Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Chiefs in Week 2: What you need to know and a prediction

The Eagles travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Week 2 matchup at Arrowhead Stadium 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know about the game:

In the Super Bowl, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo concentrated his unit’s efforts on slowing running back Saquon Barkley and took his chances against quarterback Jalen Hurts and the passing game. Spoiler alert: Hurts gashed Kansas City with his arms and his legs whenever he dropped. I can’t imagine Spags dials up a similar game plan seven months later, but he can’t forget about the run game.

The Eagles’ best recipe remains establishing Barkley on the ground. They didn’t do a great job of that in the opener. They leaned too heavily on two- and three-tight end sets and it allowed the Cowboys to stack the box and play downhill, especially when Kevin Patullo’s play-calling didn’t take advantage with play-action throws downfield. The Eagles demolished defenses running out of three-wideout sets last season, so it would behoove Patullo to go back to that formula.

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The other way he can improve upon last week’s effort is to simply throw more passes to receivers A.J. Brown (one catch for 8 yards) and DeVonta Smith (three catches for 16 yards). Duh. With tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) ruled out, it’s even more imperative they get going. The Cowboys may have clouded Brown on deeper routes, but it’s almost as if Patullo forgot what his top receiver can do with the ball in his hands.

The Chiefs may have ace cornerback Trent McDuffie follow Brown, but that puts them in man coverage and the Eagles would love that. If they go zone as Dallas did on every play, there likely needs to be more aggression in terms of scheme and execution. Kansas City’s Jaden Hicks would be the guy I’d go after. The nickel safety got toasted for two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ season-opening loss to the Chargers.

Spags is a master of pre-snap disguise. Hurts has to be cognizant of Chiefs safeties rotating late into his count and also where the blitzes will come. And the Jim Johnson protégé will most definitely blitz. Spags sent extra rushers at San Diego quarterback Justin Herbert on 41.5% of his drops and had relative success. The Eagles struggled to adjust to the Cowboys’ pressures off the edge. I could see the Chiefs going after Barkley, who had trouble picking up blitzes in Week 1.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Chiefs film: Spying Mahomes, handling exotic blitzes, and other keys in the Super Bowl rematch

If there’s one guy on Kansas City’s line to zero in on, it’s Chris Jones. The defensive tackle can wreck a game. Jones will line up almost anywhere. With right guard Tyler Steen the newbie, left guard Landon Dickerson dealing with a back injury, and backup Brett Toth a chinstrap away, center Cam Jurgens may need to slide protection to wherever Jones is rushing from.

The Chiefs received good news when receiver Xavier Worthy was cleared to practice on Thursday, but he was ruled out for Sunday. Worthy left the opener with a dislocated right shoulder and it hampered a unit that was already without the suspended Rashee Rice. Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are capable veterans, but neither is going to instill fear in a defensive secondary.

The guy throwing them the ball — Patrick Mahomes — is the one the Eagles are worried about, even if he looked mortal in the Super Bowl. Any quarterback pressured as much as Mahomes was in New Orleans will struggle. Can defensive coordinator Vic Fangio replicate that magic again?

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley: ‘Being patient’ against Chiefs will be key to getting Eagles’ rushing attack back on track

The Eagles look different up front, but they still have horses and their main thoroughbred should be available after getting ejected before the first snap vs. the Cowboys. Jalen Carter wasn’t suspended by the NFL for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, and the educated guess here is that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni doesn’t punish him with less playing time.

The Chiefs’ two best offensive linemen — center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith — spent most of the Super Bowl doubling Carter, which allowed the Eagles’ other defensive linemen to binge on lesser blockers in one-on-ones. Kansas City addressed the issue by replacing the left side of the line, but edge rushers Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Co. should have opportunities to get to Mahomes vs. tackles Jawaan Taylor and rookie Josh Simmons.

Fangio didn’t blitz once in the Super Bowl, which was a luxury against one of the best. But if the Eagles’ front can’t generate enough pressure on its own, that could leave some of the weaker spots in the secondary exposed. As of Tuesday, Fangio said cornerback Adoree’ Jackson would remain a starter. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jakorian Bennett in his place. Either way, expect Mahomes to go after whomever is opposite Quinyon Mitchell or which young safety — Andrew Mukuba and Sydney Brown — is opposite Reed Blankenship.

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Brown could be susceptible in base personnel if the Chiefs throw out of two-tight end sets. The Eagles have traditionally used a safety or slot cornerback to cover or bracket Travis Kelce, but rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell may be able to stay with the Hall of Fame-bound tight end. Kelce has lost a half step, but his chemistry with Mahomes still makes him a threat.

This will be the fifth meeting between the Eagles and Chiefs in the last four seasons — an unprecedented amount over that span for teams from different conferences over the last few decades. Kansas City won the first two, while the Eagles claimed the last two. They split in the regular season and the Super Bowl. Andy Reid often gets the nod in coaching matchups, but Sirianni has built up his cred. The Eagles won at Arrowhead two years ago and Sirianni gloated as he walked into the tunnel. It wasn’t his finest moment, and his team would soon collapse, but he had the last laugh a year later in New Orleans. Or was it the last? His team still has more overall talent than the Chiefs, who looked out of sorts in their Brazil opener. I don’t feel confident in picking Reid’s squad, but I’m sticking with my predictions before the season until I get one wrong.

Prediction: Chiefs 26, Eagles 24