Chiefs Look to Avoid Historic 0-2 Start in Super Bowl LIX Rematch Against Eagles
The ghosts of New Orleans still haunt the Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes can’t escape the memories, no matter how hard he tries. The three-time Super Bowl champion has watched the tape of Super Bowl LIX “at least once” since that crushing 40-22 defeat to Philadelphia, and probably a few more times during the summer. This week, as Kansas City prepares to host the Eagles in a Week 2 showdown, those painful highlights have been on repeat once again.
“I watch every game. You have to learn from it,” Mahomes said this week, his voice carrying the weight of that February nightmare. “It sucks that you lose the game, but in order to progress and be better next time, you have to watch and learn from it.”
The learning curve has been steep, and frankly, it’s not getting any easier.
A Season on the Brink Already
Seven months after watching the Eagles celebrate a championship on the Caesars Superdome turf, the Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Their season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil was supposed to be a statement game, a chance to show the world that Kansas City was ready to bounce back from that Super Bowl humiliation.
Instead, it turned into a 27-21 disaster that exposed every flaw this team hoped they’d addressed. The offense sputtered without key weapons. The defense looked confused. And for the first time in his career, Mahomes is staring down the possibility of starting a season 0-2.
The last time Kansas City opened with two straight losses was 2014, Andy Reid’s second season in charge, when they fell to Tennessee and Denver. That team missed the playoffs entirely. The last time Mahomes was part of an 0-2 team? His sophomore year of high school in 2011.
Frustrations Boiling Over
The Brazil game revealed more than just on-field struggles. Tempers flared between teammates in ways we rarely see from this typically composed Chiefs squad. Travis Kelce got in the face of right tackle Jawaan Taylor after his fourth penalty of the game. Linebacker Drue Tranquill lit into defensive tackle Chris Jones after a costly missed assignment allowed the Chargers to seal the victory.
“Everybody in there still loves each other,” linebacker Nick Bolton insisted. “No rifts or anything like that.”
However, actions speak louder than diplomatic words, and the body language in Brazil suggested a team feeling the pressure of expectations and the sting of that Super Bowl loss more than anyone wants to admit.
The Eagles Advantage
Philadelphia arrives at Arrowhead Stadium riding high after dismantling Dallas 31-20 in their opener. While the Eagles weren’t perfect, they showed the kind of balanced attack that overwhelmed Kansas City in New Orleans. Jalen Hurts looked sharp, their defense created turnovers, and Saquon Barkley reminded everyone why he was such a coveted free agent signing.
More concerning for Chiefs fans, the Eagles have figured out how to beat Mahomes and company. They’ve won seven straight games overall and three consecutive matchups against Kansas City, including that Super Bowl demolition where they led 24-0 at halftime and 34-0 in the third quarter.
Depleted Weapons
The Chiefs’ offensive struggles become even more troubling when you consider their current receiving corps situation. Xavier Worthy is nursing a shoulder injury and his status remains questionable. Rashee Rice continues to serve his suspension. Jalen Royals is dealing with a knee issue.
That leaves Marquise “Hollywood” Brown as the de facto number one receiver, a role he’s never been asked to fill consistently in his career. While Brown showed flashes against the Chargers with 10 catches for 99 yards, asking him to carry the entire passing attack against Philadelphia’s aggressive defense seems like a tall order.
The pressure falls on Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster to step up, but both players showed their age and limitations in Brazil. The Chiefs desperately need someone to emerge as a reliable target, or this offense could struggle to move the ball consistently against a hungry Eagles defense.
Historic Implications
Sunday’s matchup carries historical significance beyond the Super Bowl rematch angle. According to NFL research, this game will mark the first time in league history that two quarterbacks who have defeated each other in the Super Bowl will face off in a regular season game. Mahomes beat Hurts in Super Bowl LVII, while Hurts returned the favor in Super Bowl LIX.
That bit of trivia might seem insignificant, but it underscores the personal stakes for both signal callers. For Hurts, it’s a chance to prove that February wasn’t a fluke. For Mahomes, it’s about redemption and avoiding a historically bad start to the season.
The Path Forward
The Chiefs have built their recent dynasty on resilience and clutch performances when it matters most. They’ve never been a team to panic after one bad game. But this feels different. The Super Bowl loss wasn’t just a defeat; it was a systematic dismantling that exposed fundamental issues with their roster construction and game planning.
Andy Reid and his coaching staff have had all week to address those problems, but the Eagles present many of the same challenges that gave Kansas City fits in February. Philadelphia’s pass rush can get to Mahomes. Their secondary can create turnovers. Their running game can control the tempo.
For the Chiefs to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, they need more than just hope and past accomplishments. They need their injured receivers to play through pain. They need their defense to show more communication and effort than they did in Brazil. Most importantly, they need Mahomes to recapture the magic that has defined his career.
The clock is ticking on Kansas City’s championship window, and Sunday’s game feels like it could determine whether this season becomes another Super Bowl run or the beginning of a humbling reality check for a franchise that has gotten used to being on top.
Arrowhead Stadium will be rocking, but noise won’t be enough to overcome the Eagles’ confidence or erase the memories of New Orleans. The Chiefs need to prove they’ve truly learned from watching that painful tape, or risk watching their season slip away before it really begins.
