Super Bowl Showdown: Can the Chiefs Rewrite History Against the Eagles?

Can the Chiefs bounce back from a humbling 40-22 drubbing by the Eagles and reclaim their place atop the NFL? After seeing their dream of three straight titles poof into thin air in New Orleans, Kansas City is staring down the barrel of yet another stern test—a Super Bowl rematch that has the air of a grudge match. With Mahomes looking to shake off an early season hiccup and Travis Kelce inching toward historic milestones, the question isn’t whether the Chiefs can win, but whether this storied team still has the grit and guile to outwit a rising Eagles squad fresh off a Season-opening triumph. Dive into the crucial stats, player updates, and tactical chess match that’ll define Sunday’s showdown at Arrowhead—and potentially the Chiefs’ season. LEARN MORE.

The host Chiefs are seeking redemption after their bid at three straight NFL titles came crashing down in a one-sided 40-22 loss to the Eagles in New Orleans.

Eagles vs. Chiefs: The Key Stats

• Since 2023, the Chiefs are 0-2 against the Eagles (regular and postseason) but 8-2 against all other NFC teams
• The Eagles averaged 4.5 yards before contact when running out of 11 personnel (three WRs) last season. The Chiefs allowed just 2.9 yards before contact against similar personnel.
• The Eagles allowed just 3.3 yards per carry against 12 personnel (one RB, two TEs), despite playing against it in nickel personnel 58.9% of the time.
• Travis Kelce has 78 career receiving touchdowns and could become the fifth tight end in NFL history to reach the 80-touchdown milestone.
• Patrick Mahomes has 246 passing touchdowns in 113 career games. The fastest any player has reached 250 passing TDs is Aaron Rodgers in 121 games.

Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs have faced adversity before during their seven-year run of dominance.

In 2021, the Chiefs fell to 3-4 with a 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans. They responded with an eight-game winning streak and ended up in the AFC championship game.

Kansas City entered the 2022 season needing to fill the void left by the departure of Tyreek Hill, whose big-play threat was a signature of the early dynasty. The Chiefs went 14-3 that season and won the Super Bowl.

In 2023, they lost their opening game to a Detroit Lions team that missed the playoffs the previous season. The Chiefs won their next six games and went on to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

It is understandable, then, that there is no panic in Kansas City, despite the Chiefs sitting alone in last place in the AFC West after a 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday.

The next challenge for Mahomes and the Chiefs is a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. They’ll be seeking redemption after their bid at three straight titles came crashing down in a rout that was far worse than the 40-22 final score.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are still riding high from their championship and 24-20 season-opening win over the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4.

Chiefs’ Key to Victory vs. Eagles

Kansas City enters this game with serious questions about its skill players.

Rashee Rice continues to serve a six-game suspension after pleading guilty to felony charges related to a 2024 car crash in Dallas. Speedster Xavier Worthy is officially questionable after playing just three snaps in the opener before sustaining a shoulder injury.

That led to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown being targeted 16 times in Week 1.

The running back situation is also murky, with Isiah Pacheco failing to regain his 2023 form after an injury-plagued season last year. Mahomes was the team’s leading rusher in Week 1, gaining 57 yards on six carries, while Pacheco and Kareem Hunt got five carries each.

Even with Worthy, the Chiefs do not have a consistent big-play threat, and it certainly won’t be if he’s ruled out. So Mahomes will likely need to orchestrate long, deliberate drives to move the ball on a talented Philly defense.

The Chiefs led the league with 45 drives of 10 or more plays last season, and that is due largely to their third-down success. Mahomes led the NFL last season in converting third downs, with 53.1% of his third-down pass attempts moving the chains.

And while converting third downs will be harder with Kansas City’s wide receiver issues, Mahomes can still lean on Travis Kelce. The star tight end made 22 third-down catches for first downs last season – third-most in the league.

Eagles’ Key to Victory vs. Chiefs

A.J. Brown had just one reception for 8 yards in the Eagles’ Week 1 win and he wasn’t even targeted until the fourth quarter.

While the heart of Philadelphia’s offense has become running back Saquon Barkley, Brown remains one of the most important players on the roster. Brown averaged 3.4 burn yards per route last season, ranking sixth among wide receivers and well above the league average of 2.2.

Since 2022, the Eagles are 9-0 when Brown has at least 100 yards and at least one touchdown, and they would be wise to feed their playmaker against the Chiefs.

Brown could be a good candidate to generate a big play against a Kansas City defense that allowed 52 completions of 20 or more yards last season – ninth-most in the league.

Brown is also dynamic after the catch, with an average of 0.266 missed and broken tackles per touch last year, nearly double the rate of the average NFL wide receiver. And the Chiefs ranked 21st by allowing an average of 5.5 yards after catch last season.

Eagles vs. Chiefs Prediction

Despite their 0-1 start, the host Chiefs began the week as slight favorites, but most sportsbooks have since corrected to having the Eagles as 1- or 1.5-point favorites.

The Opta supercomputer also gives a slight edge to Philadelphia, giving the Eagles a 51.7% chance of leaving Kansas City with a win.

With the margins so close, it is fair to expect a close game decided in the fourth quarter, a situation in which both teams can thrive. The Chiefs were an NFL-best 11-0 last season in games decided by eight points or fewer, but their streak came to an end in their Week 1 loss.

The Eagles had the third-best record in one-score games last season at 8-2, and they’ve already notched a win in that category with their opening win over the Cowboys.

If the supercomputer is right and the Chiefs fall to 0-2, there would be questions about whether or not a team that has felt inevitable for the last seven seasons has taken a legitimate step back.

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