Chiefs defenders say they'll keep it simple

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Eagles offense has been the talk of the NFL and certainly has been a main topic for Thursday's opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs.

It's not just that the Eagles have averaged 31.5 points in their first two games, but they have done it in a hurry, frequently leaving plenty of time on the play clock and more than a few defenders gasping for breath.

"You have to read your keys and pay attention to what is going on," Chiefs safety Eric Berry said. "You can't get caught up in the speed and everything that is going on."

What this offense does is make it awfully difficult for a defense to use situational substitutions.

"We are pretty sure that whatever personnel group we have out there has to stay because they go so fast," Berry said. "They bring a lot of things, and they are very versatile."

With Eagles coach Chip Kelly bringing his playbook from the University of Oregon, it's no surprise that many of the Chiefs described it as a college offense - but in a complimentary way.

"It is like a college offense on the NFL level, and you just have to play and be as fast as you can and as sound as you can," said nose tackle Dontari Poe, who has 31/2 sacks through the first two games.

There is a school of thought that the best way for teams to limit the Eagles offense is to keep it off the field with time-consuming drives of their own.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid dismissed the notion that Kansas City would try to nickel-and-dime the Eagles defense to keep the Birds offense on the sideline.

"We don't do the four-corner stall or anything. That's not what we try to do," Reid said. "We're going to try to score points to the best of our ability."

Veteran nickel back Dunta Robinson of the Chiefs pointed to Eagles quarterback Michael Vick as the catalyst for this type of offense.

"It's the Michael Vick era," Robinson said. "Michael Vick kind of invented this style of offense, this style of play."

Robinson said teams look for quarterbacks who play like Vick. Now in his 10th season, Robinson has reminded his teammates that it still is football, although at a faster pace.

"We have to play fast and have to play physical, and that's the way the Kansas City Chiefs play," Robinson said.

The one thing the Chiefs have emphasized all week is to keep things simple.

"It's different getting ready for that offense," linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "It's difficult because it's different. But we will simplify it. We have a good game plan."