If any team should be licking their chops at a chance to change perception, it should be the losing team. Instead, if you listen to Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, it's the winning team from last year's championship that's hungry to prove something more against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.
The Chiefs are scheduled to host the Eagles on Monday Night Football in a primetime showdown featuring both teams from last year's Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs won that game by a final of 38-35 in one of the greatest games in playoff history, and while the win is treasured, McDuffie says the Chiefs defense isn't proud after giving up so many points last winter.
McDuffie and the Chiefs' defense are a remade unit in 2023, a group that has come together with a mix of veteran coaches and young players to form one of the NFL's best through the season's first half. Even as the Chiefs' offense has sputtered at times, its defense has carried the team to multiple wins. Just one look at the way they manhandled the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt in Week 9 shows how far this defense has come.
The Chiefs defense is hungry to show they've improved in their rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
McDuffie appeared on the Adam Schefter podcast to discuss the upcoming primetime matchup between the conference powers. On the show, McDuffie admitted that the Chiefs cannot depend on last February's results to inform this year's contest.
"You definitely have to look at it as a different experience, because they’re a different team and we’re a different team. One of the big things Coach Spags said this morning, he hinted back to last Super Bowl and he said, ‘I don't know about you guys, but they put up 35 points against us.’ And I know this year’s defense, we’re like, ’None of that.’ We are not trying to give up points. So there’s definitely that stigma, that even though we won, that wasn’t our best defense. We still have something to prove."
When asked by Schefter about potentially allowing another 35 points, McDuffie wasn't having it. "I don’t care if we win or lose, if we let up 35 points, yeah, there’s definitely going to be a lot of sour faces coming into next week."
McDuffie went on to praise the Eagles for the talent they have up and down the roster. "They’re a great offense. They’re a great offense. They’re efficient. They’ve got Jalen Hurts. They’ve got the tush push. They’ve got A.J. Brown. It’s gonna be a matchup.
"But one thing I know with this matchup and being around the guys is we love games like these," he continues. "I mean, you gotta love a Monday Night Football game against the No. 1 team in the NFC. It’s a showdown, man. This is why we’re in the NFL—games like this."