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The Philadelphia Eagles travel to the newly refurbished Arrohead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs tonight. In an effort to better know our preseason foes, we traded some questions with SBNation Kansas City editor Joel Thormann.
Who is the one guy on the Chiefs that no one outside of KC really knows yet that could be a household name by the end of this season?
Javier Arenas. He's quickly getting a reputation for kick and punt returns. He did a hell of a job at Alabama returning kicks and he's off to a good start in Kansas City. In the first game, he had a 40+ yard return and a 99-yard touchdown return that was called back (for a hold away from the play). In the second game, he returned one kick 54 yards. If all goes well, you'll know his name at the end of the season.
If you could steal a player off the Eagles roster, who would it be?
DeSean Jackson. I'd pair him up with McCluster at receiver and have a Madden-esque game. But seriously the Chiefs have been leaning toward playmakers in this year's draft so I think would take another playmaker like Jackson. Plus, his return ability doesn't hurt.
Our answers to his questions over at SB Nation KC
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their third and arguably most important game of the preseason. The first team offense and defense will play three quarters tonight, which will likely be their last action of the preseason.
The offense will welcome the return of Todd Herremans to the starting lineup. He's missed the whole preseason and most of training camp with a foot injury he's been recovering from since last season. Another injured Eagle, RB Mike Bell, will make his preseason and Eagles debut. Bell has been bothered by calf and hamstring injuries all through camp, but he finally seems healthy and will take over his role as LeSean McCoy's backup tonight.
The Eagles offense will look to get over its Red Zone struggles tonight, the first team has yet to score a TD in three quarters of action so far this preseason. With so little playing time and the vanilla schemes used in the preseason, it's hardly a major concern yet, but Andy Reid did say he think it's important to finish drives in the preseason.
"I think it's important. I would tell you that when you get into the red zone, you want to score. We try to do that in the preseason with a limited package, but at the same time you if execute, you score. I've mentioned this before, so I'll mention it again here, we did get it in the end zone this last time, and then we had the penalty, so we have to clean that up, and make sure we take care of business there. I think our guys have the confidence that'll it'll get done, whether it is now or during the season."
Rookie Brandon Graham will make his first start as an Eagle tonight. Andy Reid pointed out that he'll be among several Eagles rookies that will see significant time with the first team offense tonight.
"Well, there are going to be some rookies that start. [DE] Brandon [Graham] will start, as will [S] Nate [Allen]. [DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim] will be in there in nickel situations. Then, we'll get into our rotations where the guys, in particular the defensive line, that first group that had the whole duration of the time and the one's that have been out there, we'll get into more of a game situation where we rotate those guys."
Although tonight's preseason game will be more about getting the starters work than it will be about the rest of the team being evaluated, the coach stressed that he doesn't see anyone on the team as a "backup player" and every guy on the roster should be fighting for a starting job on every play.
"They've worked very hard. I think there's great competition as some of those spots there and that's what [GM] Howie [Roseman] and I try to do, is bring people in here that can compete, and Howie's always talking about you bring in guys that are starters. Now, they may not be a starter this year, maybe next year, or the following year after that, but you don't bring in guys that are backup players, you try to strive to bring in guys that have the opportunity to play. With that philosophy, it creates great competition and makes our job hard in a few days here."
Eagles Beat Chiefs 20-17 In Game Three Of The Preseason
Sports Network | August 27, 2010
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) – Mike Kafka threw the game-winning 18-yard touchdown pass to Riley Cooper with 23 seconds left to lift Philadelphia to a 20-17 come from behind win over Kansas City in preseason action at Arrowhead Stadium.
The rookie quarterback finished 9-of-13 for 93 yards and led an eight-play, 80-yard drive in 1:41 to give the Eagles their second win in three exhibition games. Starting quarterback Kevin Kolb finished 11-of-25 for 103 yards and was picked off once while LeSean McCoy carried five times for 28 yards and a touchdown.
Matt Cassel connected on 14-of-23 for only 85 yards with a TD and interception. Rookie Dexter McCluster added 47 yards rushing on eight tries while Jamaal Charles chipped in with 40 yards on six attempts for the Chiefs, who dropped to 0-3 in regular season tune-ups.
After recovering a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, the Eagles cashed in just two plays later on McCoy’s 18-yard jaunt.
The Eagles forced an interception later in the opening quarter and turned it into a 39-yard David Akers field goal to make it a 10-0 game.
Kansas City got back into the contest late in the half on a four-yard touchdown pass from Cassel to Dwayne Bowe.
The Chiefs took a 14-10 lead on Thomas Jones’ 11-yard scoring scamper that was set up by an interception.
Akers’ second boot of the night, from 27 yards away, 10 seconds into the final stanza trimmed the deficit to 14-13. Ryan Succop’s field goal from 43 yards out just before the two-minute warning pushed the hosts’ lead to four.
Aug 28 12:19a by Scott Kessler - 0 comments