Keep in mind the spirited name from Kansas Metropolis Chiefs radio broadcaster Mitch Holthus two AFC Championship Video games in the past?
“You possibly can doubt the Chiefs! You possibly can dislike the Chiefs! You possibly can disrespect the Chiefs! You’re gonna need to cope with the Chiefs,” he roared, as Kansas Metropolis secured its fourth convention title in 5 seasons.
The Chiefs made it 5 out of six AFC crowns a yr in the past, and whereas a berth in Tremendous Bowl LX – not to mention the playoffs – seems dire with KC sitting at 6–6 coming into Sunday’s go to from surging Houston, the door isn’t absolutely closed.
The Buffalo Payments, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys might need imagined Holthus including, “You’re gonna need to hobble the Chiefs!” after narrowly defeating KC up to now month. But nobody has really subdued them.
With Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes nonetheless on the helm, that continues to be a troublesome activity.
Let’s be clear: The Chiefs are tenth within the AFC, the place solely the highest seven groups attain the postseason. They’ve seemingly misplaced their magic in one-possession video games (although not their JuJu — as within the intermittently productive Smith-Schuster) and are battling accidents alongside the offensive line.
There’s defensive inconsistency as effectively. Dallas transformed 9 of 16 third downs in its 31–28 Thanksgiving win, piling up 457 yards.
The Chiefs gained practically 100 fewer yards, have been flagged 10 instances for 119 yards, and nonetheless misplaced by solely three. That’s no anomaly. Mahomes accomplished 67.7% of his passes with 4 touchdowns and nil interceptions in his sharpest outing since a run of residence wins towards Detroit, Las Vegas and Washington to shut October.
Houston (7–5) presents a stiff check. The Texans permit simply 265.7 yards per recreation — finest within the NFL — together with a fourth-ranked cross protection yielding solely 174 yards per recreation by the air.
The Texans have introduced robust defenses into earlier matchups with the Chiefs and have little to point out for it. Since dropping his first recreation towards Houston in Week 6 of 2019, Mahomes has gained 5 straight, playoffs included.
In 4 regular-season conferences since, Mahomes has averaged 270 passing yards with 9 touchdowns and one interception. He additionally has two dashing TDs on 5.9 yards per carry — the escape-and-create potential Houston is aware of all too effectively and should include.
“He’s not likely seeking to scramble and run the ball like he’s seeking to throw the ball,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans stated. “His eyes are at all times downfield. So (the) secondary has to pay attention to that. Ensuring you’re sticky in your protection.”
Even that is probably not sufficient.
Mahomes and Reid have confronted a 6–6 crossroads earlier than. In 2017, Mahomes’ rookie season, the Chiefs gained their closing 4 video games to snag a wild-card spot.
Reid supplied warning this week to anybody keen to put in writing KC’s epitaph, whilst playoff projection fashions development that method.
“You have a look at our season,” Reid stated, “we’re one or two performs off. And we deal with that — whether or not it’s a penalty at an important time, a doable turnover someplace, or having an opportunity to create a turnover — we’re proper in place the place if we are able to determine these two, three performs, you flip this round.”
You’re gonna need to remove the Chiefs from playoff competition should you don’t need to cope with them past Week 18.
They’re teetering, certain. However as KC sees it, that simply means one other alternative to bounce again — whilst the possibilities develop skinny.
