Eagles-Chiefs predictions by our (cough) experts

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Carson Wentz and the Eagles opened their season last week with a 30-17 win in Washington.

Now it gets much tougher.

The Eagles kick off Sunday against an impressive Chiefs team in Kansas City (1 p.m./FOX).

How do we see it playing out?

Our experts provide their Week 2 predictions:

Reuben Frank (1-0)
You couldn't ask for a more challenging Week 2 assignment for the Eagles. They're on the road for a second straight week. The Chiefs are coming off a win over the Super Bowl champs. And have three extra days of rest. And they're 19-5 in their last 24 home games.

And Andy Reid is 8-3 against his former assistant coaches. You pick the trend, it favors the Chiefs. And I am going to pick the Chiefs, but I will say this — if the Eagles' front seven plays the way it did against the Redskins, it's going to keep the Eagles in a lot of games.

Granted, the Chiefs have a lot more talent on the offense than the Redskins, but pounding the quarterback has a way of neutralizing offensive talent. So I'm going with the Chiefs, but I think the Eagles keep it close and make it a competitive game.

Chiefs 23, Eagles 17.

Dave Zangaro (1-0)
The Eagles are riding high after toppling Washington on the road. And maybe they'll catch Kansas City at the perfect time. Maybe the Chiefs won't have the same level of focus after taking down the Super Bowl champs in their opener. 

But I doubt it. 

It won't be easy for the Eagles to go to Kansas City to face Andy Reid with an extra three days and come away with a win. It's hard to imagine that happening. The Chiefs have what can be an explosive offense and even without Eric Berry, that defense isn't too shabby. Oh yeah, and Reid is 8-3 against his former assistants; that's probably not a coincidence. 

I just can't see the Eagles winning this one. 

Chiefs 31, Eagles 24 

Derrick Gunn (1-0)
What Andy Reid and his Chiefs did in New England Week 1 was a thing of beauty. Last year's AFC West champs have quickly served notice that they are on a mission. The revamped Eagles finally snapped their jinx against the Redskins. Now the Birds fly into the noisiest environment in the league, Arrowhead Stadium.

The Eagles' defense has to get to Alex Smith before he can get the ball into the hands of his receivers Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and underrated Chris Conley. Hill's speed is flat out scary. Jim Schwartz may have to dial up even more blitzes to disrupt the Chiefs' offensive flow.

Carson Wentz and his offense will need a balanced attack to keep a rugged Chiefs defense on its heels. I hate to use the word, but a balanced attack would serve them well against Justin Houston, Dee Ford, a resurgent Bennie Logan, Derrick Johnson and company. This should be a knock-down, drag-out brawl. If it were played at the Linc I might be bold enough to pick the Eagles. But it's not and I'm not.

Chiefs 27, Eagles 20

Ray Didinger (1-0)
Only four NFL teams scored 30 or more points in Week 1 and two of them were the Eagles and Chiefs. Now, they meet in Kansas City to see if they can keep that roll going.

Much will be made of the Reid-Doug Pederson matchup, but this game will come down to the players and the Chiefs have the better players, even without injured safety Eric Berry.

I don't know if the Eagles, without Ronald Darby, have enough speed on defense to shut down Hill and Kareem Hunt. Also, the pass rush — which really won the game in Washington — has a tougher challenge this week. Smith is more mobile than Kirk Cousins and he gets rid of the ball a lot quicker. A key matchup is Lane Johnson on Houston, the Chiefs' best pass rusher. He had two sacks and four hits on Tom Brady last week.

Chiefs 27, Eagles 21

Andrew Kulp (1-0)
All things being equal, I don't think the Chiefs are vastly superior to the Eagles. Alas, the NFL is not equal, and this game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, and Kansas City has an extra three days to prepare. We all know how tough Andy Reid teams are to beat with additional rest and preparation.

That being said, I suspect these defenses will bend, not break. Both are quality units, each with some degree of familiarity with the opposing offense. Ultimately, Alex Smith's scrambling will be the difference. Smith is able to keep a few more drives alive for Kansas City than Carson Wentz does for the Eagles, lessening the impact of Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham up front in the process. The Chiefs kick their way to a tight victory.

Chiefs 23, Eagles 17

Corey Seidman (1-0)
Call me crazy but I think the Eagles win this one on the road. We don't know how effective the Chiefs' defense will be without Berry, and if the Eagles' defensive line can get similar pressure on a decent-but-not-great KC O-line, it could be a tougher afternoon than expected for Smith.

Who saw them beating the Steelers in Week 3 last season? Let's not be prisoners of the moment, the Chiefs' passing game isn't going to look the way did in Week 1 often.

Eagles 24, Chiefs 20

Andy Schwartz (1-0)
If this one’s at the Linc, I could see the Eagles winning it. But it’s not. It’s at Arrowhead, which isn’t CenturyLink Field in Seattle, but it’s close. 

And it’s definitely not an easy place for rookie kicker Jake Elliott to make his debut.

The Eagles will keep within striking distance, but they’ll miss Darby. A big play or two by Hill and a big mistake or two by the Birds will be the difference. 

Chiefs 27, Eagles 21

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