In a rematch of Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) defeated the Chiefs (0-2) 20-17 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Philly’s ‘Big 3’ and their outstanding performances on Sunday:
-Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba made plays on Sunday. In the first half, he recorded a 0.5 sack, and in the second half, Makuba made the play of the game when he picked off Patrick Mahomes at the goal line and returned it 41 yards for his first career interception. Mukuba’s interception helped set up the touchdown that ultimately decided the game. He finished with six tackles, 0.5sack, one tackle for loss, a pass defensed, and an interception.
-After struggling with 50-plus yard field goals last season, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott has appeared to fix that this season. Elliott hit two field goals against the Chiefs. One from 58 yards before the half, and another from 51 yards in the third. This season, all three of Elliott’s field goals have been from 50 yards or more.
-Saquon Barkley earned each and every one of his 88 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Barkley, who finished with 22 carries, had a big nine-yard run that helped the Eagles put the game away on their final drive.
Honorable Mention:
-DeVonta Smith had four catches for 53 yards, including a huge 27-yard reception in the fourth quarter that set up Jalen Hurts’ one-yard touchdown run.
End of the Day:
This was a quality win for the Eagles. The defense, which struggled at times against the Cowboys, played very well on Sunday. They held Mahomes and company to under 300 total yards(294 yards) and 17 points.
However, the offense has some questions to answer, especially the passing game. Jalen Hurts completed 15-of-22 passes for only 101 yards. In the last two weeks, Hurts has 253 yards passing and no touchdowns. The passing game seems out of rhythm, a problem that was evident early last season. Maybe it’s the play-calling from first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who knows, but it has to get figured out.
What’s Next:
The Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.
One more thing…
-Including the Super Bowl, the Eagles have defeated the Chiefs three straight times.
-Nick Sirianni owns a 50-20 (.714) career record, surpassing George Allen (.712, 1966-77) for the 2nd-best winning percentage by a head coach in the Super Bowl Era (min. 50 games), trailing only John Madden (.759, 1969-78).
-According to Elias Sports, Sirianni is the seventh head coach in NFL history to reach 50 career wins in 70 games or less.
-Hurts, whose career record is 48-20 as a starter, eclipsed Peyton Manning for the sixth-best QB winning percentage since the 1970 NFL merger.
