EAGLES USE CONSERVATIVE PLAY-CALLING TO KNOCK OFF CHIEFS AT ARROWHEAD
- Al Thompson
- 14 minutes ago
- 7 min read
KANSAS CITY, MO: Looking at the few drives of the Philadelphia Eagles-Kansas Chiefs match-up at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday afternoon, if you didn't know better, it would be hard to grade them as the NFL's elite.
Three of the Eagles first four drives ended in punts. The Chiefs first three drives went like this: punt, missed FG, field goal.
It was not an ascetically-pleasing game at all but the Eagles (2-0) were able to grind out a 20-17 win in a rematch of Super Bowl 59. It was the Eagles third consecutive win over the Mahomes-led Chiefs.
The Eagles offense only produced 216 net yards. Yet the Birds led 20-10 with 5:08 left in the fourth quarter.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about this team and how they find a way to win differently week in and week out?
“Resiliency,” Sirianni said. “Playing for each other together, not wanting to let each other down, the process that they go through, are just all the things that the mental toughness that we have.
“It's just a bunch of good guys, good coaches, good players. Our job, especially, early in the season, is, and what I've said constantly to the team is find a way to win, take pride in winning any way that you possibly can. Work to get better throughout the week. Repeat. Repeat, repeat.
“We have to keep getting better. I think that when you come off a season like we came off of last year, I think the expectation is that you're going to pick up right where you left off. There are steps to this, right?
"There are steps for all the teams that are playing right now and there's steps to get better. As you're getting better, our goal is to play our best football by the end of the year, as you're getting better, find ways to win. Get better, and then repeat.”
The Chiefs are 0-2 for the first time since 2014. That was before Future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes joined the team (2017).
You can't say what the Eagles are doing is a fluke after these first two underwhelming wins.
According to the Eagles media relations people, Philadelphia has posted an 18-1 (.947) record over its last 19 games (including playoffs), which marks the most wins over any 19-game stretch in franchise history.
BOTH TEAMS NOT WORRIED ABOUT STATS
From the start it was obvious neither team want to take any chances with turnovers by looking for explosive plays down field.
That strategy may have backfired for the Chiefs.
The score was tied 10-10 at halftime.
The Eagles scored the first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard run by Saquon Barkley with 0:46 left in the first quarter.
Mahomes scored on a 13-yard run 2:44 left in the first half.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was 12 of 17 for 62 yards in the first half.
Mahomes was six of 11 for just 51 yards.
The Eagles rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries in the first half, the Chiefs had 15 rushes for 97 yards, 60 of them by Mahomes after he had been flushed out of the pocket.
Mahomes would finish with 66 yards rushing on the day on seven carries, good for a 9.4 yards per carry. The other four Chiefs runners totaled just 55 yards on 19 carries combined. That's just 2.9 yards per carry.
Eagles defenders sacked Mahomes twice, got him for ten quarterback hits and got a hand on four of his passes. Led by Jordan Davis (five tackles, two defended passes), Jalen Carter (two tackles, three QB hits and a tackle for loss) and newcomer Za'Darius Smith (four tackles, half sack, TFL and QB hit), the Eagles were in Mahomes' face all afternoon.
Mahomes was asked about running so much this early in the season and was it intentional or just opportunities.
“I think it just kind of happened,” Mahomes said after the game. They (the Eagles) came out and played a little bit more man coverage there early in the game, and you saw I was able to use my feet because the guys were covering guys down the field.
“And so, it just kind of has happened. But at the end of the day, I’m just a competitor. I’m just trying to win and so whatever it takes I’ll do. It’s been running a few times earlier this season, but we’ll get back to passing the ball again and hopefully be better at it as the season goes on.”
Jake Elliott his two field goals over 50 yards including a 58-yarder as time expired in the first half.
Elliott hit a 51-yard field goal at the 11:28 mark of the third quarter to give the a 13-10 lead.
Hurts scored on a Tush Push at the 7:48 mark of the fourth quarter to go up 20-10. The drive was set up after the Chiefs had driven to the Eagles six-yard line looking like they were going to take a 17-13 leads.
