The Eagles fly away with a pivotal win in the race for #1 overall in the NFC, 21-17, shutting out the Chiefs in the second half fueled by Philly's high-powered defense.
The long-awaited Superbowl LVII rematch lived up to the hype, at least I think it did? It wasn't exactly a high-flying matchup like we may have anticipated but nonetheless, a gritty, hard-fought win for the Eagles (21-17) as Jalen Hurts statistically had his worst game of the season (14/22, 179 Total Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT). After two consecutive three-and-outs to kick off the night, the Chiefs went to work on the ground, partly due to the rain-soaked, dismal outlook in the forecast, and partly because Pacheco looked like a man shot out of a cannon early on, totaling 91 yards on the day and setting up Mahomes for a short TD pass to Justin Watson in the back of the end zone (7-0). The Eagles didn't take long to answer as they too took strongly to the ground game after an electric 17+ yard run from D'Andre Swift right before a 4-yard plunge into the end zone (7-7). That's what you call..Answered.
Tale of Two Halves
The Chiefs took a stranglehold on the first half to the tune of 17-7 but shockingly that's the last points they would score for the rest of the night as Philly went 14-0 in the second half to clinch the win and cement themselves further as the true NFC #1, one game ahead of Detroit (8-2). All praise given to the tremendous defensive masterclass put on by the Eagles, as they forced two redzone takeaways, an interception from Kevin Byard, and a punched ball fumble out of the hands of Travis Kelce from corner Bradley Roby.
Smith Called GAME
The go-ahead winner came on a 40-yard deep ball to Devonta Smith midway through the 4th that got him a yard from the end zone. I bet you could guess what happened next...the brotherly shove saw Hurts reach across the goal line on what would be the winning play, but the drama didn't stop there.
The Drop
MVS will not soon forget the play that almost was...After back to back three-and-outs on the Chief's final drive, Mahomes reached back and launched a moonshot that I will say wasn't a perfect ball but one that could have resulted in a game-winning TD if Valdes-Scantling could have reeled it in, a heartbreaking moment for the Chiefs and a sigh of relief for the Eagles.
A tale of two halves, and a tale of two brothers, till next time Eagles and Chiefs, we hope you meet again.
GAME LEADERS
Passing
PHI QB Jalen Hurts: 14/22. 150 yards, 1 INT
KC QB Patrick Mahomes: 24/43, 177 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
PHI RB D'Andre Swift: 12 rushes, 76 yards, 1 TD
KC RB Isiah Pacheco: 19 rushes, 89 yards
Receiving
PHI WR DeVonta Smith: 6 rec., 99 yards
KC TE Justin Watson: 5 rec., 53 yards, 1 TD
