The Kansas City Chiefs last played a football game four days ago; while the rest of the NFL concluded their week one game, the last being Monday Night, they rested and had to feel good about their chances to continue their NFL dominance.
Week one of the NFL Season is over, and most of the Power Rankings are up, and the Kansas City Chiefs remain at the top spot. What we’ve seen over the last four days of glorious NFL football reminds us that to beat the best, you have to be better than the team aiming for three consecutive Super Bowl Titles.
What we learned in week one was not all that surprising, nor did it ring any alarm bells that the Chief’s quest to play in the AFC Championship game for the seventh consecutive season is in jeopardy.
This past weekend, there were some excellent games, but we also saw some miserable performances, which were attributed to a lack of playing time in the preseason and jitters.
The Chiefs took care of the Baltimore Ravens on opening night, setting the pace for the race in the AFC. Over the weekend, some chasing the Chiefs had good games, most notably the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. Both teams won in grind-it-out fashion, and their quarterbacks made the big play with the game on the line.
Both are a significant challenge to the Chiefs this season.
On the flip side, Sunday’s opponent at Arrowhead, the Cincinnati Bengals, was upset by the lowly New England Patriots. Quarterback Joe Burrow didn’t have a good game, and without Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase on the field, he never found his passing rhythm.
More on this game as we get closer to Sunday.
For now, the Kansas Chiefs remain the hunted, and if they show any cracks in their armor, they could fall from the top spot in the AFC if they beat themselves. To avoid that, they must keep the gas on the pedal and not allow those chasing them. They hope they can win at Arrowhead in January.
In rewatching Thursday’s game, the Chiefs left roughly fifteen points on the field. When Hollywood Brown returns and this offense has a couple of games to get everyone on the same page, the window to catch the Chiefs will likely close.
Still, complacency hit this team hard last season, but I’m confident that won’t be the case in 2024. Even against the Ravens, Kansas City spread the ball on offense, and though the running game concerns me, they have the talent, drive, and playmakers to average over thirty points per game.
With a stingy defense, that’s more than enough to outscore their opponents each week. There’s no question this offense could average over thirty points per game. Again, the word complacency will likely never hit this football team. Last year, they beat that narrative to a drum; this team solely focuses on the task ahead.
Granted, it won’t always be roses, and this team will lose a few games as they get into January shape. Still, watching the first week of the regular season doesn’t mean much; weeks two and three begin to define your team.
I’ve always maintained the first quarter of the season is the most crucial set of games for the contending teams. Those new to the pressure cooker of expectations, like the Texans and Chargers, will learn much about their respective teams.
In Kansas City, everyone knows who the Chiefs are and what they are about. They also know that to win a Super Bowl, you must dethrone them, and that’s a difficult task for even the best teams in the league.
