Current:Home > BackChiefs show their flaws – and why they should still be feared-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Chiefs show their flaws – and why they should still be feared
View Date:2024-12-23 17:07:11
ATLANTA – Another week, another close call.
That’s become quite the pattern for the Kansas City Chiefs as they roll down the path of attempting to become the NFL’s first three-peat Super Bowl champion. They are still perfect in one sense, as the 22-17 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night improved the record to 3-0.
But boy did they sweat it out again. This time, the outcome wasn’t decided until Nick Bolton blew up a run on fourth-and-1 at the Chiefs’ 13-yard line – dumping Bijan Robinson for a 3-yard loss – in the final minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It’s no wonder that Chiefs safety Justin Reid was in the boisterous visitor’s locker room afterward expressing context for what has become the team’s motto: Survive and Thrive.
“The NFL is the toughest sport in the world, and the margin between teams that win and lose is closer than it’s ever been,” Reid told USA TODAY Sports. “What great teams do, they find a way to win. Whatever it is. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It’s about letters.”
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
As in W’s.
Each of the Chiefs’ games this season conceivably could wound up as an L, but it is apparent that, in winning three times by a total of 13 points, they have extra layers of championship grit and poise to help get past the imperfections. The defense came up huge in crunch time on Sunday night, stopping the Falcons on fourth down in the red zone twice in the final five minutes. And the offense keeps pulling out new wrinkles to produce just enough.
Patrick Mahomes knows.
“We haven’t played good, really, all three games,” said Mahomes, who still hasn’t thrown for 300 yards in a game this season. “We’ve been able to win. That speaks to the character of the team, the grit, how we’ve been in these situations before.”
Mahomes completed 26 of 39 passes for 217 yards, with two touchdowns. But the NFL’s best and most electric player sounded so human, too, pondering the misfires of recent weeks, including a red zone pick that he couldn’t fire over new Falcons safety Justin Simmons, who intercepted Mahomes for the fourth consecutive game between the two.
“Me, myself, I haven’t played very well,” Mahomes said. “That’s not a stats thing. I just feel like I’m missing opportunities when they’re out there, not throwing the ball to the exact spot I want it to be at. So, it’s about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right position. We’ve got to execute at a higher level. If teams are going to make us drive the field, we have to prove that we’re able to do that. I’m sure we’ll get a lot more of the same this new week with the Chargers.”
Of course, Mahomes’ challenges are part of a larger picture. His unit is operating without two key pieces lost to injuries – receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (shoulder surgery) and running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle). In Pacheco’s place, rookie fullback Carson Steele made his first start and contributed a steady 72 yards on 17 carries.
Without Brown, injured in the preseason opener, the Chiefs have had to accelerate the learning curve for first-round rookie Xavier Worthy and have leaned more on second-year pro Rashee Rice. This, while All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce’s production has been short-circuited.
While Kelce was limited to 30 yards on four receptions – still drawing double- and triple-team coverage from defenses determined to take him away, Mahomes said – Rice had another huge game with a career-high 12 catches for 110 yards with a touchdown.
The emergence of Rice includes the juxtaposition of his serious off-the-field issues. He’s facing felony charges stemming from a high-speed hit-and-run collision on a Dallas freeway in March, which could result in a jail sentence and an NFL suspension. The league, however, won’t weigh discipline until his legal case is settled – and at this point that process is a huge benefit to the Chiefs.
With Worthy still developing in his role, the Chiefs desperately need the reliability and playmaking skill that Rice has demonstrated.
“He’s doing a great job,” Mahomes said. “When they’re putting all that attention on Travis, he’s making stuff happen underneath. I’m sure defenses are going to start adjusting, putting more coverage toward him. That’s when Travis will make plays. Or Worthy will make plays. Or JuJu (Smith-Schuster), or whoever. He’s a legit No. 1 receiver. You’re seeing that every week.”
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are doing just enough each week to survive with the W’s.
Maybe that will be the identity of this version of the Chiefs. During this dynasty era, we’ve seen the Chiefs win with record-breaking point production. We’ve seen them win with dominant defenses. Last season, we saw them peak down the stretch and for the first time win playoff games on the road to get back to the Super Bowl.
This team’s identity?
“It’s just the third game,” All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t know. Talk to me after seven or eight games and I’ll tell you a lot more. It’s still so early.”
Still, a certain pattern could be building.
“We find a way to push through,” Reid said. “We’ve just got to keep finding ways to get better. You don’t want to peak this soon, anyway.”
Which is quite the warning to the rest of the NFL.
veryGood! (5571)
Related
- Beyoncé's Grammy nominations in country categories aren't the first to blur genre lines
- Starbucks ordered to court over allegations Refresher drinks lack fruit
- Wisconsin Republicans propose impeaching top elections official after disputed vote to fire her
- Peso Pluma cancels Tijuana show following threats from Mexican cartel, cites security concerns
- 2025 Medicare Part B premium increase outpaces both Social Security COLA and inflation
- Two debut books make the prestigious Booker Prize shortlist
- Novels from US, UK, Canada and Ireland are finalists for the Booker Prize for fiction
- Former fashion mogul pleads not guilty in Canadian sex-assault trial
- A crowd of strangers brought 613 cakes and then set out to eat them
- Elon Musk's Neuralink chip is ready to embark on its first clinical trial. Here's how to sign up.
Ranking
- Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa’s close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
- Indiana Republican state senator Jack Sandlin, a former police officer, dies at age 72
- Where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Really Stand Amid Romance Rumors
- Starbucks ordered to court over allegations Refresher drinks lack fruit
- Brian Austin Green Shares Message to Sharna Burgess Amid Ex Megan Fox's Baby News
- 'Euphoria' actor Angus Cloud's cause of death revealed
- Good American's Rare Friends & Family Sale Is Here: Don't Miss Up to 80% Off on All Things Denim and More
- Detroit Tigers hire Chicago Blackhawks executive Jeff Greenberg as general manager
Recommendation
-
Advocacy group sues Tennessee over racial requirements for medical boards
-
2 JetBlue planes reportedly struck by lasers near Boston, FAA says
-
WWE releases: Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, Mustafa Ali and others let go by company
-
Sacramento prosecutor sues city over failure to clean up homeless encampments
-
Dozens indicted over NYC gang warfare that led to the deaths of four bystanders
-
Hunter Biden ordered to appear in-person at arraignment on Oct. 3
-
Governors, Biden administration push to quadruple efficient heating, AC units by 2030
-
Teen rescued after stunt mishap leaves him dangling from California’s tallest bridge