The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to right the ship off the heels of two consecutive losses. Luckily for them, they face the stumbling Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4 with an opportunity to have a turnaround game against a lesser opponent.
What would an ideal Chiefs game look like? Well, Patrick Mahomes could throw for 1,000 yards, CEH could run for 300, and Kansas City could win by seven scores with no turnovers. However, we here at ZoneCoverage.com like to keep it real in our predictions. There happen to be some ideal outcomes that could realistically occur in Philadelphia, but the Chiefs could also squander this opportunity.
Let’s take a look at two Chiefs dreams and one Eagles nightmare in Week 4.
The Chiefs have one turnover — or fewer
Following two abysmal showings with multiple turnovers — two against the Baltimore Ravens and four against the Los Angeles Chargers — the Chiefs need a turnaround against the Eagles. Ball security will be a focal point in Week 4.
Of course, an ideal game has no turnovers, but given the number of times the Chiefs have coughed it up through three weeks, a one-turnover game would be a breath of fresh air. Kansas City has faced better defenses in the Chargers and Cleveland Browns. While the Eagles have Darius Slay roaming the secondary, they gave up three touchdowns to Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.
As long as the Chiefs follow the Cowboys’ playbook with a solid mix of run and pass, they should perform well. The Eagles gave up 230 yards and three touchdowns through the air and over 150 yards and two scores on the ground. That gives the Chiefs a good amount of hope entering Sunday.
As long as Kansas City doesn’t give Philadelphia any more chances than they need to, they should walk away from this game 2-2.
Kansas City’s secondary options will show up big
After struggling in the previous three games, Week 4 is put-up-or-shut-up time for Chiefs receivers not named Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce. Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson’s poor showings so far are part of the reason the Chiefs signed Josh Gordon this week.
In the last three games, Robinson has 72 yards and Hardman has 107 — not the showing the Chiefs’ coaches or the fans were hoping for from these offensive weapons. The Eagles let Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz go off for 80 yards and two touchdowns while holding CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper to 94 yards and no touchdowns.
We should expect a similar showing from the Eagles’ defense, one in which they hone in on Kelce and Hill and force other receivers to beat them, leaving Hardman, Robinson, and the rest of the receivers to pick up the slack.
Eagles pass rush gets home, and the Chiefs’ offense can’t get off the ground
The Eagles have been one of the better passing defenses so far this year, allowing just 6.5 yards per attempt and less than 600 yards in three games. Their front seven has also aided the passing defense, with seven sacks thus far, good enough for 13th in the league.
While the Eagles have seen less-than-stellar quarterbacks in Matt Ryan and Jimmy Garoppolo, Dak Prescott is in the upper echelon of QBs, and Philadelphia’s defensive front was able to get home twice on him and forced a fumble for a touchdown as well.
Even with a new and improved Chiefs line, Philadelphia can still create pressure and disrupt the passing and running games. If there is an aspect of this Eagles team that can quickly disrupt this game and keep it closer than it should be, it’s their defensive line.
