Andrew Mukuba's pick in the Eagles' win over the Chiefs has him on the way to being 'scary'

"I feel like sooner or later, I'm gonna get really, really comfortable, and it's gonna be scary," Mukuba said after grabbing his first career interception off Patrick Mahomes.

By Nick Tricome
PhillyVoice Staff

Denny Medley/Imagn Images

Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba made a difference in the Eagles' win over the Chiefs on Sunday.

Wherever the game goes, there's one constant for Andrew Mukuba: If the ball is in the air, he's going for a play, and trusting that it will find its way to him. 

Sunday in the Eagles' Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs, the ball did, and in a crucial spot. 

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense had marched down to the Philadelphia 6-yard line early into the fourth quarter, and looking to cap off the drive and pull ahead, Mahomes tried to lead in his star tight end Travis Kelce on a pass drifting toward the goal line. 

But Kelce couldn't get a grip on the ball and bobbled it. Mukuba, who had moved to close in, could as the ball fell right into his hands for the interception. 

The rookie safety took off with the pick with room down the left sideline. Only a dive from Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons to knock him out of bounds prevented Mukuba from breaking completely away. 

But he made the play, shifting momentum back to the Eagles at a pivotal point of an eventual 20-17 win at Arrowhead. The ball was in the air. He went for it. 

"I'm really mad I got caught at the end still," Mukuba cracked to the media at his locker postgame. "But it was a good changing point of the game. I feel that's what we needed as a team to finish the game out."

And what the rookie needed to fully bring his day back.

During the first half, Mukuba had already made a big play to bring up fourth down. The Chiefs had pushed into Eagles territory, but on a 3rd and 8, Mukuba charged in untouched on a blitz that brought him straight to Mahomes on a sack shared with recent edge rush signing Za'Darius Smith. The sequence held the Chiefs to only a field goal to maintain what was an early Eagles lead at 7-3. 

Mahomes, however, came back around. 

Pushing later into the half, Kansas City took a chance on a 4th and 4. Mahomes dropped a quick pass off for Kelce, Mukuba got caught slipping behind, and he grabbed on to the tight end's arm, struggling to catch back up to make the tackle as he got pulled for 18 yards. 

A few plays later, Mahomes kept the ball to run and trucked Mukuba for another first down that quickly led to a Chiefs touchdown and a brief 10-7 lead for them. 

It was an NFL reality check for the second-round draft pick, but one he didn't fold under.

Coming back from halftime, and on a Kansas City 3rd and 1, Mukuba cracked down on receiver Hollywood Brown short of the marker for no gain, which forced Mahomes and the Chiefs into another situation to go for it on 4th, where this time, they ran it straight into a wall and a turnover on downs.

Then, in that critical spot where the Chiefs were threatening again from in close, Mukuba came up with the pick that instantly wiped the threat away. 

"I mean, that's the name of the game," Mukuba said. "You gotta get the ball. Whoever causes the most turnovers, I believe's got a high percentage chance of winning. So just thinking 'ball' at all times, man, it's important.

Coming back from halftime, and on a Kansas City 3rd and 1, Mukuba cracked down on receiver Hollywood Brown short of the marker for no gain, which forced Mahomes and the Chiefs into another situation to go for it on 4th, where this time, they ran it straight into a wall and a turnover on downs.

Then, in that critical spot where the Chiefs were threatening again from in close, Mukuba came up with the pick that instantly wiped the threat away. 

"I mean, that's the name of the game," Mukuba said. "You gotta get the ball. Whoever causes the most turnovers, I believe's got a high percentage chance of winning. So just thinking 'ball' at all times, man, it's important.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/eagles-news-andrew-mukuba-interception-reaction-highlights-week-2-chiefs-nfl/

That 3rd down stop by him was a very good play.