Week 2 will take the Eagles to Arrowhead for the Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs.
On Thursday, the Eagles unveiled their 2024 championship banner, then outlasted the rival Dallas Cowboys, 24-20, behind a stellar dual-threat effort from Jalen Hurts.
The next night, the Chiefs took their turn against the L.A. Chargers down in Brazil, with Patrick Mahomes and co. still looking to retain their dominance over the AFC. Instead, Chargers QB Justin Herbert carved up the Kansas City defense for 318 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 27-21 opening loss for the Chiefs.
Now it's on to an early-season gut check for both the Birds and KC this Sunday, with the Eagles heading toward it as a slight favorite, though with some questions still needing to be answered.
Here's a look at the Week 2 Eagles-Chiefs odds across several sportsbooks...
Sportsbook Spread Money Line Total O/U
DraftKings PHI -1.5 PHI -120KC +100 45.5
FanDuel PHI -1.5 PHI -110KC -106 45.5
BetRivers PHI -1 PHI -118KC -106 45.5
BetMGM PHI -1 PHI -115KC -105 45.5
ESPN BET PHI -1.5 PHI -130KC +110 45.5
*Odds as of Monday morning
The disciplinary fate of defensive tackle Jalen Carter is the most pressing matter for the Eagles this week.
He's a clear game-wrecker in the trenches, but the Eagles lost him for the game Thursday night against Dallas before even playing a snap when he spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after the two approached each other face-to-face in between the huddles.
Carter was immediately flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected, which drastically altered the Eagles' ability to generate pass rush pressure and helped the Cowboys generate an opening touchdown drive.
The Eagles' defense adapted enough to get the win, but how they'll gameplan for this week will be heavily dependent on whether Carter faces any further punishment by way of a suspension.
The Eagles famously shut down Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl by only rushing four, but that worked in large part because of Carter commanding so much attention that the Kansas City offensive line needed to double him up on every play.
It's a different ballgame if Carter isn't there.
On the offensive side for Philly, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver A.J. Brown will be two names to keep an eye on.
The Chiefs' defense lived in fear of Barkley in the Super Bowl and stacked the box to ensure that he wouldn't beat them on the run. They succeeded in that regard, but at the cost of Jalen Hurts airing the ball out and torching them everywhere else. There was nothing Kansas City could do.
The Eagles went into this season knowing they would have to manage Barkley's workload more conservatively to get him through the year, and appeared to walk that line in Week 1 – he had 18 carries for 60 yards – but will the team continue to try and strike that balance offensively, and in turn, will the Chiefs continue to live in the same fear of him?
Brown only had one reception for eight yards on Thursday night, and it was way late into the game. Similarly, DeVonta Smith had just three catches for 16 yards.
That was way too little output from the Eagles' star receiving duo. Hurts and new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will have to find a way to direct the ball to them more against Kansas City, because we've already seen what can happen when the Eagles do...
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