Why the loss to the Bills could be the wake-up call the Chiefs needed
It hasn’t been the year most of us expected from the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
The opening day defeat to the Detroit Lions set the tone, and despite all the energy and noise over Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift this season, Kansas City seems to be in a slump that we haven’t yet witnessed under Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
The Week 14 defeat to the Buffalo Bills was brutal not least because they lost, but because of the post-game storylines paint a picture that something isn’t quite right. Clearly, the Chiefs aren’t as strong a unit as they have been in previous years, both on the field and and as a collective off it. Mahomes is angry and not at all happy with how his team is performing.
But that isn’t necessarily a forth gone conclusion that the Chiefs’ season is over. Their star QB is showing emotion and is clearly fired up to get his team back on track. With the AFC being so open right now, they couldn’t do the unthinkable, could they?
Why the Chiefs can still win the AFC #1 seed
Kansas City have now moved a few games back in the AFC leader board, trailing the Baltimore Ravens by two wins and the Miami Dolphins by one going into Week 15. And with just four games remaining, and the Denver Broncos also now breathing down their neck in the AFC West, it’s looking unlikely that we’ll see the team get the bye in the first week of the postseason.
But the Chiefs’ remaining schedule looks, on paper, fairly straightforward, and I wouldn’t put it past them to win out. In the four games left, it’s likely the Chiefs will take on a backup quarterback in each fixture, and while a couple are currently playing competent ball, not having to best the very best QBs could prove to be a huge aid in finding a way to win.
A game against the out-of-sorts New England Patriots on Sunday could prove to be the perfect bounce back, before hosting the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead, and then finally a match against the 5-8 and without Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers. KC are easy favourites in each already, so there is a great chance they could end up finishing 12-5.
Elsewhere in the conference, the Ravens and the Dolphins (the AFC #2 seed) have a more challenging end to the season, especially given the two teams still have to face-off against each other. After a difficult trip to Jacksonville this week, Baltimore take on San Francisco, the team many consider to be the best in entire.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins have an equally difficult run-in, having to race the Dallas Cowboys and the resurgent Bills. With those fixtures in mind, the Ravens and Dolphins could easily slip to a couple of defeats each, and make a path for the Chiefs to swoop in a snatch control of the AFC.
Don’t bet against Mahomes, but the road ahead is tough
The Chiefs have the pedigree and the experience. If there is a team that could pull out this miracle, it’s certainly them.
Even with it being a bit of a down year for him, Patrick Mahomes is still the best quarterback in the NFL, and it would be hard to bet against him in any matchup that follows.
Can he continue to carry the team? The defense has been great, but the offensive is ranking as one of the worst performing in recent weeks. My main concern for the postseason is that because the receiving core is so bad, an injury to Kelce, who already isn’t 100% healthy, would completely jeopardise the quality of this already dysfunctional offense. A road playoff game without one of the their best players would be a disaster, even for this great side, and with defenses like the Ravens’ proving to be among the best in the league, something has got to give.
All-in-all, it is still far too early to write off the Chiefs to defend their Super Bowl, despite their drop in form. They’re still the holders and the team to beat.
