Dein erstes Forum » offenses to combine to score three TDs.Eagles defensive

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The play that may have netted Chiefs safety Eric Berry the AFC defensive player of the week award was a game-changing pick-six in the fourth quarter that helped Kansas City rally past Carolina.Its not the play Berry remembers most fondly from last weekend.The Chiefs were trailing 17-3 when the Panthers began a march that ultimately lasted 20 plays and chewed up more than 10 minutes. But in what is becoming very Chiefs-like fashion, Kansas City responded with back-to-back sacks to not only force fourth down but take Carolina out of field-goal range.That was my favorite part of the game, Berry said. Those are the little things that people dont notice, but those are the things that set you up.The Chiefs (7-2) have ripped off five straight wins to climb into a tie atop the AFC West and get into position for a first-round playoff bye. And theyve done it with a defense that has done everything -- big things and little -- so well that the Chiefs have been able to overcome a lackluster offense.Along with turning back Carolinas potentially game-sealing drive, and Berrys interception return for a touchdown, Marcus Peters stripped Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the final minute to give Kansas City kicker Cairo Santos a chance to knock through the winning field goal on the road.As a result, the Chiefs won a game in which they converted just two third downs, never scored on three trips inside the red zone and wound up with less than 260 yards of total offense.We practice very hard, put in a lot of work and a lot of hours, and really putting in more than is required, Berry said. So were going to keep putting those things in and hope itll pay off for us.Its not like the Chiefs are the 2016 version of the Steel Curtain, though. Theyre more like a rubber band, stretching and yielding but seemingly always springing back to shape.Part of that is due to turnovers: They are a league-leading plus-14 in turnover margin.This team has such a great belief, whether its offense, defense or special teams, this team takes so much pride in playing together as a team, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said. We find a way, lean on one another and being in those types of environments helps. The more you play in types of games, not just this year but for the guys that have been here, that often contributes to when it does get down to crunch time and when you fall behind. Theres never a panic, we just go about our business.Smith acknowledged that the defense cant keep bailing them out, though, and pointed to third downs and the red zone as areas where Kansas City needs to make crucial improvement. The Chiefs are converting just 34.7 percent of third downs, which is 29th out of 32 teams. And they are scoring touchdowns on 40 percent of red-zone trips, which is tied for 30th.You cant beat yourself, especially in this kind of offense, Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley said. You cant have false starts, mental errors. You have to execute.But if not on offense, at least on defense. And so far that hasnt been a problem.Kansas City could be getting even better, too, if four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Justin Houston comes back at close to 100 percent. Houston has been out since surgery in February to repair the ACL in his left knee, and there have been indications this week that he could make his season debut on Sunday at home against Tampa Bay.Well just see. Hes feeling pretty good, coach Andy Reid said. Well get him out there, see what he can do, move him around a little bit. At any point it becomes an issue, well step him back.Besides, what rush is there the way the Chiefs are playing these days?Game notes RB Jamaal Charles had had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday, trainer Rick Burkholder said. Charles had a similar procedure on his right knee a few weeks ago. Both have had ACL reconstructions and had been causing Charles pain this season. He remains on injured reserve. ... LB Tamba Hali (knee soreness) and DT Dontari Poe (knee swelling) returned to practice Thursday. WR Jeremy Maclin (groin), DT Jaye Howard (hip flexor), CB Marcus Peters (hip pointer) and LB Derrick Johnson (hamstring spasms) remained out.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford picked apart one of the NFLs best defenses for a while, throwing for a touchdown on each of the Detroit Lions first three possessions.The Philadelphia Eagles answered, shutting him down for almost two quarters.Almost.Stafford lofted a perfect pass to Golden Tate to set up Matt Praters 29-yard kick with 1:28 left, sending Detroit to a 24-23 win over Carson Wentz and Philadelphia on Sunday.It was perhaps one of the better anticipatory passes that youll see, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.Detroits defense, though, still had to do its job to seal the much-needed victory.Philadelphia (3-1) had the ball at its 25 with 1:28 remaining and no timeouts left.Wentz, who did not turn the ball over in his first three games, attempted a long pass to Nelson Agholor on first down and Darius Slay made an over-the-shoulder interception at the Detroit 23.Even though Wentzs last pass looked like a desperation heave usually reserved for fourth down or the final seconds of a game, Eagles coach Doug Pederson didnt mind his decision to go deep.Its not necessarily designed for that, but the opportunity was there, Pederson said.Wentz, the No. 2 pick overall in the draft, was 25 of 33 for 238 yards with a pair of 1-yard TD passes to Ryan Mathews and Josh Huff.I didnt buy the hype before today, but hes is the real deal, Slay said. He doesnt play like a rookie.The Lions (2-3) had lost three straight.Its a big one, Stafford said. But at the same time, weve got to stack these.The Eagles turned the ball over for the first time this season with 2:34 remaining when Mathews fumbled on a hit by Slay near midfield.This one hurts, Mathews said.Stafford put Prater in place to make his field goal by converting a third-and-4 from the Eagles 39 by connecting on a 27-yard pass to Tate, who was going right to left on a crossing route and drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on Malcolm Jenkins.I needed that, Tate said. This team needed that.BOUNCING BACKTate, who was held to only one catch in last weeks loss at Chicago, had three receptions for 39 yards. The veteran receiver also helped ouut Detroits depleted backfield by lining up as a running back for three carries that gained 6 yards and serving as decoy to help set up Staffords 17-yard TD pass to Theo Riddick.ddddddddddddHopefully I earned some more reps back there, Tate said. Had some flashbacks to high school.FLAG DAYPhiladelphia hurt its chances of staying undefeated with 14 penalties for 111 yards, nearly doubling the number of flags they drew on average over the first three games.Its tough to overcome, Pederson acknowledged.STRONG STARTThe Lions scored on all three of their drives in the first half, building a 21-7 lead late in the second quarter. Stafford threw two TD passes to Riddick in the first quarter and another to Marvin Jones in the second. Through three games, the Eagles hadnt given up a passing TD, a point in the first quarter or allowed offenses to combine to score three TDs.Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz , who led the Lions from 2009 to 2013, seemed to make some adjustments that worked until Stafford made his clutch pass to Tate.CLOSE CALLStafford had his helmet ripped off by defensive tackle Fletcher Cox in the second quarter on a third down, extending a drive that led to a TD instead of a field goal attempt.Its never a good feeling to not have the old helmet on, said Stafford, who recalled a similar situation at Georgia leading to a big bruise on his forehead.MAKING A PLAYStafford had an unforced fumble early in the second half that was recovered by Nigel Bradham, who was arrested last Sunday on a misdemeanor concealed weapons charge. Bradham didnt play much in the first half, but Pederson insisted that wasnt part of team-issued discipline.INJURIESEagles CB Leodis McKelvin returned after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury, aggravated it, but was cleared to return in the fourth quarter. ... Lions DT Haloti Ngata left the game with a shoulder injury.UP NEXTThe Eagles play at Washington Sunday. The Lions host Los Angeles on Sunday. ' ' '