NEW ORLEANS — The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia meet today in the 59th edition of the game Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt dubbed the Super Bowl, and it’s fitting that his franchise is aiming for an NFL-record third-straight W in the game tonight.
Halftime: Eagles 24, Chiefs 0
What went right for the Chiefs in the first half? Virtually nothing. What went wrong in the first half? Virtually everything.
The Kansas City offense has imploded, gathering just 23 yards on 20 carries. They have just one first down. They’ve been outgained 179-23.
And that’s at least the “good” news of the first half, that the defense hasn’t been terrible. Jalen Hurts is just 11-of-15 for 124 yards with two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.
Holding Saquon Barkley to just 12 carries and 31 yards for 2.6 yards per carry should be a leading indicator. And the Eagles as a team have just 23 rushes for 62 yards, a 2.7-yard average.
But the lack of protection for Mahomes, three sacks, and two interceptions have put the team in a terrible situation. The Chiefs wanted to make history tonight. Now they must nearly match Tom Brady’s comeback from 28-3 down to the Atlanta Falcons if they want to capture a third-straight Lombardi Trophy.
First Quarter: Eagles 7, Chiefs 0
Eagles Strike First
Tough four-play sequence for the Chiefs results in the Eagles assuming a 7-0 lead.
On third-and-5, Jalen Hurts took a shot at Dallas Goedert going across on the right side but delivered the throw too high. Trent McDuffie collided with Goedert, and appeared to pull up to avoid more substantial contact. The officials saw it differently, however, flagging McDuffie 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.
After Saquon Barkley tripped for a 1-yard loss, Hurts took a shot deep down the right sideline to Jahan Dotsun, who hauled it in for 27 yards to the Kansas City 1-yard line. Hurts and the Eagles used the “tush push” for a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Coach Andy Reid visibly disputed the call with the officials, arguing the ball was over Dotson’s head and uncatchable. The officials did call unnecessary roughness for forcible contact rather than pass interference, making it more of a judgment call.
Chiefs Win Coin Toss
Playoff captains Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Nick Bolton, Harrison Butker and James Winchester represented the Chiefs for the coin toss. Kansas City won the toss and deferred. The Chiefs will kickoff to open the game and receive the ball opening the second half.
Why is Steven Nelson Inactive?
The standard practice squad elevation is designed for teams to supplement their roster with healthy bodies when injuries arise. But NFL teams also have found they can use the elevation as a reward for players and help them boost their salary and benefits.
For example, when the Chiefs elevated safety Deon Bush and receiver Justyn Ross for the last two games, it helped both players reach service eligibility toward accrued seasons for pension benefits. It also boosted both players’ weekly paychecks and made them both eligible for partial playoff shares.
Nelson is a more interesting case. He also receives a boost in weekly pay from practice squad salary to a prorated veteran minimum salary. That’s a bump from $22,992 to $71,1176, a bonus of almost $50,000.
But there’s another reason to elevate Nelson to the active roster for the game. Even if he doesn’t play, he’s still an active member of the roster. Nelson, a 2015 draft choice, departed as a free agent for Pittsburgh after the 2018 season. He’s never played in a Super Bowl. If the Chiefs win, he gets a ring.
Not the worst reason to sign one of your players to the practice squad late in the season. It’s a really good reason, in fact.
Chiefs Inactive List
- T Wanya Morris
- OT Ethan Driskell
- OG C.J. Hanson
- DE Maik Herring
- DE Joshua Uche
- CB Steven Nelson
- CB Keith Taylor
No surprise here with six of the seven inactive players the same as in the AFC Championship game. The only exception is Nelson, who was elevated from the practice squad. For the AFC title contest, the Chiefs elevated receiver Justyn Ross, who was also inactive.
Harrison Butker Warmups
Butker appeared to make everything inside 59 yards during pregame warmups, including a 59-yard field goal that went through the goal post, cleared the sideline barrier, and landed in the tunnel.
His only misses were wide right from 64 yards and wide left from 59 and 64 yards, although both kicks appeared to have enough distance.
The Chiefs should likely be comfortable with Butker from 59 yards, and possibly up to 65 yards at end-of-half situation
The Chop
The Caesers Superdome audio-video team played the Tomahawk Chop music at 3:19 p.m. as they showed a video of Chiefs players entering the stadium.
Chiefs Healthy
The Chiefs had a short injury list this week with no active players limited or out during practice. Punter Matt Araizi had caught an intestinal bug on Thursday but was a full participant all week. Practice squad defensive tackle Fabien Lovett left Friday’s practice with an illness, according to the pool report. He was not expected to play.
The Chiefs haven’t had any issue with a widespread breakout with illness or flu-like symptoms, a source told Chiefs Digest.\
