The Kansas City Chiefs are looking forward to their Super Bowl LVII rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. Once again all eyes are on the electrifying quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he leads his team to bounce back from a disappointing stretch. Literally moments later, the Chiefs were blown out by the Eagles 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX. Now, their most challenging task lies ahead, as the team works through injuries and an evolving roster.
The Chiefs will open the season without one of their newly-acquired wide receivers. He will actually be unavailable for the first six games due to a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. This unexplained absence builds on a long history of instability in the Chiefs’ receiving corps. Mahomes has said this group has been in flux for years. Even with these challenges, he is hopeful about finding ways to pivot to the new normal.
Mahomes continued during a recent press conference, “It’s football, and it’s passionate. We love the game! He continued, “I’d much rather have guys who care and want to win than not care and don’t give a crap.
This is not just an indictment on Mahomes, it has been a frustrating season for him. He’s running out a rookie left tackle and second-year left guard, Kingsley Suamataitia. The Chiefs struggled mightily with the Eagles’ defense in their most recent meeting. They pressured Mahomes, sacking him six times, which turned the tide of the game.
In this past Super Bowl, Mahomes completed 24 of his 39 attempts while accumulating 258 passing yards. He displayed his wheels by picking up 57 yards rushing with one touchdown on six attempts. Though an impressive performance from Brandon Scherff wasn’t enough to get past a dominant Eagles squad.
The Eagles under second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts jumped out of the gate strong this season and show no signs of slowing down. Hurts’ leadership on and off the field has been remarkable as he tries to replicate last year’s success. Their Eagles’ defense is a monster. Focal figures including All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones, they take a lot of success and playmakers to your shiny new trick offensive schemes at all times.
Tempers boiled over in a highly charged contest recently. Mahomes got into a pretty vocal argument with his teammate Chris Jones and linebacker Drue Tranquill late in the fourth quarter. When the dust settled, Mahomes focused on the classic, emotional, passionate moments that make the game great.
With that trust, you can establish those expectations and hold each other accountable. Then you can hold each other accountable to get better every day you set foot on the gridiron. There’s no ill will anywhere. It’s just a great group of guys that want to win,” Mahomes said.
Now the Chiefs are left to deal with injury concerns across their offensive lineaps. Because of this dilemma, they are being forced to experiment with new player positions during practices. Later, Mahomes noted how they may look to provide competition at all three receiver spots. The short window of practice time doesn’t allow much time for capitol building.
“You try to rep and give guys opportunities at every single receiver position, but there’s only limited reps during practice. “When you have an injury, guys are going into foreign positions. They haven’t had the opportunity to run in their own practice space before,” he noted.
As they prepare for the rematch on their schedule, Mahomes knows they have to get better. The Eagles are the most complete team in football, and their offense is just as prolific as their defense. This is a helluva football team, I mean — no two ways about it,” he declared.
The first-round tilt will serve as a stiff test for both squads. Both are desperate to assert their supremacy in the league. The Chiefs must find ways to adapt quickly and effectively if they are to reverse their fortunes against an Eagles squad eager to maintain its winning momentum.
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