5 observations about the rematch of the last Super Bowl

This time, the Eagles got the better of the Chiefs by 21-17, nine months after suffering the defeat in Super Bowl 57. It’s enough to scratch your head trying to understand how the defending champions could have wasted such a brilliant performance from their defense. Here are five observations on this ninth victory this season for the Philadelphia representatives.

1. Deaths in the second half

After the Chiefs’ last game in Germany, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes promised that the offensive problems would be resolved. There is room for doubt. For a third game in a row, the Chiefs were shut out in the second half. They were forced to punt four times, in addition to committing a costly fumble, when Travis Kelce lost the ball inside the 10 line. Those were valuable points left on the field in a close game . Believe it or not, the Chiefs are dead last in the NFL averaging 5.3 points in the second half. Last!

2. Hands full of thumbs

Another determining factor to explain the defeat of the Chiefs even if they dominated the first three quarters is the poor performance of their receivers. Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a bomb late in the game in the deep zone, an unforgivable mistake that this receiver has regularly made on long passes since the start of his career. This season, the Chiefs have dropped 26 passes according to ESPN Stats & Info, which gives them another unenviable record. The current group of wide receivers will ultimately sink the Chiefs unless Patrick Mahomes and the defense play perfect football between now and the end of the season. Perfection is a lot to ask for! Nobody inspires fear in this group, except Travis Kelce. In his first four seasons as a starter, Mahomes threw 44 touchdown passes that went at least 20 yards through the air, according to NextGen Stats. He has thrown two in his last 27 games.

3. Resilient Eagles

The Eagles, for a rare time, were dominated on both fronts for a good part of the match. The Chiefs imposed themselves in the trenches on offense with 168 yards on the ground. This was unexpected, considering that the Eagles were the best in the league against the run before the game (66.3 yards per game). On defense, they harassed Jalen Hurts with five sacks, in addition to hitting him four more times. It’s to their credit that they hung on despite everything and made the big plays in the fourth quarter. DeVonta Smith caught the long pass that Valdes-Scantling couldn’t catch. What the Eagles showed was that while they fell short of playing great football, they did pick up a major win on the road in the hostile environment of Kansas City. The Eagles can win with their defense, with the pass, with the run, in high-scoring games or low-scoring games. They know how to adjust to all situations, even if the Chiefs helped them with their critical errors.

4. Finally one for the big brother

Veteran Eagles center Jason Kelce finally got the better of his brother Travis. The Chiefs tight end even told him afterwards that he had given him a late birthday present. It must be said that in addition to his fumble, Kelce failed to catch a perfect pass in the fourth quarter in a third down situation. A match is not between two players, but Jason was clearly superior to Travis this time.

5. Rare defeat for Reid

For Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, it was just his fourth loss after a bye week, compared to 21 wins. The Eagles find themselves at 9-1 for a second straight season. They are at the top, not only in their division, but also in the national conference. All this, without even having played their best football! With the defeat, the Chiefs (7-3) slip to second place in the American Conference.