The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-0 heading into their Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch. After an eventful Week 1 for both teams, they are very different from the teams we saw match up in February. Let’s take a look at where the Eagles have advantages and where they may struggle in this matchup.
The Eagles’ Key Advantages in Kansas City
Offense: Bounce-back opportunity for the passing game?
Against the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles relied more heavily on the rushing attack than the passing game. Between Jalen Hurts and the running backs, they had 38 carries for 168 yards (4.2 yards per carry) with three touchdowns. It may be a different story against Kansas City, though. In their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, they had a successful day in stopping the Chargers’ rushing attack. The Chargers ended the game rushing for 90 yards on 25 carries (3.6 yards per carry) with no touchdowns.
The Eagles are dealing with some injuries that will affect the run game as well. Dallas Goedert is dealing with a knee sprain and has been ruled out. Landon Dickerson is still dealing with the back injury that caused him to leave their matchup against the Cowboys. Chris Jones is not someone who is easy to run the ball against, either. The Eagles will try to establish the run as they always do, but will have their work cut out for them.
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They may have opportunities to attack elsewhere, though. The Chargers were able to exploit the Chiefs’ secondary in Week 1. Justin Herbert finished the day 25/34 for 318 passing yards (9.4 yards per attempt) with three touchdowns and no turnovers. The Chargers were able to push the ball downfield without much resistance. While the Chiefs have some very good players on defense, they struggled rushing the passer. The Eagles have a stronger offensive line and receiving group than the Chargers do. If the Eagles are able to buy time for Hurts, as well as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith having bounce-back games, the passing attack should be able to get back on track and shoulder the load offensively.
Defense: Take advantage of a shorthanded Chiefs offense
The biggest difference between Weeks 1 and 2 for the Eagles’ defense will obviously be Jalen Carter playing, assuming he does not spit on Patrick Mahomes before he plays a snap. Having Carter in the lineup changes everything, as they look like a completely different defense without him. Carter’s presence will undoubtedly bolster the Eagles’ defensive line and their pass defense. This could be an opportunity to bounce back after not sacking Dak Prescott in Week 1. They also have a favorable matchup against a Chiefs rushing attack that is one of the weakest in the league. Outside of some timely Mahomes scrambles, they don’t have much of a run game to speak of. They only had 10 carries for 41 yards (4.1 yards per carry) between their two lead backs of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.
The Chiefs will also be shorthanded with their receiving options. They will likely be without their top two wide receivers in Week 2. Rashee Rice is in the midst of his six-game suspension, while Xavier Worthy has been ruled out with a shoulder injury. Wide receivers Kansas City is counting on to step up in their absence include Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton. The Chiefs will also need Travis Kelce to step up in big moments if they want to find success. Kelce may not be what he once was, but he’s still one of the best tight ends in the game. It will be very interesting to watch Kelce match up with the Eagles linebackers in Jihaad Campbell and Zack Baun. Although they may not be at full strength, they still have Mahomes and Andy Reid. As long as they have those two, they have a fighting chance in any game.
Main Image: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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