By Matt McMullen – Chiefs.com
The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 20-17, on Sunday afternoon for their second-straight loss to begin the year.
Trailing by 10 points with three minutes remaining in the game, quarterback Patrick Mahomes found wide receiver Tyquan Thornton for a 49-yard touchdown that narrowed the deficit to just three points.
Philadelphia recovered the ensuing onside kick, however, and while the Chiefs still had a chance to get the ball back if they could mount a defensive stop, the Eagles managed to pick up a first down and run out the remainder of the clock.
“I thought my guys played their tail off and played hard and aggressive football,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “They stuck together throughout the game, and that’ll [pay off for] us down the road as we continue to grow.”
It was a tough ending to what turned out to be a very evenly-matched game between last year’s Super Bowl participants. The Eagles struck first with a 13-yard run by tailback Saquon Barkley, but the Chiefs quickly responded by taking the lead with 10 unanswered points.
Philadelphia then managed to tie the game with a 58-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter before taking the lead with another field goal early in the second half. The latter kick took place following a failed fourth-down attempt by Kansas City deep in its own territory, but to the Chiefs’ credit, the defense held Philadelphia to only two yards – and ultimately just three points – despite the Eagles taking over at the Kansas City 35-yard line.
It was part of a strong performance by the Chiefs’ defense, which held Philadelphia to a 5-for-14 mark on third down and just 216 total yards of offense. The showing kept the game within striking distance for Kansas City’s offense, which appeared primed to take the lead early in the fourth quarter when Mahomes led a 14-play, 74-yard drive that marched to the Eagles’ 6-yard line.
That lead was nearly realized when Mahomes fired a pass into the end zone, but the ball was instead deflected into the arms of Eagles’ safety Andrew Mukuba, who turned a scoring opportunity for Kansas City into a drive heading the other way for Philadelphia.
The Eagles then turned the takeaway into points when quarterback Jalen Hurts plunged ahead for a 1-yard touchdown, and while Kansas City made things interesting when Mahomes found Thornton for a 49-yard score one drive later, the Chiefs never saw the ball again.
It was a tough ending to a game the Chiefs had opportunities to win, but despite the 0-2 start, Mahomes remained focused on the road ahead following the game.
“I think we’re coming together as a team, man. I mean, when you deal with adversity, it’s about how you deal with it,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, this isn’t how we wanted to start, but how are we going to respond? So, I’m excited for the next few weeks to see who wants to be challenged, how we can get back and really get after it.”
In terms of injuries, defensive end Mike Danna (quad) and cornerback Kristian Fulton (ankle) left the game early.
The Chiefs will now look to get back on track next weekend with a prime-time clash against the New York Giants on deck.
