The Kansas City Chiefs are in the most crucial stage of the season with three games remaining. They took over complete control of the AFC West, barring a horrid losing streak. They’ve climbed to the top of the AFC Conference and own the Playoff Bye… with work to do. Winning 10 games in a row is the goal to maintain the ownership of the op seed while other teams will be vying to upset the Chiefs. applecart.
Week 16 AFC Division Standings*
- Chiefs (10-4) West
- Patriots (9-5) East
- Titans (9-5) South
- Bengals (8-6) North
- At present, Chiefs own the AFC Bye
AFC West – Remaining Games
- Chargers (8-6): at Texans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders
- Raiders (7-7): vs. Broncos, at Colts, vs. Chargers
- Broncos (7-7): at Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Chiefs
- Chiefs (10-4): vs. Steelers, at Bengals, at Broncos
In the West, the Chiefs play two of three games on the road, and winning games as visitors is always difficult, no matter who a team is facing. To win the AFC outright, they need to sweep these games. Complicating the picture for the Chiefs is the effect of the Covid-19 list. As of yesterday, added to the existing list of 3 players — Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, and Josh Gordon — who are in the process of daily testing, were: Travis Kelce, Harrison Butker, and Charvarius Ward). This is not good news, no matter what. Here is an article about the players on the Covid-19 restricted from the Wichita Beacon called “With addition of Kelce, Butker, Ward, KC Chiefs will have 6 players on COVID-19 list“
Unfortunately, as I was at the keyboard, working up the article, the Chiefs added three players to the list, making it 9 total: Tyreek Hill, Rashad Fenton, and Blake Bell. We also don’t know if any of the six players were among the unvaccinated NFL population. This situation is fluid and I’m sure will change before he publication of his piece.
Andy Reid did indicate that the organization is leading the way in that regard. See Reid’s comments: he stated that 90% of the players, and 100% of staff, were vaccinated He also had remarked in his presser about the team’s status with Injuries (none to report until Tuesday’s check-in as well as observing this about Jones, Gay, and Gordon:
“Well I’m hoping…that they’re going to be there, but we’ve just got to see how it goes. There’s a matrix of things that you’ve got to work out. That’s where Rick (Burkholder) comes in. I can’t sit here and tell you how all that works right now, but Rick works through everything every day… It’s day-to-day as you go with these tests.”
Here’s a link about the Chief’s participation in Vaccinations.
Oh, Heavens! New additions have now been added to the list Tuesday. Here is a complete list of players affected:
Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, Willie Gay, Jr., Travis Kelce, Charvarius Ward, Harrison Butker, Ty Hill, Rashad Fenton, Blake Bell. There have been additions since I first completed this article and It gets worse, far worse.
A Look at the AFC Still Muddled Playoff Picture
Other Contenders
Having lost games that would have had either team in front of the Chiefs in their remaining games, both the Patriots and Titans lost, which is how K.C. climbed to the lead in the AFC. The oddity here at this point is only 3 AFC teams have been eliminated: the Jets, Texans, and Jaguars.
Patriots (9-5): vs. Bills, vs. Jaguars, @Dolphins (if any team is sitting pretty it is the Patriots, but they face the Bills first, at home. Whoever wins this game, will win the AFC East)
Titans (9-5): vs. 49ers, vs. Dolphins, vs. @ Texans (Titans probably hold off and win the division)
Bills (8-6): at Patriots, vs. Falcons, vs. Jets (Bills finish at least 10-7, and if they do win out, secure a Wild card)
Colts (8-6): at Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Jaguars (2 on the road and one of the first two opponents will keep them from winning 11 in my view)
Ravens (8-6): at Bengals, vs. Rams, vs. Steelers (Ravens will have a very tough time with 3 tough opponents)
Steelers (7-6-1): at Chiefs, vs. Browns, at Ravens (Fortunately, we play the dastardly Steelers at home. Can’t see the Steelers making the playoffs 3 tough games in a row)
Dolphins (7-7): at Saints, at Titans, vs. Patriots (A developing team, but a daunting task like the Browns. I have them missing the playoffs)
Browns (7-7): at Packers, at Steelers, vs. Bengals (They started well, but their remaining 3 games? Bengals win the division, and Browns miss the playoffs)
I think you can see that things are going to go down to week 18 in the AFC. The Chiefs will make the playoffs but, if just examining the situation for the AFC Bye in the playoffs, and considering recent news related to Covid-19, the Chiefs have a big chore ahead of them. Last count… 16 on the list? Oh My!
