Eagles grades: The Birds defense gets high marks for limiting Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 21-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night:

Jalen Hurts was still wearing a soft brace on his injured knee, and though he suggested that the bye week was just what the doctor ordered, he still looked hampered. But it was his apprehensiveness in the pocket that really made it difficult for the Eagles offense for much of the night.

The steady rain didn’t help either quarterback. But Hurts & Co. somehow found the will to win. Most of the film won’t be pretty, but he had two big fourth-quarter tosses to DeVonta Smith that set up his go-ahead Brotherly Shove touchdown.

Hurts also threw his ninth interception of the season. He has three more than last year and matched his career high set in 2021. The pick wasn’t all his fault, at least that’s the way it appeared. A.J. Brown, his intended receiver, had beaten his man, but Hurts clearly threw short for a reason and might have been expecting more of an “in” route.

D’Andre Swift was one of the few Eagles to show up on offense — until the end. His 17-yard burst on an outside-zone run, followed by a 4-yard bounce outside into the end zone, was the team’s first score. He had several other tough carries, and a 35-yard jet sweep in the third quarter got the Eagles back into the contest.

He finished the night with 76 yards on 12 totes. The Eagles tried to utilize two-back personnel, but the results weren’t game changing. Kenneth Gainwell just hasn’t been productive enough to warrant his over-usage.

Brown was locked down for most of the night. The passing game was never in rhythm, mostly because of pass-protection issues. But the Eagles’ most explosive weapon had just one catch for 8 yards, and Smith was easily the Eagles’ most productive receiver. With the Chiefs taking away Brown with bracket coverage for long periods, Smith made two huge back-to-back catches for 13 and 41 yards that set up the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth.

The Eagles employed some four-receiver sets that got Julio Jones and Olamide Zaccheaus on the field more than normal with tight end Dallas Goedert out, but neither did much in the passing game. Tight ends Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Albert Okwuegbunam were mostly blockers.

The Eagles’ ballyhooed O-line really struggled in pass protection for long stretches, but they figured out something at the break. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo schemed up a bunch of exotic pressures that confused the front and Hurts, who was sacked five times in the first half. Hurts wasn’t sacked in the second half, though.

Jason Kelce didn’t have one of his better outings in terms of setting the protections. It wasn’t all on the center, of course. I’ll get to the coaches later on. Kelce did have a sweet pulling lead block on Swift’s 17-yarder and he led the way on Hurts’ touchdown draw in the third. Right guard Cam Jurgens returned from a five-game absence and appeared to help resurrect the run game. He and right tackle Lane Johnson had some issues picking up various pressures on their side.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones wrecked a bunch of plays, including a sack when Johnson was expecting a screen pass that never materialized. Landon Dickerson might have been charged for a second-quarter Jones sack, but it was an awful long time for the left guard to hold his block. Left tackle Jordan Mailata took a late holding penalty.

The Eagles’ run defense allowed 121 yards in the first half. It didn’t allow more than 107 yards in any of their first nine games. It felt like a repeat of the Super Bowl, but in reverse, because the unit was more sound in the second half and helped propel the Eagles’ comeback.

The pass rush, on the other hand, came out hot. Haason Reddick burned the edge for a sack on the second play from scrimmage, making up for the doughnut he put up in the Super Bowl, partly because of the slippery field. He later had a strong rush that prompted a holding flag.

Josh Sweat committed two first-half pre-snap penalties. He did draw a holding penalty and could have gotten another on Patrick Mahomes’ first touchdown pass. Rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter had a quiet night, as did nose tackle Jordan Davis against the run. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox got juked by Mahomes on a scramble that the quarterback walked the tightrope for 14 yards. He also took a roughing-the-passer personal foul late in the game.

Milton Williams seemed like the only Eagles defender committed to stopping the run early on. Brandon Graham played in his 188th game with the Eagles, matching the franchise record set by kicker David Akers.

Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham have to fall on the sword, as well, for the Eagles’ leaky run defense. With Nakobe Dean out maybe for the season following foot surgery, it was only those two as the off-ball linebackers. They were more efficient in pass coverage and helped clog the middle where Travis Kelce often does a lot of his damage. Cunningham had a pass breakup in the fourth. But when you hold Mahomes and the Chiefs to zero second-half points you have to be doing something right.

Darius Slay got de-cleated by receiver Rashee Rice on an early screen. He also took a costly pass-interference penalty in the third. But the veteran cornerback also had a couple of pass breakups and kept the outside receivers from catching chunk-yard passes.

James Bradberry rebounded from one of his worst games in Eagles green, and while he didn’t exactly exorcise his game-clinching penalty in the Super Bowl, he mostly acquitted himself. Bradley Roby punched the ball out of Travis Kelce’s hands for a key red-zone turnover in the fourth. The slot corner was toasted late, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a would-be game-winning touchdown pass.

Eli Ricks played in the slot on third downs and didn’t appear to allow any big plays.

Kevin Byard had an uneven evening, probably with more down arrows than up. He appeared to blow the coverage on the Chiefs’ first touchdown when tight end Watson was left alone in the back of the end zone. He did rebound with a nice undercutting interception of Mahomes in the end zone in the second but got picked in a man coverage-beating touchdown pass to Travis Kelce.

The world-class tight end didn’t go off, but Andy Reid and Mahomes found other ways to beat the Eagles. Reed Blankenship continued to be one of the more consistent performers on defense. Sydney Jones was in the post in certain packages. He was targeted on a couple of Watson third-down conversions.

Britain Covey had a strong game with three punt returns for 53 yards. The Eagles’ punt cover unit was shaky, but Josh Jobe made a huge tackle late in the fourth. It allowed a 21-yard return in the first half when Sydney Brown and Christian Elliss had missed tackles. The conditions were tough, and punter Braden Mann had another low kick that was returned later for 16 yards. But he also had a 63-yard boot. Jake Elliott made all his kicks and touchbacked all his kickoffs.

Hey, a win’s a win and the Eagles did so against the defending champions on the road in miserable conditions. And they did so after trailing by 17-7 at the half after an equally miserable performance in the first 30 minutes. But give head coach Nick Sirianni credit. He somehow got his charges to respond in the second half and move to an NFL-best 9-1.

Defensive coordinator Sean Desai deserves his share. It wasn’t pretty in the first half and the Chiefs had some bad red-zone turnovers, but his pass defense held Mahomes to a 71.6 passer rating. Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson had a bunch of questionable calls. Spagnuolo was often a step ahead. But he figured out something late, found ways to get the ball to Swift and Smith, and helped eke out the victory.