But Mahomes' near perfect pass to Travis Kelce in the end zone bounced right off Kelce's hands and into the welcoming hands of rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who raced 41 yards before being pushed out of bounds by offensive tackle Josh Simmons.
The Chiefs made it interesting when after given new life on a drive the Eagles defense seemed to have stopped at the Kansas City 25-yard-line, rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell was called of roughing the passer on third-and-thirteen. His 15-yard penalty breathed life into the Chiefs drive...four plays later, Mahomes hit Tyquan Thornton with a 49-yard strike in the end zone to make the score 20-17.
The on-sides kick failed and that was that.
QUOTES AND STUFF
DeVonta Smith caught four passes for 53 yards. He was asked whether it was the game plan to use conservative play-calling coming in. The fifth-year pro wouldn't say that was the plan outright, but pretty close.
“I wouldn't say stay conservative, just stay on track with the plan,” Smith said. “We don't have to go out there and try to force a big play or nothing like that.”
All Pro tackle Lane Johnson, who committed a false start penalty in the third quarter that helped derailed a promising drive, was asked the same question and pretty much said they went by what they could get away with offensively.
“[The Chiefs] have always been stout against the run,” Johnson said. “We knew that coming in. It was a gritty game...it was back and forth...it was good to get a win here.”
Johnson said things will change as the season unfolds.
“Going forward, I think we'll have some breakthrough games where our passing is...the numbers are there,” Johnson said. “But right now we're focused on running the ball. It was a big part of what we did last year....play action...then go deep.”
Johnson was asked about how the Chiefs were keeping Barkley in check. The former Oklahoma star the offensive line will eventually start producing explosive plays.
“We wanted to run a lot of our zone stuff,” said Johnson, who then deferred to Saquon Barkley. “We've got a guy back there that's pretty good at finding creases, so, eventually we'll wear one down and he'll get a big one. But we've got to do better up front...is what it comes down to.”
Barkley, who finished with 88 yards on 22 carries and a TD, said the offense is not in a hurry as long as they keep winning.
“Don't go chasing,” Barkley said. “When running game isn't sexy and you're out there chasing, that's when you get into trouble...we just have the mindset that we're going to do whatever it takes to win.
“We've got grit,” Barkley continued at his locker. “We're going to continue to play with each other, continue to play for each other, and do whatever it takes to win a football game.”
Veteran cornerback Adoree Jackson, who finished with a solo tackle and a defended pass, talked about the team still finding ways to win despite mistakes and penalties that other teams may use as an excuse to give up on a game. The Eagles six penalties for 48 yards.
“That's just how the game goes,” Jackson said at his locker. “We never get to high or too low.
But I will say that we all have each other's back in those (tough) moments.
“I always think the first four games of the season is all about the corrections of a bad play. You just have keep going and keep correcting. I feel like we took steps today.”
Jackson was asked if Mukuba could run for mayor in Philadelphia after coming up with the ball Kelce coughed up on a touchdown pass that was right in his hands.
“That was cool,” Jackson said with a smile. “Think about that moment and how he got that play. The fans back home are excited. That's a good feeling for him to have that.”
Mahomes finished the game 16 for 29 with 187 yards, two total touchdowns and one interception, but the offense struggled to consistently move the ball through the air.
“I mean there’s times. I think just little things here and there,” Mahomes said after the game.
“Getting the ball batted, big play, missing some deep shots. Things here and there that we just didn’t do at a high enough level.
“Even like the first throw – overthrowing Noah (Gray) on that Cover 2 look. I mean, I’m seeing it right there, and just not making the throw. In this league you've got to make those throws and I’ll be better as the season goes on.”
FRIENDLY MESSAGE TO THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR?
Hurts was 15 of 22 for 101 yards. He was sacked twice and did not turn the ball over for the second consecutive game. But Hurts did not do much on the ground.
He recorded nine carries (including several Tush Push carries) for just 15 yards.
When hurts asked if there is a reason for there being less designed runs and more scrambling plays so far this season.
“That’s a question for (OC) Coach Patullo for KP. Ultimately, we find ways to win and continue to find our identity as an offense. Those things change as things go on and time goes on, but it’s a matter of putting yourself in position to find ways to win.”
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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