The Kansas City Chiefs steamrolled through the NFL last season, marching out to a 15-2 record and advancing to the Super Bowl for a third straight year.
The march came to an end in the Super Bowl, where they met a Philadelphia Eagles team deep with weapons on offense and aggressive on defense, suffering a blowout loss.
The Chiefs face a new challenge when they meet the Eagles again in Week 2, looking to avoid an 0-2 start while finding a way to contend with Philadelphia’s talented offense. Running back Saquon Barkley outlined the challenge the Chiefs will face.
Saquon Barkley Lays it Out for Kansas City
Speaking to reporters this week, the All-Pro running back noted his team’s well-rounded offense and the difficulties opposing defenses face in trying to stop them. Focusing in on grounding the run game only opens opportunities for Jalen Hurts and the team’s talented wide receivers. Stopping Hurts through the air opens lanes for Barkley.
âIt’s not the first time a team’s going to try to stop us,â Barkley said, via SI.com. âTeams tried to stop us last year. No one was really successful besides in the Super Bowl, to be honest. But it opens up a lot of stuff. And we still have a threat at quarterback when he can throw the ball and run the ball, too.”
Barkley said it’s a “beautiful” thing for the Eagles — and a headache for opposing defenses.
âAnd that’s the beauty about playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. We have so much talent and you take away one thing, we have the opportunity to hurt you in another,” he said. “But that’s just a mindset. Whatever it takes to win football games, whether they stack the box or they don’t. But if you don’t stack the box, I will make you pay for it. that’s just how I feel.â
Eagles Still in for a Challenge
Barkley still does not believe it will be easy to take down a Chiefs team motivated by their Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs didn’t lose a second game until Week 18 last season, when they rested Patrick Mahomes and most other starters in preparation of the start of the playoffs.
The Chiefs are now trying to avoid falling into an early hole in a competitive conference, and Barkley said Kansas City’s defense looks just as good and just as aggressive as they were in the Super Bowl.
âSame thing,â he said. âWhat I knew going into the Super Bowl and definitely what I experienced in the Super Bowl: They’re really good. They’re really good. For me, I look forward to it.â
Barkley added that he looks to take advantage of undisciplined defensive fronts, but that’s not generally the case with the Chiefs.
âThe (Chiefs) don’t really do that,” he said. “So it forces me to be disciplined, take what they give me, not only in the run game but just in the offense in general. Being patient, that’s kind of the thing for us this week. And when we get the opportunity, make a play for it.â
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