Coming in with a 1-1 record, this is a very important game for the Eagles. They have an early bye this year (which can be a good thing), so this game will determine whether the Eagles enter the bye over or under the .500 mark. Kevin Kolb will make his second start and we’ll see Michael Vick’s regular season debut. The Chiefs come in with an 0-2 record, but they’re not a team the Eagles should take lightly, especially after the performance of the past few weeks.

Here are some quick team stats and league standings:

Insulted
Points per game: 17 (22)
Yards per game: 298.5 (25)
Passing yards per game: 197.5 (21)
Rush yards per game: 101 (21)

Defending
Points per game: 25.5 (24th)
Yards per game: 333.5 (18)
Passing yards per game: 201 (14)
Rush yards per game: 132.5 (21)

Insulted

Matt Cassel – After missing Week One with an injury, Cassel returned to the lineup in Week Two against the Raiders. The Chiefs expect big things from him this year, but they didn’t see those things last week. Although he completed more than 60 percent of his passes, he threw two interceptions and only managed to lead the offense to 10 total points. This isn’t the performance the Chiefs were hoping for, but after seeing what Drew Brees did to the Eagles last week, I’m sure they’ll be looking for big numbers. Cassel is a pure passer and he can really deliver the ball given time. The Eagles will have to chase him down and force him to make bad decisions unlike they were able to with Brees. If he can get hot, Cassel is the kind of guy who can make you pay.

Larry Johnson – It’s all gone downhill for Johnson after having monster seasons in 2005 and 2006. He was expected to be the next big thing, but he’s been a disappointment ever since. The trend has continued this year and Johnson is posting dismal numbers again. He was only allowed 20 rushing yards in Week One against the Ravens, but that’s to be expected. Last week he bounced back a bit and had 78 rushing yards and 41 receiving yards. Johnson may still show glimpses of the old days of him, so he shouldn’t be taken lightly, but the Eagles should shut him down early and force Cassel to try to beat them.

Dwayne Bowe – Bowe has the ability to find the end zone and has been able to do it in both of his games this year. Playing with two different quarterbacks in two games hasn’t helped him, but he has great game potential. In his first two NFL seasons, he has nearly two 1,000-yard seasons and finished just shy of his rookie year with 995 yards. I think he’s the best player on their offense and he’s going to need to be well covered. He must be licking his lips after seeing how the Saints’ receivers were able to do whatever they wanted against the Eagles last week.

Bobby Wade: Wade is a new addition to the Chiefs, but he’s been talked about a lot recently. In his first game with the team last week, he caught six balls for 72 yards. I think the Chiefs are going to expect this trend to continue and grow as he gets more comfortable with the offense.

Defending

3-4 defense: The Eagles don’t usually see much of a 3-4 defense, but they will this Sunday against the Chiefs. Our offensive line will have to watch the different blitz packages the Chiefs send because they won’t just be rushing their three linemen on every play. I’m sure Sean McDermott spent a lot of time in the movie theater with the guys this week going over this training. It will be extremely important to keep Kolb protected so he can make plays with his arm. It will also be interesting to see how the wildcat offense performs against this type of defense.

Glenn Dorsey: If you don’t remember who Dorsey is, he’s the monster lineman the Chiefs drafted out of LSU in the first round last year. He didn’t have stellar numbers his first year, but few rookies do. With a year behind him, Dorsey is once again a force in a line that will be for years to come. The guy is very talented and will line up against Jason Peters on Sunday. Peters hasn’t been too impressive so far and he really needs to be able to shut down Dorsey. If not, Kolb has a long day ahead of him.

Tyson Jackson: Jackson lines up on the other side of the line and is another beast from LSU who was selected in the first round by the Chiefs this year. He’s only recorded two tackles so far this season, but he’s the type of athlete who can really cause chaos if left unchecked. Winston Justice has done a great job at right tackle so far and should continue to do so this week.

Linebackers: The Chiefs’ four starting linebackers can really do some damage if the Eagles mess up their blocking assignments in this 3-4 defense. They have some really talented players like Mike Vrabel and Tamba Hali that will need to be shut down. It’s very important for Leonard Weaver to put some good blocks on these guys and really open up some holes for his running back to get through. This team has shown they can run, so the Eagles will have to do it early.

Secondary: The Chiefs’ secondary has held opponents to just over 200 yards per game so far this year. However, they have not played against teams that are true threats through the air. I think the Eagles will be his first real test. Kolb was able to throw for a lot of yards last week, but he also made some careless errors. His receivers need to open up for him so he can make easy throws. If not, the Chiefs secondary that is trying to make a name for itself will do so on Sunday.

Special teams

Kicker: The Chiefs have a rookie kicker, Ryan Succop, who has only had a chance at two field goal attempts so far in his career. He was able to do both, a 23 and 53 yards. This could work to the Eagles’ advantage if the game comes down to a last-minute field goal (which I REALLY hope it doesn’t). I don’t think the Linc is an easy place to kick and I know the stadium will be great!