KC Reporter

The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, aiming to recover from last week's defeat. The team faces several injury challenges, with wide receiver Xavier Worthy ruled out due to a shoulder injury sustained in the previous game. Head Coach Andy Reid stated that surgery or placement on Injured Reserve is not being considered for Worthy at this time. Rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals will also miss Sunday's game, while rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott is expected to return after missing last week with an ankle injury.

For the Eagles, tight end Dallas Goedert will be absent because of a knee injury. Goedert has been a key player in Philadelphia's offense over recent seasons.

Kansas City's offense struggled early in its last outing, punting on its first three drives and gaining only 28 yards after losing Worthy early in the game. The unit improved significantly in the second half, scoring on each of its final five possessions and increasing its efficiency both in total yardage and third-down conversions. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes reflected on the team's slow start: "They definitely came out with more energy than we did," Mahomes said following Friday's game. "In this league, everybody is too good for you to not match the energy of your opponent, so I think we learned a valuable lesson today. We have to be better from the get-go. We're not going to be able to just come back and win every single game…This will be a big lesson for us."

On defense, Philadelphia enters with notable changes compared to last season’s Super Bowl LIX matchup against Kansas City. Defensive contributors such as Milton Williams and Josh Sweat are no longer with the team; both played significant roles previously but departed during the offseason. Several members of last year's secondary are also gone, including C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay.

Despite these roster adjustments, standouts like defensive tackle Jalen Carter remain part of an effective defensive group for Philadelphia. In Week 1, however, Dallas managed offensive success by limiting negative plays and penalties while excelling on third downs against the Eagles’ defense.

Philadelphia continues to control games through possession-based football—last year leading the NFL in time of possession and ranking high in rushing yards per game as well as extended drives lasting five minutes or more. In their season opener, they maintained similar performance levels by rushing for 158 yards and holding onto possession for nearly 35 minutes.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ ability to scramble contributed significantly; he converted multiple long-yardage situations into first downs using his mobility. For Kansas City’s defense on Sunday, preventing short-yardage opportunities will be critical.

Historically under Mahomes' leadership, Kansas City has responded strongly after losses—the quarterback holds a 19-4 record following defeats—and boasts one of the best home records since 2018 (.776 winning percentage). The Chiefs have won 12 straight home games since late 2023.

Mahomes commented on playing at Arrowhead Stadium: "I think if you're playing your first game at [GEHA Field at] Arrowhead [Stadium] against the reigning Super Bowl champions, there's got to be some extra juice," he said. "So, there's no reason you should come out flat this game."

The Chiefs aim to extend their home success as they host Philadelphia in an early marquee matchup of the season.