Week one of the NFL season is in the books, and what a week it was for fans of the Kansas City Chiefs. Opening up on a national stage in one of the hardest places to win, and the Chiefs came out of the week looking like the best team in the league. Kansas City took it to the defending Super Bowl champions with a head turning 42-27 win and now set their sights on week two and the Philadelphia Eagles. There are a lot of story lines here, the most obvious of which are Andy Reid facing his old team and old offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson. Here are the week two Kansas City Chiefs keys to victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Week Two Kansas City Chiefs Keys to Victory
1) Protect Alex Smith
In week one, the Patriots were able to sack Alex Smith three times, all coming in the first half. It is debatable whether the sacks were due to the offensive line or because Smith took too long to get rid of the ball, but the fact remains that the sacks happened. This week, the Chiefs will face a much more formidable pass rush.
Against the Washington Redskins, the Eagles amassed four sacks and pressured Kirk Cousins numerous other times, forcing an interception and two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Brandon Graham, in particular, was a force against the Redskins tackles all day.
2) Keep Pressing the Ball
The biggest weak point on the Philadelphia Eagles defense is the secondary. The loss of Ronald Darby will only exacerbate the weak spot on the defensive side of the ball for the Eagles. The Chiefs have to be able to continue to push the ball down field and test the secondary.
Andy Reid has been a master at scripting plays against his opponents. This week, facing such a familiar foe, Reid should be at the top of his game. Expect a lot of misdirection and a lot more of Travis Kelce this week, as the Philadelphia safeties will not be able to handle Kelce quite like the Patriots did.
3) Pressure Carson Wentz
It will be essential for the Chiefs to pressure Carson Wentz and make him uncomfortable all day. The Redskins were only able to bring Wentz down twice, as the second year quarterback did his best Donovan McNabb impression and was able to avoid pressure and make throws down the field.
This will be Wentz’s first game in Arrowhead, a place where young quarterbacks generally struggle. Coming off of a big win last week, expect the Kansas City faithful to be in full force and dictate the tempo of the Eagles’ offense.
Conclusion
The Chiefs are currently six point favorites over the Eagles, depending on where you look. Kansas City cannot afford to look ahead to next week’s divisional opponent and overlook this feisty Eagles squad. The offensive line will be put to the test this week, and will play an pivotal role in whatever the outcome of this weeks game will be.
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