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 take care of 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 12 months in the past, and whereas a berth in Tremendous Bowl LX – not to mention the playoffs – seems dire with KC sitting at 6–6 getting into Sunday’s go to from surging Houston, the door isn’t totally 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 prior to now month. But nobody has really subdued them.
With Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes nonetheless on the helm, that continues to be a tricky job.
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 nicely. Dallas transformed 9 of 16 third downs in its 31–28 Thanksgiving win, piling up 457 yards.
The Chiefs gained almost 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 0 interceptions in his sharpest outing since a run of dwelling wins towards Detroit, Las Vegas and Washington to shut October.
Houston (7–5) presents a stiff take a look at. The Texans enable simply 265.7 yards per sport — finest within the NFL — together with a fourth-ranked cross protection yielding solely 174 yards per sport by the air.
The Texans have introduced sturdy defenses into earlier matchups with the Chiefs and have little to indicate for it. Since shedding his first sport 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 capacity Houston is aware of all too nicely 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 mentioned. “His eyes are all the time downfield. So (the) secondary has to concentrate on that. Ensuring you’re sticky in your protection.”
Even that will not be 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 provided warning this week to anybody keen to write down KC’s epitaph, at the same time as playoff projection fashions development that approach.
“You have a look at our season,” Reid mentioned, “we’re one or two performs off. And we maintain 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 work out these two, three performs, you flip this round.”
You’re gonna need to remove the Chiefs from playoff competition in case you don’t need to take care of them past Week 18.
They’re teetering, certain. However as KC sees it, that simply means one other alternative to bounce again — at the same time as the probabilities develop skinny.
