If you're sitting there wondering how in the world the Kansas City Chiefs managed to lose a game to a Philadelphia Eagles team they were so thoroughly dominating on Monday, you're not alone. Many of the players themselves are trying to figure out how exactly they committed so many mistakes and made so many errors in a primetime showing between the two best teams in the NFL.
On Monday Night Football, the Chiefs hosted the Eagles in a battle of the two teams positioned in first place in their respective conferences at midseason. The Eagles were 8-1 and leading the NFC, while the Chiefs were 7-2 with the same position in the AFC. Both were also coming off of a long bye week, which meant extra rest for everyone.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, the Eagles not only left Arrowhead Stadium with a close victory but they also left K.C. with the same questions they had going into the bye.
The Chiefs tight end admits that they beat themselves on Monday Night Football with numerous issues.
If you watched the Chiefs-Eagles game on Monday, you'll know the Chiefs defense was largely suffocating Jalen Hurts and company for most of the night. They certainly deserve credit for breaking through in the fourth quarter and Devonta Smith and D'Andre Swift played a huge part with big plays at key times. However, by that point the Chiefs could have put away the Eagles if not for a comedy of errors—an issue that K.C. has seen several times before.
Just two games ago, the Chiefs could only conjure up three field goals in a losing effort to the Denver Broncos. While they beat the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 while overseas in Frankfurt, Germany, again it was largely a defensive effort that allowed the team to clinch a victory. That's been the story since Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.
After the game, All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce spoke with reporters in the locker room, and he said what most of us were thinking as we watched the game when asked what's wrong with the offense, "Turnovers. Turnovers and penalties on our end. It’s nothing that they did. It’s all us. "
When pressed by reporters for further information, Kelce reiterated his previously stated points and added that he needs to be a part of the answer going forward. That's good news on a night in which several players were responsible for the loss given their drops. "I just mentioned the turnovers in the second half. I just mentioned the flags. It’s all fixable. We just gotta do it ... I gotta be better. I’m not playing up to the level that I’ve played in the past and I’ve gotta be better."
On a night in which Kelce dropped passes and every wide receiver failed Mahomes in some way, the Chiefs' skill position players are going to need to come together and figure something out in short order. This team doesn't have the margins it once enjoyed.