NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs this week in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl. The Eagles are fresh off a win against their rival Dallas Cowboys, in the season opener, while the Chiefs are looking to rebound due to a loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Who will put a win in the column?
The Eagles will look to repeat the performance that won them ther 2nd Super Bowl, and the Chiefs will look to avenge a loss that has haunted them this entire offseason. Can the Offensive Line of the Chiefs block the front of the Philadelphia Eagles this go round, and will Saquon Barkley find any running room, unlike last February?
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Blitz Like Crazy
The Super Bowl is over, and with all the talk regarding how the Birds’ defense dominated that game, you better believe that the Kansas City Chiefs will be prepared for the same approach. You know the saying, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, Vic Fangio has to change things up.
The defense will need to put pressure on Patrick Mahomes early and often. Not just to rattle the future Hall of Fame, but due to their issues at the receiver position. This also keeps a player like Isiah Pacheco or Travis Kelce back to block any extra defenders, and force Mahomes to look for other targets.
Get Barkley going
It’s time for Barkley to have one of those games. Against the Cowboys, they didn’t want to be embarrassed. They played the run tight. Last time the Eagles faced the Chiefs, Barkey couldn’t see any type of daylight. This is a revenge game of sorts for the offensive Line and Barkley.
The Offensive Line is different and dealing with injuries, but still, Barkley is talented enough to make his presence felt. The Chiefs surrendered 90 yards against LA in Week 1, but the Chargers don’t have a back anywhere close to Barkley. Run him early to test the waters, then make the game about him in the 4th quarter.
Find Receivers
The Dallas Cowboys had a plan in Week 1, and that was to contain AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Needless to say, they did a great job of not letting the Big 2 of the Philadelphia Eagles beat them. This week, Jalen Hurts will need to look for his two playmakers often. As much as they should feed Barkley the ball, they will need to take their shots deep.
There is no need for them to go 2 straight weeks with their receivers catching less than 5 passes. There is not a single DB who can cover Brown one-on-one, and Hurts must take advantage of that. Smith is another threat that has to be unleashed if the Eagles want to walk away from this contest 2-0.
