It used to be that when the Eagles and Chiefs played, a main theme was the sight of Andy Reid on the Kansas City sideline and we would all remind ourselves about Reid and his 14 seasons as the Philadelphia head coach.
As the Eagles and Chiefs prepare for Sunday's game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, the Andy Reid angle is almost nonexistent. These are teams playing for the fifth time in as many seasons, including two Super Bowls, and all the sentimental storylines have long passed. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the first time since the 1970 merger that an NFC team and an AFC team are playing each other in five consecutive seasons.
Instead, it is an intriguing game between two of the premier franchises in the NFL that have won a combined five Super Bowls since the 2017 season.
And the storylines? There are plenty of them, so let's dig in and discuss as the 4:25 PM Sunday kickoff (broadcast on FOX nationally) nears ...
1. A Super Bowl rematch? Well, technically yes
This has been hyped as the rematch, yes, but is it really? The Eagles have a new-look defense and Kansas City has new players lined up on offense and all of that matters. Philadelphia has a new offensive coordinator in Kevin Patullo. There are a lot of differences between the teams from February to now. But let's not let facts get in the way of a good story, right? The Eagles don't seem to think of this game as anything more than a Week 2 contest in a hostile environment against a really good Chiefs team, albeit one that lost last week to the Los Angeles Chargers. That's really it. There is a ton of mutual respect on both sides and certainly there is recognition that these teams are contenders. But other than that ...
2. The Patrick Mahomes conundrum
The Chiefs are lacking in depth at wide receiver, that's for sure. And their offensive line needs to play a whole lot better than it did in Week 1. And it's probably fair to wonder about the overall explosiveness of some of their skill-position players. But as long as they have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they have a chance.
"He does everything very well and you learn to never give up on a play," safety Reed Blankenship said. "He'll make something out of nothing. Can't sleep on that guy, not for one second. That's the challenge."
The Eagles did a magnificent job in the Super Bowl of rushing Mahomes, containing him and pressuring him all at the same time with zero blitzes. Is it possible to replicate that? Or will Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio mix things up and bring some pressure? The Eagles gave up some yardage and big plays in the passing game last week to Dallas, and no doubt the Chiefs learned from that game film. Philadelphia knows that Mahomes is at his most dangerous when he's buying time, when he's outside the pocket, and when he is a threat to run the football.
And, yes, having Jalen Carter on the field is so big for the Eagles in every way. His return is a storyline, but let's keep it within the context of impacting the football game. He does so much.
3. *Injuries are a factor for this game, no doubt*
The Eagles are without tight end Dallas Goedert, who had seven receptions on seven targets last week, and running back Will Shipley, who added some valuable production early in the win over Dallas. How will the offense compensate? The team has done well in the past when Goedert has missed time and Grant Calcaterra has played, so we will see what Patullo and Head Coach Nick Sirianni and the offensive coaching staff come up with this time around.
On the Kansas City side, the wide receiver group is in focus. Hollywood Brown had 10 receptions a week ago and is Mahomes' early favorite target. Tight end Travis Kelce had a big catch and run for a touchdown in Brazil.
Depth matters. Every roster spot is important. This is an early-season test for both teams.
4. If Kansas City stacks the box to stop Saquon ...
This is the strategy the Chiefs used in the Super Bowl and the Eagles responded with a big-play passing game – five plays of 20-plus yards. Is that what Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo wants to show this time around? Dallas loaded the box in Week 1 and the Eagles scored touchdowns on three drives in the first half and added a field goal on the fourth drive while Barkley battled for his yardage. Philadelphia has a lot of other weapons, and while the combination of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for only four catches against Dallas, they could be called upon here to make the passing game go.
5. Newest Eagles ... how can they help on Sunday?
Z'Darius Smith is going to help on the edge for the defense at some point and could get some reps in this game as the Eagles look to improve their punch in the pass rush. There are seven edge players/defensive ends on this roster and Smith is here to add depth and experience and production. We shall see on Sunday. Tank Bigsby is likely to be active with Will Shipley sidelined, but how much can he contribute to the offense at running back? He could also help on kickoff returns, should the Eagles look in that direction – more than 75 percent of the NFL's kickoffs were returned in Week 1.
6. Winning where it counts
This game is likely to come down to all the things that games come down to – how both teams handle the red zone, turnovers, and penalties. Kansas City was penalized nine times in its loss to the Chargers in Week 1 and the Eagles were penalized 9 times for 110 lost yards in the win over Dallas. These numbers are not acceptable to either team.
Playing on schedule, winning on special teams – all of that is incredibly important when the teams are so evenly matched. This game has a chance to be special – all the "Super Bowl rematch" hype notwithstanding.
