These are the games that build the championship pedigree. These are the ones when, just at the time you think things are going right, the best team finds a way to win. That's what the Eagles did on Sunday, besting the Kansas City Chiefs, 20-17, in Kansas City to move to 2-0 for the season.

The Eagles toughed it out. Players were out on the field on a hot, humid day – limping, banged up. Didn't matter. A sweet win all the way around.

"These are the kinds of games that show you who you are," quarterback Jalen Hurts said after the game. "We played complementary football and we can look back and say that we learned from this one, as you do every game, and it's always better to look back and learn from a win. Today was a perfect example of overcoming adversity."

1. Once again, the D takes it away in red zone

As was the case in Week 1 against Dallas when the Eagles stifled a Cowboys' drive with a forced fumble and recovery, the D did it again on Sunday with Kansas City driving in the fourth quarter, trailing 13-10. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw on the right side to tight end Travis Kelce on a stick route he has run a million times, but this time the ball bounced off Kelce's hands with safety Reed Blankenship in tight coverage and landed in the hands of safety Andrew Mukuba. After bumping into Blankenship, Mukuba headed up the left sideline for 41 yards. Mukuba recovered the Miles Sanders fumble in Week 1 and once again came up big here. Head Coach Nick Sirianni said in the preseason that "the ball finds his hands," and that's been the case in the first two weeks of the season. Huge, huge takeaway for the defense. More on that group later.

2. After the takeaway, the Eagles put the ball in the end zone

The entire game was a struggle for both offenses with few down-the-field highlights. But the Eagles came up with a big one when, on a third-and-10 and the Chiefs blitzing, Hurts lofted a rainbow up to the right side for wide receiver DeVonta Smith, lined up in the slot against cornerback Trent McDuffie, one of the best in the league at his position. Smith beat the handfighting and made the catch at the 3-yard line for a first down. Four plays later, Hurts and the offense executed the Tush Push and the Eagles held a 20-10 advantage.

3. Setting the tone on third offensive drive

The first couple of Eagles offensive possessions were feel-it-out stuff, and then the Eagles stepped it up on possession No. 3. After a Harrison Butker missed 58-yard field goal, the Eagles put together an 8-play, 52-yard drive that included a little bit of everything. The Eagles countered a Kansas City blitz with a 6-yard completion to Smith for 6 yards to set up a Tush Push conversion. Saquon Barkley gained 4 yards on first down from there and then Hurts threw to Smith on the left side for a screen that was well blocked – shout out to Jordan Mailata, among others – for a 13-yard gain and a first down to the Kansas City 24-yard line. A couple of A.J. Dillon runs – a swing pass/lateral left that gained 5 yards and a run right for 6 yards moved the ball to the 13-yard line – and then Barkley ran right through a nice hole to put the ball in the end zone.

4. Vic Fangio changes it up with his blitz pressure

The Eagles registered six quarterback sacks and three takeaways in the Super Bowl victory without a single blitz. On Sunday, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio brought the heat early (four blitzes on opening 10 dropbacks) and mixed things up to put pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the shaky Kansas City offensive line.

It worked to stymie the Kansas City passing game, but Mahomes did some damage with his legs, running for 60 yards in the first half on five attempts, including a 13-yard touchdown scamper. But the Eagles were able to make some adjustments and limit Mahomes to 6 rushing yards in the second half. Again, the in-game adjustments made the difference in a big, big victory.

5. Opening the second half with a bang

Again, the Eagles' defense was great all day – Kansas City had 294 net yards, converted 4 of 12 third downs and had 17 first downs. An underrated stand happened on the first drive of the second half when the defense stopped Kansas City after the Chiefs were set up with a third-and-1 situation. Mukuba – who had a terrific game – made the stop for no gain after a completion to Hollywood Brown and then Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Co. stepped up on fourth-and-1 and stuffed running back Kareem Hunt for a 1-yard loss. Huge. It led to ...

6. Jake is great

The offense didn't take advantage of the early second-half defensive stand, putting up a three-and-out series, but placekicker Jake Elliott boomed a 51-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 13-10 advantage. He had a 58-yard field goal earlier in the game and is now 3-for-3 on kicks of 50-plus yards. Elliott is on his game, and that is a great thing for the Eagles. Let's also throw some love to punter Braden Mann, who averaged 54.8 yards on five punts. Great coverage, too, and against a darn good Kansas City special teams group. Michael Clay's special teams deserve a lot of credit.

7. Welcome, Za'Darius Smith!

Veteran Za'Darius Smith made his presence felt immediately. Playing in the edge rotation, Smith was physical, shared a sack with Mukuba of Mahomes, had a tackle for a loss, and was in for a total of four tackles. Smith hadn't practiced all summer, but he was able to shake off the rust and contribute right away.

8. Let's talk about the rookies

Keep in mind, as Fangio learns about his defense, that he is starting two rookies in the mix, Mukuba and linebacker Jihaad Campbell. In this game, Mukuba had 6 total tackles, half a quarterback sack, the interception … he did it all. Mukuba is all over the field and he's going to get better and better. Campbell tied with Cooper DeJean with a team-high seven total tackles and played well in coverage. This is a solid defense that had a physical test against a Kansas City team that just lost its third straight game – the first for Mahomes in his career – and played so much better as the game went along.

9. As for the offense, just enough to win these kinds of games

Things that matter: No turnovers and perfect play in the red zone. The Eagles didn't have a lot of explosives in this game – A.J. Brown, for example, had 5 catches for 27 yards on 8 targets – and the longest completion was the 28-yarder to Smith.

Barkley ran hard and earned every one of his 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and the Eagles understood how to win this game. Hurts was 15-of-22 passing for 101 yards and he gained 15 yards on 9 carries, including 4 of 6 conversions on the Tush Push.

It isn't glamorous and the Eagles will work on this thing to get it better, but it's winning football.

10. What it means for the Eagles

We know this is a tough schedule. We know the Eagles are the targeted team this season. To start 2-0 and to win at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs were unbeaten last season, is significant. Next up: Another big one. The next big one. The 2-0 Rams come to town on Sunday. Get ready for another big-time challenge.