**4\. Philadelphia excels at controlling the flow of the game. The Chiefs can't let that happen.**
The Eagles have perfected a scheme over the years that punches the opponent in the mouth while draining clock and – essentially – crushing the spirit of the opposition.
Last year, for example, the Eagles led the NFL in time of possession (32:23) while ranking second in rushing (179.3 yards-per-game) and five-minute drives (36). They then picked right back up where they left off in last week's opener, rushing for 158 yards (fifth-most in the league), possessing the ball for nearly 35 minutes (sixth-most in the league) and tallying four drives that ate up at least five minutes of clock (tied for the most in the league).
Part of that success lies in the Eagles' tendency to play four-down football, which is fueled by their mastery of the "tush push" quarterback sneak, but – as we saw last week – quarterback Jalen Hurts' scrambling ability is also something to monitor. Hurts scrambled nine times against Dallas last week, and three of those runs moved the chains on 3rd-and-3 or longer.
So, in other words, the Eagles excel at dictating the terms of the game to their opponents. If the Chiefs are to win on Sunday, they need to not only prevent that, but instead, dictate their terms to the Eagles. Defensively, that means keeping Philadelphia out of short third down (and fourth down) situations, and offensively, Kansas City has to keep the pressure on the Eagles' offense with taxing scoring drives.
This all sounds like basic football, but to the Eagles' credit, they're masters of the fundamental aspects of the game. On Sunday, Kansas City will need to make Philadelphia play outside its well-defined schemes.
**5\. The Chiefs are often at their best following a loss.**
The season-opener in Brazil was disappointing, but the good news for Kansas City is the Chiefs are often at their best following a loss. In fact, in games that Patrick Mahomes has played, the Chiefs are 19-4 following a loss. Mahomes has lost back-to-back games just four times in his 113-game career, and just once over his last 64 games.
Additionally, since 2018, no team has been more effective at home than Kansas City. The Chiefs' .776 winning percentage at home during that time leads the NFL, and since the end of the 2023 season, Kansas City has won 12 consecutive home games.
With all of that in mind, a week after Mahomes expressed that he felt the team came out flat in Brazil, the energy of the home crowd could be exactly what the Chiefs need to get off to a fast start on Sunday.
"I think if you're playing your first game at \[GEHA Field at\] Arrowhead \[Stadium\] against the reigning Super Bowl champions, there's got to be some extra juice," Mahomes said. "So, there's no reason you should come out flat this game."
The Chiefs will look to add to those impressive win totals at home on Sunday as Kansas City clashes with Philadelphia in one of the early marquee matchups of the season.