The major question mark coming into the season for the reigning AFC Champions was once again on their defense. The offense is perennially of championship calibre, but the defense has always been hit or miss. On the defensive line, stalwarts like Frank Clark and Chris Jones can cause havoc in opposing backfields, but Kansas City’s achilles heel has always been stropping the run.
Over the past few games something has clicked for Kansas City’s defense. Since losing to the Titans in Week 7, the Kansas City defense has allowed totals of 17, 7, 14, 9, 9, and 9 points to their opponents. This has included high powered offenses like Dallas and Green Bay, although the latter were missing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. One of the turning points on the season has been the acquisition of defensive end Melvin Ingram from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ingram has bolstered the pass rush, and beefed up the run stopping corps, and has added an all new dimension to the defensive line.
As for the offense, the players are there but the unit has not looked as dominant as it has in previous seasons. Since Week 7, the Chiefs have scored 20, 13, 41, 19, 22, 13, and 48 points. We should note that the 41 and 48 point outbursts were both against the Las Vegas Raiders. Between Darrell Williams and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the run game has been stronger as of late, and perhaps that is what the Chiefs have needed to scale back their pass-heavy offense.
Patrick Mahomes has looked mortal this season, already tying a career-high in interceptions with 12 on the year. Tight end Travis Kelce has only scored five touchdowns this year and has only topped 100 yards three times. It seems that this iteration of the Chiefs is completely satisfied with relying on a stronger defense and running the ball. It’s not a bad formula for a championship caliber team, it’s just completely different from what we are used to from the Chiefs.
So how do they stack up against the AFC? The Bills were seen as a favorite coming into the season, but have now lost three of their last four and four of their last six games. The Titans continue to roll but are still without stars Derrick Henry and AJ Brown, and still have a defense that is a major question mark. Right now, it seems like the New England Patriots have emerged as the top team in the conference, although playoff games in January are a much different beast for a rookie quarterback. There are still four weeks left, and Week 15 kicks off with a crucial Thursday Night showdown with the division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs have evolved their game plan this season and are peaking at just the right time. If it's between Mac Jones and Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship game, I’ll take my chances with Mahomes. The real challenge for the AFC will be whichever team emerges from the Buccaneers, Packers, Cardinals, and Rams in the NFC.
>> For December Only: 100% Sign Up Bonus at Youwager Sportsbook. Sign up at Youwager to collect yours.
Add Comment