The Philadelphia Eagles kickstarted their NFL season with a win over the Cowboys and now face a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs. This is already a big game from just about every conceivable angle, but there's something lying under the surface making it that much more salivating.
The relationship between the two teams needs no introduction. From Andy Reid's incredible run as Chiefs HC following his Eagles departure, to the arrival of Doug Pederson, one of Reids' proteges, and of course, the two Super Bowl clashes, this is a game that already carried heavyweight status.
But let's cast our minds back to 2018. The Eagles ended the dynasty of the New England Patriots, dethroning one of the all-time greats at both Quarterback and Head Coach in miraculous fashion. That team was never the same since.
Then, following the rise of Kansas City and the more 'celebrity' like appeal the team garnered, a growing distain arose as the franchise continued to break records and win AFC Championships and Lombardi rings alike. That all came to a grinding halt when Philadelphia beat the wheels off them on the biggest stage to claim their second Super Bowl crown.
But following that, the Chiefs have been...in a strange spot. Their wide receiver room, once filled with stars and speed, has been replaced with fallen kings and underdogs. Travis Kelce isn't getting older, and the backfield remains as unproductive as it was last year despite such an insistence on establishing the run.
Going into week 1, the reigning AFC Champs were favored against the Chargers, only to get the wind knocked out of their sails by Justin Herbert and company. Now, they face the Eagles. A team who embarrassed them in February, and could well be the franchise to end one of the most remarkable records in history.
Since being drafted, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has never lost 3 consecutive games. Now, there is a chance that not only the record snaps, but it does so at the hands of the Eagles, who would have accounted for TWO of those wins.
To lose the Super Bowl in such pathetic fashion, to lose in week 1 against the Chargers, and then potentially embarrassed once more by the team who broke your hearts a few months ago, it's a genuine question to wonder whether or not what's left of the Chiefs would be able to recover from yet another iron-like blow.
It's not to say that the Chiefs can't rebound, but their Super Bowl run last year was one many deemed improbable given the talent disparity compared to the Bills, Ravens, and Bengals. Now they sit humbled, winded, and vulnerable as they return to the foe who humiliated them in the first place.
A win in week 2 might just be another game to the Eagles, but in the grander scheme of things, it could be a victory that might just expedite a downward spiral that the Chiefs have been able to avoid for multiple years now.
Philadelphia Eagles - legend killers. It has a nice 'ring' to it, don't you think?
