Not too much to say about this one, guys. I'm not going to dwell on the highly doubtful call that effectively ended the game, but that's going to hang over this offseason like a specter (I wouldn't want to be Roger Goodell tonight, seeing that in person and having just said that officiating has never been better). The real pain comes from three mistakes:
(a) Jalen Hurts' no-touch fumble that kept the game in reach during what was otherwise a dominant first half.
(b) Allowing Toney to get loose on that punt return that gifted KC another score. The Philly talking heads have been making the point that the special teams will eventually cost us a game, and tonight may have been the night. Or it would have, if not for...
(c) Acting like the game was over at halftime; the defense didn't make a single stop in the entire second half. It didn't seem like they made a big time tackle or a consequential cover in the entire half.
That third point alone probably deserves a whole series of offseason articles; I almost didn't believe my eyes as the defense couldn't even get close to Mahomes, who effectively finished the game on one leg. Credit to the Chiefs for their adjustments, I guess, but also shame on the Eagles coaches for completely failing to finish with second half adjustments at the most important moment of the season. The tackling was poor, the players were out of position (Darius Slay completely got fooled by the obvious half motion in the fourth quarter on the goal line, setting up the go-ahead score), and it just seemed that the Chiefs were the more intelligent team after halftime.
Other missed opportunities included Quez Watkins dropping the ball on that big play; a possible redemption moment for him turned into a nightmare. I'd also mention that the Eagles let the play clock get to zero at least three times, ultimately costing them a potentially pivotal timeout.
All that said, it's not like the Birds got blown off the field. Philly lead nearly the whole way and finished with significant advantages in pretty much every counting stat. I'm not sure yet if that fact makes me feel better or worse.
Opportunities like this only come around occasionally. Tough roster and contract choices will be made this offseason. Next year's group will look very different than this team. It's very possible that it won't be as good of a team. That makes this missed opportunity all the more haunting.
Having just made that depressing (but true) point, there is a silver lining to something like this: I think Jalen Hurts will spend the offseason brooding on this loss, especially on this fumble. I think he's coming back more determined and prepared than ever. I think this tough loss will inform the stay-or-go decisions of vets like Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham. Howie Roseman is already thinking about making the pass rush more lethal and upgrading the roster in general. Avenging this loss starts next season, and next season starts right now.
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