The Philadelphia Eagles edged a narrow 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in their Super Bowl rematch at Arrowhead Stadium. Yet Jalen Hurts couldn’t help but get riled up over his and the team’s performance.
The win improved Philadelphia to 2-0 for the season and dropped Kansas City to 0-2 for the first time since 2014.
Still, despite the final scoreline, Eagles quarterback Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni made it clear: the performance wasn’t as sharp as they’d like.
Hurts, while pleased to get the win, was visibly frustrated with certain offensive limitations. The Eagles were outgained in total yardage-the Chiefs logged more than 290 yards to Philly’s 216.
Hurts completed 15 of 22 passes for just 101 yards, and though he added a rushing touchdown, the passing game was held in check. After the game, he stressed that while his team “showed up when we needed to the most,” there is still plenty of room for growth.
Tempers flared when Hurts was mocked by Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones in an exchange caught on the overhead microphone.
“You didn’t even have 100 yards,” Jones groused, to which Hurts shouted back: “We won the f**king game. Shut your a** up!”
Key moments and concerns from a tight win
Several key moments almost cost the Eagles. The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes connected on a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton late in the fourth quarter, trimming what had been a double-digit Eagles lead.
But Philadelphia managed to recover the ensuing onside kick attempt, preserving the win. Three long field goals from Jake Elliott-including a 58-yard gem-helped keep Philadelphia in front, along with running back Saquon Barkley’s 88 rushing yards and his touchdown on the ground.
Defensively, the Eagles held the Chiefs to 294 total yards and forced a pivotal turnover when Andrew Mukuba intercepted Mahomes in the fourth.
Despite that, Hurts admitted the offense didn’t execute explosively in the passing game and summarized his mixed emotions after the game.
“The most important thing is finding a way to win … I think as a team, we showed up when we needed to the most. That’s the most important thing in this league.”
However, Hurts didn’t shy away from acknowledging shortfalls-particularly with generating big plays through the air. The Eagles also struggled to generate yardage through the forecasts of what fans have come to expect from them.
Sirianni acknowledges shortfalls
Coach Nick Sirianni expanded on this: “The pass game’s been efficient, we just haven’t hit the chunks. But, what I would say, in a moment we needed a chunk, we hit the chunk.”
His philosophy emphasizes what he terms the “double positive”-winning both the turnover battle and getting explosive plays. He believes Philadelphia is doing well with protecting the ball and creating takeaways, but explosive pass plays remain few and far between.
Though the Eagles came away with another win, expectations remain elevated after last season’s deep playoff run and Super Bowl victory. With the offense being scrutinized, especially given how defenses will adjust to contain Hurts and Barkley, consistency in generating explosive plays could define whether Philly remains among the NFL’s elite in 2025.
Coming wins, too, are likely to be far tougher. The Eagles will need to improve their downfield passing, avoid overly conservative game planning, and enforce more aggressive offensive concepts.
The defense has been solid-making big stops when required-but explosive offensive production is essential for maximizing championship potential.
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