The Kansas City Chiefs are a remarkable 11-1 on the season. They’ve not blown anyone out; each victory was a close game, making fans uneasy about their AFC Standings. The players’ struggles are internal and correctable. So, how do they do that?
Expectations are a nasty business for generational teams like the Kansas City Chiefs. Over the last six NFL seasons, not counting 2024, the Chiefs have been the league’s most dominant team. They are must-see TV every weekend, and in every national game they play, the ratings shatter every record. They are a cash cow for the networks and the league.
As we all saw Friday at home against the Las Vegas Raiders, the game was too close for comfort. A bad snap ended the Raider’s upset bid and advanced the Chiefs into the postseason.
So why are the Chiefs playing in so MANY close games?
The simple answer is, where’s their joy playing a kid’s game? In addition, they appear to be succumbing to the pressure of not their attempt to Three-Peat but their expectations to play at the level that made them great in this run.
If you need proof of my theory, watch the Buffalo Bills play football. They are smiling and run a very simplified game plan on both sides of the ball. Their approach to the game should not work, but it does.
This team is enjoying playing on Sunday, which shows in their play. They have an Auro around them that is contagious within their coaching staff and roster. Honestly, this is the least talented Bills team in the Josh Allen era, and that’s just a fact.
It’s not supposed to be easy playing a 17-game schedule, especially when the Chiefs are playing six of the seven days of the week this season. They must play three games in 11 days, which could derail their hopes of becoming the Top Seed in the AFC. Yet, this is the price for their success: primetime holiday matchups that alter their weekly routine.
Yet, the Chiefs have what it takes to overcome the poor play and the scheduling cruelty, but I question when this team will have fun again. If they can remove the internal pressure they put on themselves and redirect that to enjoying the competition, perhaps some bad snaps will turn into better ones.
I am simplifying things considerably, but it’s the Holiday season, and I want to see Joy on the field. Kansas City understands that every game is a dogfight because everyone wants to beat the Champs, and they should embrace that.
We can nitpick all the mistakes on the field and the fact that the left tackle spot has been wrong all season, but they are 11-1, so that tells me they can overcome anything.
Patrick Mahomes has been running for his life, and he’s struggling to stay in the pocket or escape the pressure. If he could get his offensive line to create an impenetrable bubble in the pocket, he’d be the leading vote-getter for league MVP.
Instead, he’s forced to make split-second decisions, which cause poor mechanics that lead to incompletions and missed opportunities, resulting in more touchdowns. Thus far, he’s failed to hit Xavier Worthy on all but one long pass attempt. Worthy can’t be covered when he stretches the field, but Mahomes needs time for that play to develop.
Again, the pressure on Mahomes is unfair and self-inflicted. I stated this over the weekend: his Dad-Body can only handle so much until it betrays him. Yet, he takes the blows to his body and confidence for his teammates.
Still, there is a disconnect between the fans’ expectations, coaches’ expectations, and players’ explanations for why Kansas City struggles in the regular season. I know they are not bored or are failing to engage the moment in these games. On Friday, this team looked tired; the Raiders did not.
Yet, if they win out, a challenging task ahead, they’ll get a few weeks off before their divisional round game at Arrowhead. That should heal their achy bodies, which will be challenged with their upcoming games this month.
For that to happen, Mahomes and company must embrace the joy of playing football like the Bills do every week. I’m not going to debate who the better team is, the Chiefs or the Bills, but Buffalo has a secret sauce that is working. The Chiefs should emulate their approach.
