Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 42-30 Win Over Eagles

Here are some major takeaways from the Chiefs' fourth game of the 2021 season.

After dropping a pair of games over the past two weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs desperately needed a win on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. They got just that, and head coach Andy Reid became the first coach to win 100-plus games with two different franchises. The final score for this Week 4 battle was 42-30. 

Here are four takeaways from today's game.

1. Tyreek Hill was a game-changer

Whether it was a highlight-reel catch downfield or a simple gain of a few yards in order to move the chains, Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was fantastic on Sunday. After having a rough game and then one in which he recorded a very quiet 56 receiving yards, Hill's presence was felt against the Eagles. He was on the same page as quarterback Patrick Mahomes all afternoon, running crisp routes and making proper adjustments on the ball. In all, Hill finished with 11 receptions for 186 yards and a trio of touchdowns. He was back in a major way, and that helped the Chiefs a ton. 

2. The running game is improving

After eclipsing the 100-yard rushing mark last week, Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire picked up right where he left off. The 2020 first-round pick has been running hard over the past couple of weeks, making quick cuts and looking like a different overall player. The Chiefs' new-look offensive line was excellent on Sunday and did a great job paving the way for Edwards-Helaire, who has 91 yards on 11 carries (an 8.3 yards per carry average) heading into a late drive in which the Chiefs drained some clock. He finished with 14 carries for 102 yards. The quartet of Darrel Williams, Mecole Hardman, Mahomes and Michael Burton also picked up much-needed yardage on the ground. Overall, it was a great day to be a ball-carrier for the Chiefs. 

3. The red zone defense was a mixed bag

While there were multiple instances in which the Chiefs' defense forced the Eagles' offense to kick field goals in the red zone, context is important. Dropped passes and penalties contributed to Philadelphia's lack of touchdown production near the end zone on several occasions. Self-inflicted mistakes were commonplace for the Eagles, and that shouldn't lead to everyone concluding that the Chiefs' defense is suddenly reliable when it matters most. Progress is great to see but overall, it's very fair to still be wary of a unit that had its share of lackluster red zone moments on Sunday. 

4. Patrick Mahomes continues to push the envelope

This is absolutely me picking nits here, as Mahomes was very good for a lot of Sunday's game. He completed 24 of his 30 pass attempts for 278 yards and five touchdowns, after all. For the most part, he took what the defense gave him, remained composed, extended plays when he needed to and looked better than he has for stretches this season. With that said, his third-quarter interception on a third-down play was another example of him seemingly forcing things a bit. Mahomes was pressured and made an ill-advised decision, something he didn't do a ton of last season. That poor decision-making proved to be costly in recent weeks and it ultimately didn't factor into what was otherwise a very good game from him, but it's worth remembering moving forward. 

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