The Chiefs are very familiar with the team coming to Kansas City this week. Hear Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid discuss Sunday's Super Bowl rematch vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. By Dominick Williams
The Kansas City Chiefs play host to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, hoping to rebound from their Week 1 loss by taking the Super Bowl LIX rematch.
How to watch
Kickoff: 3:25 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, Sept. 14
Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
TV: FOX (Channel 4 in Kansas City)
Radio: KFNZ (96.5 FM in Kansas City, KNSS 98.7 FM in Wichita)
Betting line: Eagles by 1.5.
The rundown
For several reasons, the Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar territory heading into Sunday’s late-afternoon Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
For one, Kansas City typically doesn’t lose season openers. The 27-21 loss to the Chargers in Brazil was just the third Week 1 defeat since Andy Reid took over as head coach in 2013. It was just the second since Patrick Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in 2018.
More unusually, Kansas City enters this game as a 1.5-point underdog at Arrowhead. That last happened in Week 6 of 2022, when the Chiefs hosted the Buffalo Bills — also the only other time Mahomes has been an underdog at Arrowhead in his entire career.
On the other side of the equation, the Chiefs’ receiving corps has looked eerily familiar. Last year, Kansas City lost key receiver Hollywood Brown due to injury in the preseason. Shortly after the season began, Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury.
After his collision with Travis Kelce in Brazil, Xavier Worthy is unlikely to suit up against the Eagles Sunday, and Rice is due to serve the second game of a six-game suspension — meaning Mahomes’ top trio of receivers is expected to be Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton.
There had been questions about a potential suspension to second-team All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter after his ejection from the Eagles’ opener for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. However, earlier this week, the league effectively suspended Carter without pay for the Week 1 game, thereby making him eligible to play in Week 2.
Philadelphia starting left guard Landon Dickerson departed that contest in the fourth quarter due to a back issue, and he is considered questionable to play against the Chiefs on Sunday.
Aside from not having Worthy, the most significant concern for the Chiefs coming out of Brazil was deficiencies in the pass defense, which saw Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throw for 318 yards and three touchdowns. The task gets no easier as KC shifts its attention from Herbert, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey to Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Coming off an outing in which Hurts threw for just 152 yards — including just one throw of eight yards to Brown — there should be an expectation that Hurts tries to get Brown involved early. Kansas City will have to show it’s up to the challenge to prevent the game from getting out of hand.
Interestingly, both Mahomes and Hurts led their teams in rushing in Week 1, setting up a likely renewed focus on establishing the run with Saquon Barkley (Philly) and the tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt (Chiefs).
The pick
Nearly every factor in this matchup points to a comfortable Eagles victory — except the point spread, which stands at a point and a half.
Maybe it’s Reid’s extra two days to prepare, maybe it’s Mahomes’ late-game heroics to give the Chiefs a fighting chance late in Brazil. Heck, maybe its sheer stupidity.
Give me Kansas City by a field goal.
Winner: Chiefs 27-24
Pick to cover: Chiefs.