. This game marks Reid’s second return trip to the city where he received his first opportunity as an NFL head coach in 1999.
Reid can make history, too, because a win on Sunday would make him the first head coach in NFL history to record 100 wins, including postseason games, with two different teams (Reid won 140 total games with the Eagles).
But the game is about more than just Reid, who had a health scare that included an overnight hospital stay after last Sunday’s game vs. the Chargers.
The Chiefs want to end a two-game slide with a view toward getting out of the AFC West cellar, a place they’re not accustomed to occupying since the Patrick Mahomes era dawned.
Here are four keys to the game as Kansas City seeks to improve to 2-2.
PROTECT THE FOOTBALL
The Chiefs could arguably be 3-0 entering the weekend, but an inexplicable six turnovers over the past two games put the kibosh on that — a fact not lost on the coaching staff.
“We are who we are right now because of the turnovers,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said emphatically earlier in the week. “We’re a 1-2 team, and so we have to correct everything, make sure we get back on track and getting this thing going in the right direction moving forward.”
To make matters worse, the Chiefs are -2 in turnover margin, which is tied for a dismal 24th in the league. And as bad as that is, those turnovers have come at very inopportune times.
In Week 2, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire lost a fumble with the Chiefs driving for a potential go-ahead score against the Baltimore Ravens. Last weekend, Mahomes threw an interception late in the fourth quarter during a tie game with L.A., which promptly scored the game-winning touchdown on the Chargers’ ensuing possession.
Put simply, the Chiefs must protect the football.
“We’ve got to take care of business,” Reid said. “Still let our personalities show, but you’ve got to take care of the football. Bottom line.
“There’s too much competition in this league not to do that. But at the same time, we do, we have good players and we’re going to get it right. We’re all going to get it right, coaches and players.”
MINIMIZE RED-ZONE DAMAGE
The Chiefs’ defense has displayed an open-door policy in the red zone, allowing opponents to score 92.3% of the time they reach the red zone. That ranks 29th in the league.
It won’t get easier against the Eagles.
Led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ offense ranks fifth in touchdown percentage from the red zone: 85.7%. Hurts, a dual-threat QB, leads them in rushing (179 yards) and can hurt the Chiefs with his arm should Philly cross the Chiefs’ 20-yard line.
“You deal with different things throughout the course of a season,” safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “Obviously, coming into training camp, we had a couple points of emphasis, things that we really wanted to get better at, things that we worked on getting better at. It really hasn’t gone our way. Not necessarily disappointed or discouraged, we just know there’s a lot more work for us to do.”
Matheiu and his teammates can start the turnaround by keeping the Eagles out of the end zone and limiting them to field goals.
CONTROL THE TRENCHES
Perhaps lost in last weekend’s final score is the fact that the Chiefs’ new-look offensive line experienced some issues against the Chargers’ pass rush. Led by Joey Bosa, the Chargers recorded two sacks and seven quarterback hits on Mahomes.
Kansas City’s front five, with three rookies, must rebound and be prepared for a savvy and battle-tested Eagles defensive line.
At defensive tackle, the Eagles boast six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave, who leads the team in sacks (four). On the edges, Philadelphia utilizes an effective rotation of Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams.
As a team, the Eagles have recorded seven sacks through three games.
“It’s a challenge,” Chiefs’ starting rookie right guard Trey Smith said. “That’s a very seasoned front, great players up front. ... (S)o it’s going to be a great challenge.”
REGAIN SWAGGER
The Chiefs have lost two straight games, but the sky isn’t falling.
Mahomes knows it’s a long season and said he believes his teammates will rise to the occasion.
“It’s how we respond,” Mahomes said. “I’ve kind of said it a lot now, but it’s true. If you have that championship swagger, you don’t let a loss in September affect your mindset ...”
Mathieu agreed.
“I think anytime you have great success in this league as a team, individually, it’s a lot of outside noise, a lot of outside opinions, expectations,” he said. “People want you to play how they expect you to play, but at the end of the day it’s all about the guys in the locker room, coaches.
“And as long as we keep that mentality, I think being 1-2 won’t necessarily stop us from getting to our ultimate goal, and that’s to win the championship and obviously win the division.”
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
