Laddie Morse
The Kansas City Chiefs should easily be able to get to the playoffs this year. Since we know how they can maneuver their way through the playoffs no matter where they’re playing — at Home or on the Road — we could simply be looking at a team who will three-peat for the first time in NFL history. Yesterday, I got this message from one of our bloggers:
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The “downer” piece our fine blogger is referring to is called, “The Chiefs Top 10 Ways They Could Lose the Opener” in which I lay out the ways in which the Chiefs could lose the game tomorrow. Yes, freshmeat62 got it exactly right, I was just trying to prepare the Kingdom for the unlikely event in which they lose that game. Today is also that “upper” piece freshmeat62 is referring to.
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By the BYE
In the first five weeks before the BYE Week, the Chiefs could come out with a number of overall records:
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If K.C. wins all their games before the BYE Week, they’d have a 5-and-0 record and everything would be hunky-dory. In fact, they’d be better than hunky-dory, they’d be off to one of their best starts in the Andy Reid era.
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🟨 = Andy Reid’s only non-playoff year as the Chiefs HC.
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The only other time, in the Andy Reid era, that K.C. hasn’t made the playoffs, they also had a BYE Week in Week Five, in 2014. With the Ravens, the Bengals, the Falcons, the Chargers and the Saints on the schedule prior to their BYE Week, going 2-and-3 is a possibility. However, since the Chiefs have made the playoffs in every other season of the Andy Reid era, they should still be able to make the playoffs again this season, even if they do go 2-and-3.
The two other times the Chiefs did not have a winning record by the BYE Week, was in 2015 and 2016. So, not only would I have to guess that the Chiefs will be at least 3-and-2 by their BYE Week this year, but they should be able to make the playoffs… even if they come in with a 1-and-4 record to start their season.
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Last Year’s Playoffs
How many Kingdom fans were expecting the Chiefs to lose vs the Dolphins? Sure it was cold and they were playing at home in Arrowhead Stadium, but the odds were against the Chiefs. After all, the Dolphins had the number one offense in the NFL. Having lost to the Raiders (just three weeks prior to their game with the Dolphins) — on Christmas Day — they lost that game… IN ARROWHEAD no less (20-14).
Then the Chiefs had to go on the road to Buffalo. How man Kingdom fans were expecting the Chiefs to lose vs the Bills? Sure, K.C. had shown up big… in the cold… in Arrowhead… but facing the Bills… IN BUFFALO… was a daunting task. Who would have thought the Chiefs would win, even in the last minutes of that game, when a field goal went “Wide Right?”
Next K.C. went on the road to face the Ravens… IN BALTIMORE. How many Kingdom fans were expecting the Chiefs to lose vs the Ravens? I have to admit, I was shocked when K.C. came away with a victory in that one. Facing the Ravens on their home turf and coming out with a victory, to go to back-to-back Super Bowls, was not what I was expecting. Hoping? Yes. Expecting? No.
That’s why… if K.C. can make it into the playoffs this season… they should be able to make it back to the biggest game of all: Super Bowl LIX.
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The Best of the Rest
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Week Seven
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On a Sunday in October, the 25, the San Francisco 49ers will be looking for a bit of revenge in this game against our Super Bowl Champions. However, Andy Reid is 31-7 when he has two weeks to prepare. That’s an .816 winning percentage, coming off of a BYE Week. The Chiefs may have an early BYE Week, but I pity the team they have to play the week after that.
The 49ers will be coming off of a trip to Seattle on the Thursday night, prior to the previous weekend, so they’ll have a little bit longer time to prepare for this game too. Plus, they are playing in the comfortable environs of Levi’s Stadium. Nevertheless, I give this one to Andy Reid, especially with so much extra time to prepare.
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In Week Eight the Chiefs face the Las Vegas Raiders in Vegas and in Week Nine, they are at Home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: a Monday Night Game. Then, in Week Ten the Chiefs are at Home against the Broncos: a Sunday game. Then they travel to… Buffalo.
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Week Eleven
The Buffalo Bills will be wanting some revenge as well. QB Josh Allen will want the world to know he’s as good as Patrick Mahomes and he will try and show it. Although, he’s not. Here are some stats offered by StatHead.com on Allen’s and Mahomes’ head-to-head competition:
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What you’ll notice is that Mahomes is terrific against Allen in the playoffs, but not so much in the regular season. Sure, Allen has the rushing edge over Mahomes, but QB rushing stats isn’t what makes a great QB. The Chiefs may lose this game, but will it really matter? The playoffs is where Mahomes realizes he MUST win… and he does. Is a 1-and-3 regular season record against Josh Allen something to worry about? I think not. This game could go either way, but who cares?
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Week 14
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By the time the Chiefs travel to L.A. to play the Chargers in SOFI Stadium, the division crown should be locked up for the Chiefs. If it isn’t. this could end up being a very interesting game. This is Jim Harbaugh’s first season as the Chargers Head Coach and although he is a run game coach extraordinaire, his approach may not end up working in the NFL.
We’ll have to see if Harbaugh adapts his game calling approach to the big leagues. By this time of the season, he may be faced with: adapt or die. If Harbaugh’s Run Centric Approach has not worked in his favor for most of the season, it could be a very short Sunday Night for them, especially with Steve Spagnuolo calling the shots for the Chiefs defense.
Following the Sunday evening game against the Chargers, K.C. has three 12 noon games in a row against: the Brown, the Texans (see below), and the Steelers. However, those three noon games are on: a Sunday, a Saturday, and a Wednesday, in that order. Then we’ll get to see how Andy Reid does with, less time to prepare.
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Week 16
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The Texans QB, C.J. Stroud, is an up and coming sensation in the NFL. He was the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and he had an excellent rookie season as the Texans Starting QB. Stroud started 15 games and threw for 4,108 yards while averaging 273.9 yards per game with 23 TDs and only 5 INTs.
If Stroud has nearly the same numbers by this time of the season, when K.C. faces off against the Texans in Houston, it could be billed as the New GOAT vs the New comer. While the Chiefs had the second overall Defense in the NFL in 2023, the Texans had the 11th overall best defense giving up just 3.4 points more per game than K.C..
Although K.C. will still have games against the Broncos and Steelers, with a win in Houston, the Chiefs could be sailing into the playoffs with poise and certainty. If K.C. ends up as the number one seed, WATCH OUT!
What do you think?
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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