Chiefs 2021 Opponent Overview: Philadelphia Eagles

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost consecutive games for the first time since October 2019. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles have also lost two straight games. This will already be the third time that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will be taking on his old team. If he wins on Sunday, that would allow Reid to become the first head coach to win 100 games with two different NFL franchises.

On the flip side, the Eagles are currently in the early stages of a new transition period. Nick Sirianni is in his first ever campaign as an NFL head coach. Jalen Hurts is receiving his first full season as Eagles starting quarterback. To boot, there is an outlandish difference of veterans and younger players sprinkled throughout much of the Philadelphia roster.

As much skepticism as there is surrounding this team, the Chiefs have to get rolling. And the Eagles can certainly play spoiler. Today, we will be giving our own view of this Philly squad. What could we expect from their offense and defense? How will each team react to a disappointing loss? Let’s kick it off by diving into the Eagles offense.

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Boom Or Bust

The Eagles offense goes as Hurts does. If their group is rolling, the completion percentage will be higher, as it was in Week One. Or, Philadelphia will work to push passes down the field more. They also appear to run a more balanced offensive approach when things are going well.

If it is not going well, it becomes very predictable as to what their offense is going to do. Hurts resorts to hitting quick passes over the middle, either via crossing routes or on curl-flat concepts. At the same time, there is no deception with the Eagles’ offensive rushing attack. They can run the option and outside zone runs very well. Trusting that ability has been a work in progress. That is largely due to performance inconsistencies on the offensive line and from the Eagles running backs in Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. Though, the group of players who may be more questionable for Philadelphia is likely the pass catchers.

Dropping The Ball

The influx of names at the wide receiver position has been ever-changing for the last couple of years. There are a couple of issues that still remain for the Eagles currently in that spot. First off, the role and usage of certain guys appears to be incomplete from week to week.

Rookie first rounder DeVonta Smith has bounced around from having a versatile role to being stuck in precarious positions during crucial downs. Furthermore, former first round pick Jalen Reagor has bounced between being a vertical threat and a sit down, security blanket type of receiver. The high amount of reliability that the team has in Quez Watkins and Greg Ward is not reflected consistently, based off of snap counts. It is an odd mix for that duo, given how often they line up out wide.

Moving on to the tight ends, Zach Ertz is certainly not what he used to be. The ability that he had to stretch the field is seemingly absent. His hands have not been as steady as they previously were as well. Moreover, Dallas Goedert has been trending in the right direction. There is still room for more of a rapport between him and Hurts, however. The South Dakota State product may possess the best yards after catch ability, hands and football IQ of the Eagles weapons. He just has to receive more stable opportunities.

Top Heavy Defense

The best part of the Eagles defense is their defensive line. And unsurprisingly, that is where Philadelphia’s defensive group is the oldest and wisest.

Even after all of these years, it feels like Fletcher Cox is severely underrated at defensive tackle. His rare combination of size, athleticism and strength is difficult to prepare for at the position. The team recently brought in a defensive tackle of a similar stature during the 2020 offseason. All Javon Hargrave does is quietly produce. Whether it be with run defending or as an interior pass rusher, the South Carolina State product has a nonstop motor from the middle of the defensive line. Finally, defensive ends Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett rush the passer in a violent way. Kansas City has to take care of them on all accounts.

This Eagles defensive back seven is the complete opposite of what the Chiefs just saw from the Chargers back seven. The lack of range and instincts from linebackers Alex Singleton, TJ Edwards, Davion Taylor and Eric Wilson is not good enough to consistently match up with the speed of an offense like Kansas City’s.

The secondary is led by starters Darius Slay, Steven Nelson, Avonte Maddox and Anthony Harris. It is a veteran group. Though, the results do not reflect that of the Eagles defensive line. The technique of how this group routinely plays the football does not appear to be universal across the board. You also need to boast a certain confidence in the secondary. That is severely lacking for these Philadelphia defensive backs right now.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout the rest of the week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.