The Kansas City Chiefs came Week 2 as underdogs at home, a very rare occurrence for a team with five Super Bowl appearances in the last six seasons. However, the Philadelphia Eagles are the reigning champs, and their talented roster demands that level of respect.
As it turns out, oddsmakers knew what they were doing. The Chiefs suffered a 20-17 defeat at home and are now 0-2 in the basement of the AFC West. It's the first time in Mahomes' career that he's lost the first two games of a season, and the Chiefs must take a long look in the mirror after such a depressing offensive effort one week after an abysmal defensive showing.
So what are Chiefs fans to take away from the this failed Super Bowl rematch? We've got a few winners and losers here from a frustrating Week 2 showing at Arrowhead.
Winner: Patrick Mahomes
Even the most hyperbolic statements feel like they fall short of describing Patrick Mahomes' impact at this point. No Rashee Rice. No Xavier Worthy. Even Hollywood Brown needed to hit the sidelines for a spell (see below). Mahomes was still working his magic both on the ground and through the air.
The Chiefs know they will go as far as Patrick Mahomes will carry them, but it feels like there's a front office dare at work to see just how heavy a load he can manage. From truck-stick hits to scrambling heroics to dazzling throws while working with a limited deck, Mahomes was single-handedly bringing this offense to the brink of a win over the team that crushed them in Super Bowl LIX.
Loser: Chiefs training staff
It was sad to see the Chiefs' training staff saddled with so much work on Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs came into the game rife with injuries, and it only took a few minutes for things to get much worse, especially on the defensive side.
In the first quarter, the Chiefs lost both defensive end Mike Danna and cornerback Kristian Fulton to injuries. At first, Danna was designated as questionable to return while Fulton was doubtful. After a few minutes, both were downgraded to out. Left tackle Josh Simmons sought attention on the sidelines in the first half, while wide receiver Hollywood Brown was also nursing a short-term concern.
For a team waiting on so many to come back, it was frustrating to see more injury fallout on Sunday.
Winner: Steve Spagnuolo
After opening the season with a disastrous effort in Brazil that allowed Justin Herbert to put up MVP-level numbers, Steve Spagnuolo's unit made life incredibly difficult for Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and anyone else on Philly's offense.
Spagnuolo called a great game, and even when he lost key players to injury, rookie performers stepped up with admirable efforts—from Omarr Norman-Lott's key sack of Hurts to Nohl Williams on the boundary to Ashton Gillotte's impressive efforts along the defensive front.
It's frustrating that Spags' work came in a losing effort, because the defense really did show up in Week 2, especially the secondary. That's at least an encouraging sign going forward.
Losers: The Officiating
Only losers talk about the refs. It's true. And we'll admit as much.
The Chiefs offensive game plan was weak for so much of the game. Execution was poor. Timing was off. Penalties. Against a talented team like the Eagles, you can't make silly mistakes and the Chiefs shot themselves in the foot offensively on multiple occasions.
That said, it's sad that a major talking point from this game is going to be the officiating. The Tush Push is a perfectly legal play, but it should only count if the Eagles run it, well, legally. Instead, Philly's offensive interior was clearly offsides on multiple occasions, and even those calling the game—Tom Brady—pointed it out clearly.
The Chiefs didn't lose because of the refs, but the refs made themselves a talking point. That makes them losers as well.
Winner: Matt Araiza
It says something when a punter is listed among the winners in a game, but it's been a very good thing that Matt Araiza has been there for the Chiefs when they've needed him these first couple of weeks of the 2025 season. From placement to power, Araiza has really shown some greater accuracy to accompany that legendary booming leg, and it's made a real difference in field position for the Chiefs.
Loser (somewhat): Travis Kelce
We're watching Travis Kelce's season with great interest, knowing it could be his final season in the NFL. That's what made it so heartening to see him come down with a touchdown catch in Week 1 (even in a losing effort) and another productive day in Week 2 against the Eagles with 4 catches for 61 yards.
Unfortunately, Kelce's day going to be mostly remembered for coughing up a very catchable ball that would have capped a hard-fought drive in the fourth quarter with a touchdown. Instead, Kelce bobbled a relatively easy catch and it bounced into the waiting hands of Eagles DB Andrew Mukuba, who took it back 40 yards.
Winner: Josh Simmons
On the aforementioned interception by Mukuba, the Eagles looked like they were well on their way to a pick-six that would deflate all of the momentum at Arrowhead. However, first-round offensive tackle Josh Simmons had other plans.
On a play in which Simmons reached a reported 18+ miles per hour, Simmons found a way to add a cape to his Chiefs uniform with a heroic tackle of Mukuba after running him down. It was a thrilling play that not only saved a touchdown but made him an instant legend among fans, as if he wasn't already.
Losers: The ground game
It's hard to be a fan of the Chiefs' offseason plan to bolster the backfield, but the hope was that a fresh Kareem Hunt and a returning Isiah Pacheco would yield much greater dividends than this, especially with the addition of Brashard Smith. As it turns out, the Chiefs couldn't get anything moving on the ground—unless it was Mahomes on the run.
The Chiefs averaged 2.9 yards/carry on the afternoon on anyone rushing the football not named Mahomes. Pacheco had 10 carries for 22 yards. Kareem Hunt had 8 carries for 31 yards. It was not pretty.
Much of that was in short-yardage situations, and that's noteworthy, but both Pacheco and Hunt were also liabilities when given the ball in space on short passes, with zero ability to make a defender miss. The backfield is perhaps the least dynamic in football at this point, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if Brett Veach goes looking for help.