A Season of Constant Agitation and Anxiety
The Chiefs arrived at week eight in their schedule, trailing the rest of the AFC West. At that point, the defense had played very poorly and the Offense was inconsistent and unable to even remotely look like the contenders that we all believed they were when the season opened. Suddenly, the Chiefs defense had appeared at least as a cogent force in week six, holding the WFT to 13 points, but the offense failed dismally in week 7 when the team suffered a loss by 24 points to the Titans, failing to even score a TD. The Defense gave up 7 points over my posited magic number threshold of 20.
From that point on though, bottom line is that the Chiefs reeled off 7 wins in a row. The Defense all came out en force, allowing less than 11 PPG over that stretch. In the 7th contest they faced the Chargers on the road and though the defense allowed 28 points, the Offense exploded, came back twice late in the game and the Travis Kelce 37 yard TD sealed the deal. It was one of the best regular-season games in memory. This win came without their 3 best starters a heir respective positons: LB Willie Gay, Jr, Chris Jones, and L’jarius Sneed.
This man was the Biggest Performer from the Chargers Game
Earlier this season, I questioned Andy Reid’s mental state, I questioned Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and, I believed that Patrick Mahomes, as a new father, was worn out and not concentrating, to the detriment of the club. Despite the early swoon, we are finally seeing the Chiefs in rhythm, firing on all cylinders, and closing the season strong. That’s always an advantage going into the playoffs.
What I believed was that Reid’s playcalling was poor. Ditto Spagnuolo’s defense sets and if Patrick Mahomes was sitting up with the new addition to his home crew, then he was also affected. Maybe I was wrong about all of these factors and in conversation with our fearless leader recently, I could say, that 2 games in the loss column could have been wins, but ended up being tallied in the loss column. Changes the picture of the season doesn’t it?
My Gypsy’s Crystal Ball Time
If I had to hall out the mystical gypsy’s crystal ball? The Chiefs will win 2 of 3 games as they finish the season out. I toss in a loss in this mix as two of the three games are on the road. However, the way the team played last Thursday showed me a team that was all together and their own best cheerleaders. There was no quit in them in any phase of the game.
The conservative me tells me that I should look at the games remaining, appraise each with a jaundiced eye and go with winning 2 of 3. However, if the team that showed up versus the Chargers is rolling, 10 wins in a row is possible. However, the Virus will give a determination of players who have to clear testing.
I was about to state, that the Chiefs will earn the Bye and finish 13-4. Why? Because Patrick Mahomes played the game as only he could play last Thursday! Heaven’s to Murgatroyd as my Grandmother used to exclaim! (I think the origins of the word were earlier than the reference. Lola Viva Bell passed in 1982). Or it would be: Murder!
I keep in mind that the Chiefs faced the Chargers missing 3 key players and came away with a huge win. Within the scheme of things, I won’t know by the time this article is published, which players on the Covid-19 list will have cleared. What I do know is the Chiefs now have ____ players in the Covid-19 protocol. I suspect though, that on Wednesday, we will know about three players will be at practice: Jones, Gay, and Gordon — at least I hope this is how it rolls out. Then we wait to find out about the next six. If the NFL-gods are smiling? The Chiefs will have a full complement of all these players by the time the Steelers fly into K.C. and they secure this win at home. The Bengals game has got to be a worry because they too are in their sequence of games to hold the lead in their division and win it. I count the Broncos game as a win, based on past criteria. My best case is the desired outcome of the 2021 season.
Andy Reid says: “We just go next man up, and roll.” Go Chiefs!!!!!
.
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
.
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/the-chiefs-in-the-scheme-of-afc-standings/#disqus_thread)
.