Kelce’s ‘Hollywood sell’ and the defense: KC Chiefs’ snap counts from win at Eagles
The Chiefs halted a two-game slide Sunday with a 42-30 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes got the offense in a groove, throwing for 278 yards and five touchdowns, while the running game punished the Eagles with 200 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. The Chiefs (2-2) also converted nine of 10 third-down attempts and rolled up 471 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per play.
While Mahomes and Co. were humming, Kansas City’s defense continued to experience issues. The Eagles ran 70 plays for 461 yards as Philadelphia became the third straight team to score 30 or more against the Chiefs.
Here’s how the Chiefs’ snap counts worked out Sunday.
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (67), Chad Henne (did not play)
Mahomes now boasts a 40-10 career record (.800) as a starting quarterback, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Ken Stabler (40-9-1) as the only signal-callers to win 40 of their first 50 games in the Super Bowl era.
The Chiefs’ quarterback, however, also threw an interception for the third straight game.
RUNNING BACKS: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (35), Darrel Williams (24, 6 on special teams), Jerick McKinnon (8, 13 on ST), fullback Michael Burton (4, 14 on ST)
Edwards-Helaire rushed for 102 yards on 14 carries, averaging a healthy 7.3 yards per attempt. The second-year pro was also involved in the passing game, snaring two catches for 12 yards and a touchdown on three targets. He topped 100 yards rushing for the second straight game.
Williams chipped in 42 yards rushing and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Burton converted a third-and-short rushing attempt. McKinnon made a heads-up play on a kickoff return and recovered Byron Pringle’s fumble.
After a slow start to the season, the Chiefs’ running game has totaled 386 yards over the past two games.
“We ran the ball well,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But we were pretty balanced as we went. It was a good throwing day; it was a good passing day. It worked out alright for us.”
WIDE RECEIVERS: Tyreek Hill (54), Demarcus Robinson (45, 1 on ST), Mecole Hardman (35, 1 on ST), Byron Pringle (17, 7 on ST), Marcus Kemp (2, 21 on ST)
The Eagles had no answer for Hill, who punished them with 11 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns on 12 targets.
With Hill going off, the rest of the Chiefs’ receivers had complementary roles: Hardman and Pringle each recorded two catches.
As a returner, Pringle tallied four kickoff returns for 109 yards, averaging 27.3 yard per. He was also aggressive, taking at least two returns out of the end zone.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (59), Blake Bell (18, 13 on ST), Noah Gray (18, 14 on ST), Jody Fortson (15, 7 on ST)
Kelce had a quiet day in the box score with four catches for 23 yards on six targets, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved.
The All-Pro tight end played the role of decoy, with some acting involved, opening the door for others to have big games. An example occurred near the goal line.
Kelce appeared confused by the play-call and walked down the line of scrimmage with his arms in the air. At the snap, however, he immediately turned and ran down the left side of the line of scrimmage with the play rolling his way.
Fortson, who had lined up on the right, came across the middle and caught an underhanded shovel pass from Mahomes for a 2-yard touchdown — Fortson’s second TD grab in as many games.
“(Kelce) did the one where we told him to give a little ‘Hollywood sell’,” Mahomes explained after the game. “So he showed his acting skills and got a touchdown to Jody. To be able to do all of the different cool things keeps everybody alive and ready to go.”
OFFENSIVE LINE: Orlando Brown Jr. (67, 6 on ST), Joe Thuney (67, 6 on ST), Creed Humphrey (67, 6 on ST), Trey Smith (67, 6 on ST), Lucas Niang (67, 6 on ST), Mike Remmers (1), Nick Allegretti (6 on ST), Andrew Wylie (did not play)
How good was the Chiefs’ blocking?
Put it this way: Fletcher Cox, the Eagles’ six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, didn’t record a tackle.
Another good barometer? The run game. With Thuney, Humphrey and Smith controlling the inside, the Chiefs’ ground game found plenty of running lanes between the tackles, territory Cox usually patrols and often controls.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Chris Jones (58), Mike Danna (55, 7 on ST), Jarran Reed (44, 5 on ST), Alex Okafor (43, 7 on ST), Tershawn Wharton (32, 7 on ST), Khalen Saunders (24), Derrick Nnadi (22, 7 on ST), Joshua Kaindoh (16)
Danna started in place of Frank Clark, who was inactive with a hamstring injury, for the second straight week. And Danna recorded two sacks, giving him three in the last two weeks.
“He was around the quarterback most of the day,” Reid said, “and I thought that was great.”
The Chiefs’ defensive line accounted for five of KC’s six quarterback hits on the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts. Danna led the way with two, while Jones, Okafor and Reed each accounted for one. Kaindoh left the game with an ankle sprain.
LINEBACKERS: Anthony Hitchens (49, 7 on ST), Ben Niemann (43, 12 on ST), Nick Bolton (37), Dorian O’Daniel (2, 21 on ST), Darius Harris (7 on ST)
Hitchens paced this position group with four tackles and a quarterback hit, while Niemann and Bolton each recorded two tackles. Niemann left the game in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
The Eagles rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Tyrann Mathieu (74), L’Jarius Sneed (74), Daniel Sorensen (73, 1 on ST), Mike Hughes (70), Deandre Baker (67), Juan Thornhill (31, 13 on ST), Armani Watts (1, 15 on ST), Chris Lammons (20 on ST)
With Charvarius Ward (quad) and Rashad Fenton (concussion protocol) inactive, Deandre Baker received his first start of the season and recorded four tackles.
Hughes recorded a team-high 10 tackles, while Sorensen contributed nine stops. Mathieu chipped in with five tackles, including a tackle for a loss, and a pass defensed. Sneed recorded four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
The secondary was under siege most of the game, though: Hurts threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles’ offense also spread out their receivers, putting the Chiefs out of their 4-3 base.
This led to more playing time for Thornhill, who recorded three tackles.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (13), Tommy Townsend (6), James Winchester (6)
Butker connected on all six of his extra-point attempts, while Townsend didn’t record a single punt because of the offense’s efficiency. Eagles punter Arryn Siposs didn’t punt Sunday, either.
“It was a good day for the punters, too,” Reid joked after the game. “They had a vacation on both teams.”
INACTIVES: Defensive end Frank Clark (hamstring), cornerback Charvarius Ward (quad), cornerback Rashad Fenton (concussion), center Austin Blythe, guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, wide receiver Daurice Fountain
Owing to a relatively recent change in the collective-bargaining agreement between the owners and players, teams are now allowed to dress as many as 48 players from their 53-man roster on game day, as long as eight of those dressed are offensive linemen.
In the past, teams were only allowed to dress 46.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 10:21 AM.
