Key Matchups: Chiefs Vs Eagles

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for a major rebound this Sunday. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to play spoiler. Whoever wins this matchup on Sunday will get back to .500 at 2-2. One major difference is, one of these team’s divisions is deeper than the other.

Both of these offenses have a plethora of looks that they can display to the opposition. However, each unit is usually more effective in different ways. Can one of these defensive units come close to buttoning up, especially in terms of points allowed? If so, the victor in this game could get back to feeling comfortable moving forward.

Which personnel matchups could help one team gain an advantage over the other? Today, we will list our top five key matchups entering Sunday afternoon’s affair. The opportunities for improvement are certainly there for the taking for certain units. Let’s kick it off with one of those Chiefs defensive units.

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Chiefs Secondary Vs Eagles Wide Receivers And Tight Ends

There are a few different problems that the Kansas City secondary is experiencing. Last Sunday’s loss to the Chargers shined a brighter light on that. Simple miscommunication errors led to splash plays for the opponent. Meanwhile, getting lined up correctly has been a problem. That sounds crazy for an issue like that to happen at the NFL level. However, the Chargers hurry up attack put the Chiefs defensive backs on their heels.

For guys like Anthony Hitchens, Nick Bolton and Daniel Sorensen, getting the correct amount of depth and finding the right man you are supposed to be covering is a must. Others like L’Jarius Sneed and Mike Hughes have to somehow find their confidence in coverage once again. With this, finishing without any hesitation will be something to monitor going forward.

On the flip side, the Eagles have struggled to get the aerial attack going. Their two leading target getters are Philadelphia’s past two first round picks in DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor. Getting in sync with Jalen Hurts, catching all catchable passes and producing yards after the catch is still a work in progress. The Chiefs understand the speed that each of those guys have. Taking sharp angles and utilizing solid spatial awareness is a must against them.

Finally, the next four target getters are all Eagles running backs or tight ends. Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert have all produced differing results in the passing game. Sanders and Gainwell are the most difficult to bring down after the catch. Ertz has struggled with drops and is only producing short gains. It is Goedert who has stretched the field the best.

Chiefs Pass Rush Vs Eagles Offensive Line

Neither of these two units are especially rolling right now. Let’s start with the Eagles offensive line. Hurts has been pressured or hurried on 42 percent of drop backs so far this season. His mobility and toughness in the pocket help to counteract that to a degree. Nonetheless, this Philadelphia offensive line is failing to create any significant push. A failure of resetting the line of scrimmage also exists. Additionally, the Eagles rank in the bottom ten of the league in scoring percentage and first downs gained offensively. There are also injury questions surrounding this entire unit, as they just lost guard Isaac Seumalo (foot) for the rest of the season.

The Chiefs have a measly four sacks in the first three games (Chris Jones has 2, Sorensen and Mike Danna each have 1). The biggest issue is that Kansas City is generating no pressure when rushing four in their base defense. Jones is struggling to consistently beat double team attempts when they are presented. The interior pass rush is nonexistent. Meanwhile, when extra rushers are brought it leaves too much space open on the backend. Kansas City is taking too long to get home, while the coverage is getting lost in space at the same time. This is a prime chance for the Chiefs to get the pressure increased on the opposing quarterback.

Chiefs Offensive Line Vs Eagles Pass Rush

Both of these units are much better within the trenches for their respective teams. Kansas City has created movement with a determined effort. The finishing and tenacity up front has made opposing defenses hesitate a bit. Furthermore, guys like Orlando Brown Jr. and Lucas Niang are starting to show resolve against faster pass rushers.

The Eagles best pass rush comes from the interior. Defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave have combined for 16 pressures and four sacks so far this season. That is good for about half of their seven team sacks early in the year. Philadelphia has relentless and physical defensive ends in Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett. How often will they receive double team looks? This Eagles squad is also quite different from what the Chiefs have seen in the last couple of weeks. They blitz at the lowest rate in the NFL (14 percent).

Hitchens And Bolton Vs Hurts And Sanders

Last week, the Chiefs front seven turned in their best performance for the early portion of the 2021 season. There was more determination and discipline from that group. Two guys who performed well against the run could be heavily counted on once again. That would be Hitchens and Bolton.

The duo of Hurts and Sanders has been extremely dangerous on the ground. Their carries have been relatively low. However, the yards gained per clip is above five for both players (Hurts has 6.9 yards per carry, Sanders has 5.2 yards per carry). Hurts’ 26 rushing attempts are second most among quarterbacks, only behind Lamar Jackson. And we all know how much the Chiefs struggled against that QB when he took off.

The challenge for Hitchens and Bolton will be the speed factor, combined with the slipperiness of Sanders and Hurts. Neither linebacker is known for speed. Taking well adjusted angles and figuring out a fine balance for timing will be heavily important. The missed tackles must remain at a low number like it was last week. If not, the Eagles top rushers have the ability to hit a home run. Philadelphia has also done well when running the read option.

Hill, Hardman And Robinson Vs Slay, Nelson And Maddox

With this matchup, I would expect the Chiefs offense to use the speed they have to their advantage often. Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman can take the top off of a defense with ease. Moreover, Demarcus Robinson has grown on plays deep down the field. Pushing it vertically like Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes like to do will probably be more attainable against a defense like the Eagles.

Philadelphia’s instincts, range and confidence level does not match that of the secondaries Kansas City has faced so far. Darius Slay, Steven Nelson and Avonte Maddox are all questionable at best when being carried up the field. If the play remains in front of them, they will be fine. Those reps allow them to show off their ball skills and tenacious physical side at the catch point. But, this trio tends to get lost in space on deeper passes. Allow Mahomes to let it fly.

Be on the lookout for our game preview article and podcast episode on Friday. 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.