Quarterback Jalen Hurts (#1) of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, November 20. 2023. /CFP
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Monday, getting the revenge for the loss in the Super Bowl LVII last season.
It was raining heavily in Kansas City when the game began, making passing drives trickier on paper. That should have been in favor for the Eagles, because they have been one of the best rushing teams in both rushing and containing rushing this season.
However, the Chiefs rushed for more yards than the Eagles (168-114) on Monday's game thanks to the incredible performance of running back Isiah Pacheco. He completed 19 carries for 89 yards. He and quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and wide receiver Kadarius Toney all finished long runs of over 10 yards.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (#15) of the Kansas City Chiefs dodges a defender in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, November 20. 2023. /CFP
However, the Chiefs failed to make their offense bear fruits, especially in the second half. The loss on Monday night was their third consecutive game in which they didn't score even a single point. Mahomes completed 24 of his 43 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, but his teammates wasted multiple accurate passes from him. Wide receiver Justin Watson had team-high receiving yards and they were no more than 53.
The Chiefs had the chance to gain back their lead when Mahomes threw a deep pass to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on 2nd & 10 in the fourth quarter when there was one minute and 50 seconds left. Valdes-Scantling caught the ball in front of the end zone, but failed to keep it in control. He fell to the ground and lost the ball, making it an incomplete pass.
Running back D'Andre Swift (top) of the Philadelphia Eagles dives into the end zone to score a touchdown in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, November 20. 2023. /CFP
By contrast, though the Eagles' QB Jalen Hurts threw one interception with no touchdown, his side didn't count on him to score via passing as much as the Chiefs did on Mahomes. When they reached the right spots, the team was capable of scoring drives via rushing. Hurts contributed two touchdowns with carries. Running back D'Andre Swift rushed to score one too, and completed a 35-yard long run in the third quarter before Hurts rushed into the end zone to score and cut their deficit from 10 (17-7) to three points (17-14).