It may not have been perfect, but the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense held the Kansas City Chiefs to under 300 yards and about five yards per play. The offense still has issues to iron out, but the defense carried them in this one. Let’s look at why!
Defense
This first clip is a reminder that no one who breaks down film has all the answers. This game in particular reminded me of why I enjoy breaking down the film. There were so many plays that were interesting to analyse in this one. Let’s start here. I’m pretty certain that the Eagles were in Cover 6 (quarter-quarter-half) here, which put Cooper DeJean in squat technique with responsibility for the flat. Even so, an experienced outside cornerback would have sunk with more depth to help take away the corner route before rallying down. This isn’t a “bad” play, but I think DeJean plays this incorrectly. DeJean’s understanding of leverage from the nickel spot is usually outstanding, and it did highlight why I’ve been hesitant to move him outside full-time. The techniques are different, and his instincts are just too good in the slot to move him. The Eagles got away with one here.
One of my only real frustrations with Vic Fangio’s scheme is how it sometimes treats quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, who are good athletes but not ‘elite’ runners. He’s not Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, but he’s mobile enough to punish sloppy rush lanes. He rushed seven times for 66 yards in this game, and most of those were straightforward scrambles. The defense just didn’t seem to respect his rushing ability at all. The coverage behind was good, but rush integrity was missing, leaving acres of space up the middle. Fangio often has specific plans for “elite runners,” but against QBs like Mahomes, it can feel like he underestimates the threat.
This was Fangio at his best. The Eagles sent five often in this game, and Kansas City consistently failed to pick them up. Here, Jihaad Campbell rotated post-snap and freed up Jalyx Hunt completely untouched. Sending five against seven and creating a free runner is exactly what you want. To top it off, Zack Baun read the quick throw instantly and stopped it cold. The Chiefs’ offense was so unsettled because they could not figure out who was rushing and who was dropping. It was beautiful to see.
Watching both offenses back-to-back made one thing clear: Jalen Hurts handled the blitz better than Mahomes did. On this play, Mahomes had a quick slant available, but never saw Andrew Mukuba coming off the edge. When the Chiefs blitzed, the Eagles knew who the rusher was and had a plan the majority of the time. The Chiefs did not. Fangio dialled it up beautifully, and as the Chiefs couldn’t predict who was coming, it meant Mahomes was slow to get to his hot route. This was the theme of the first half: confusion, free rushers, and Mahomes holding onto the ball longer than usual.
What more can you say about Cooper DeJean? He was sensational again. I am enjoying watching him this year so much. His instincts, his ability to flow to the flat, and his open-field tackling were all elite. Every week, he looks more and more like a superstar nickel corner in this system. It’s not just recognition, but it’s his ability to trigger instantly and finish tackles that make him stand out.
And just a few snaps later, he blew up a screen. This is so good. The Chiefs tried to have JuJu Smith-Schuster block him, but DeJean sliced straight past and made the tackle for no gain. In today’s NFL, where so many offenses attack horizontally with bubbles and quick screens, having a nickel who can consistently blow them up is an enormous schematic advantage.
By contrast, this was a poor look for Jakorian Bennett. He had decent coverage here (and I thought he looked fine when he played – although he is still incredibly grabby in coverage), but when Mahomes broke the pocket, Bennett couldn’t get off his block and allowed him to score. To be fair, Jalen Carter didn’t look fully fit either (conditioning is something Fangio even mentioned this week), so the front and pass rush didn’t help Bennett out. But Bennett has to be stronger at the point of attack if he wants more snaps. This was a poor rep.
One of the highlights of the game from Mukuba again. The Chiefs ran a crossing concept, and normally, the Eagles pass off crossing routes to underneath defenders. But here it was on Mukuba to carry it the whole way, and he did it brilliantly. He had to get through traffic, across the field, and make the tackle in space. I don’t think a safety that hasn’t played cornerback could do this. That versatility is priceless in Fangio’s system as it increases the variety of coverages you can run.
This 4th-and-1 stop was one of the big plays of the game. Kansas City pulled the center into Nolan Smith, which was never going to work. Smith destroyed it, while Davis and Carter filled up the inside. Fangio went with a six-man front, as he often does in these moments, and the Chiefs had nowhere to go. This is perfect situational football. I love how aggressive Fangio gets in these short-yardage situations.
Even when Carter wasn’t at full strength, he flashed signs of his dominance. His power still collapses pockets, and he made plays even without his best conditioning. I also thought this was a really promising debut for Za’Darius Smith. Considering he only just signed, he played hard, looked strong in limited snaps against the run, and had a couple of nice rushes. His role is only going to expand. I think we might look back at his signing as a big moment in this season.
The biggest play of the night was Mukuba’s interception. Yes, it came from a Travis Kelce drop, but you only make those plays if you’re in the right spot and take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes. His instincts took him there, and he turned a mistake into a game-changing turnover. The Eagles lost C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason, who, despite his faults, was a playmaker, but Mukuba looks like the new playmaker in this secondary. He is still finding his feet in coverage, but I think he is going to make some big plays this year.
The last couple of drives did highlight that this team still has some issues to sort out on the back end. On this one, Reed Blankenship covered the deep out as designed, but Adoree’ Jackson was caught between routes and collided with him, creating a bust. It was unfortunate, but also a reminder that this secondary is still learning its spacing in Fangio’s quarters coverages. Can you imagine the response online from certain people in the media if Hurts misses this throw?
This final coverage bust was the trickiest to study. The Chiefs’ late motion confused the Eagles, and Quinyon Mitchell was a step late matching the vertical. His recovery speed nearly bailed him out, but I think he spent too long eyeing the wheel, which DeJean already had covered. If he gets his eyes inside quicker, this play doesn’t happen. I know others may blame Blankenship for covering the crossing route or Mukuba for being in no man’s land, but I think this one is on Quinyon.
Overall, this was a really strong defensive performance. They disguised pressures brilliantly, Baun and DeJean were superb, and Mukuba showed playmaking traits that could help this defense a lot this year. There were some coverage busts late, but with so many new pieces in this defense (including 2 new members in the secondary), that’s to be expected. If this game was any indication, this defense is going to have a lot more games like this in 2025.
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