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The schedule makers picked a doozy to close out Week 11 and whet fans’ appetites three days ahead of Thanksgiving — although Eagles versus Chiefs is far more a main course than a starter.<\/p>\n
When Kansas City (7-2) plays host to Philadelphia (8-1) on Monday, it will mark the seventh regular-season matchup between the previous year’s Super Bowl participants in NFL history. The Super Bowl winners hold a 5-1 advantage in those rematches, a lopsided gap in the Chiefs’ favor.<\/p>\n
Monday’s showdown also represents the winningest season-after Super Bowl rematch the league has ever seen. Philly and K.C.’s combined .833 winning percentage trumps the 1979 Steelers and Cowboys, who had a combined .813 winning percentage at the time of their meeting, per NFL Research.<\/p>\n
But there’s more at stake than simply an encore to Super Bowl LVII.<\/p>\n
These teams both lead their respective conferences and have sights set on a No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n
The Chiefs, who won the previous meeting, 38-35, possess the best-ranked defense they’ve had in a decade — but they’re not the same offensive world beaters the NFL has become accustomed to seeing during the Patrick Mahomes era.<\/p>\n
Having never finished worse than sixth in scoring with Mahomes at the helm, Kansas City emerges from its Week 10 bye ranked 13th, perilously close to league average.<\/p>\n
If they hope to host an NFL-record sixth straight AFC Championship Game come January, now is the time for the Chiefs to begin shifting into high gear.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Eagles have enjoyed a top-three scoring offense for a second consecutive season and hold the NFL’s best record, but their brutal post-bye schedule features five straight .500-or-better opponents who made the postseason last year. Keeping momentum is imperative.<\/p>\n
Which team will capitalize to deliver a statement win in this Super Bowl rematch — one that could very well serve as a preview of the next one to come?<\/p>\n
Here are four things to watch for when the Eagles visit the Chiefs on Monday night:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n