It has been a decade for the reason that Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have didn’t win the AFC West, one thing that’s now a robust chance after Kansas Metropolis’s 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
As a starter, Patrick Mahomes has by no means presided over a season wherein the Chiefs have misplaced their division or gained lower than 11 video games within the common season, the latter of which can also be potential except Kansas Metropolis wins six of its final seven video games.
The Chiefs are undoubtedly in uncharted territory at this level within the season, and it’ll take a Lewis and Clark-esque expedition for them to discover a path to the postseason.
The excellent news? Kansas Metropolis has taken care of the opponents it ought to’ve taken care of this season. The Chiefs dispatched of the Giants, Ravens, Commanders and Raiders with ease and earned a signature win over the Detroit Lions.
However when confronted with a number of the finest competitors the NFL has to supply, the Chiefs have fallen flat. KC is 0-5 in one-score video games this season, dropping to Buffalo, Jacksonville, Denver, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Chargers.
For a crew that has routinely gained one-possession video games in the course of the reign of Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid, the script has been flipped. It should must be flipped in the wrong way if the Chiefs need to sneak into the playoffs.
Chiefs have a tricky highway forward
Kansas Metropolis has a gauntlet of a schedule forward of it. The Colts (8-2) go to Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 23 in what’s the largest residence sport for the Chiefs thus far this season. A go to to Dallas on Thanksgiving to face the maligned Cowboys follows, however Kansas Metropolis cannot afford to take the Cowboys evenly. The Chiefs will then return residence to face one other playoff hopeful within the Houston Texans.
Kansas Metropolis may also have revenge alternatives on faucet – each of which will probably be performed at Arrowhead – in opposition to the Broncos and Chargers sandwiched in between two very winnable video games in opposition to the Titans and Raiders.
First on the to-do listing for Kansas Metropolis is taking good care of enterprise in opposition to the latter two opponents. No disrespect to the Titans or Raiders, however neither are groups which have any enterprise beating a playoff-hopeful Kansas Metropolis crew.
These two wins would give the Chiefs eight on the season.
For the reason that NFL moved to 17 common season video games in 2021, the No. 7 seed within the AFC has not gained lower than 9 video games. Assuming Kansas Metropolis beats the Titans, Texans and Raiders, they would wish not less than yet one more victory to remain afloat within the playoff race.
However it could take 10 and even 11 common season victories for the Chiefs to earn a playoff berth this season in a aggressive AFC. The aforementioned Texans are additionally 5-5 and flank Ok.C. as a crew on the surface trying in. So do the 5-5 Baltimore Ravens.
Above Kansas Metropolis, the three wild-card groups are the 7-3 Payments, the 7-4 Chargers and the 6-4 Jaguars. All three of these groups might attain 10 wins over the ultimate seven weeks of the season, forcing Kansas Metropolis to win 11 to make the playoffs – a really tough activity given their schedule.
Mahomes and the Chiefs have a championship pedigree. They actually have expertise in the case of taking part in in and successful massive video games. However this sort of adversity can break a gaggle that has seldom gone by way of it, and the subsequent seven video games will probably be a wonderful check of the Chiefs’ resolve.
