After Sunday’s thrilling victory over the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL. After a harrowing 16-14 victory, Leo Chenal blocked a 35-yard field goal, preserving the win. Thus, thoughts of running the table without a loss seem ordained.
I’m a big believer in the NFL Gods. They are the true masters of the sport. It’s not the coaches and players but the collective universe of the fan base, both past and present, that determines the winner of every NFL game.
Of course, having Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Steve Spagnuolo, and Chris Jones makes it easier to win each week. The improbable blocked punt on Sunday gave the Chiefs a 9-0 record, and they have a nearly insurmountable lead in the AFC. That will be definitive if the Chiefs beat the Bills in Buffalo next week.
This is the third time the Chiefs have gone 9-0. The first was during the Trent Green era. They had a chance for a franchise’s 10th straight win at lowly Cincinnati, but the Bengals stomped them. In Andy Reid’s first year, Alex Smith led the Chiefs to a 9-0 record. They went into Denver, and Payton Manning thumped them.
In both cases, the Chiefs stumbled in those games, but it might be different this time. The Bills are the second-best team in the AFC, and honestly, even though the Pittsburgh Steelers are also 7-2 on the season, trusting Russell Wilson over Josh Allen makes no sense.
The Bills and Chiefs rosters have been riddled with injuries. Like the Chiefs, the Bills defeated the Colts without their top two receivers. Granted, it was just for a game, but Allen is carrying his team.
Buffalo entered the year with many questions, but they are the beneficiaries of a weak division, like the Chiefs, so it’s hard to identify the core of their success. Still, the Chiefs are renting free space in the minds of every Bills player and coach.
After defeating the Bills in the AFC Division round on their turf in January, Patrick Mahomes has never lost to the Bills at Orchard Park. On the flip side, the Bills routinely beat the Chiefs in Kansas City.
For the fan base, this is a showdown game. The Chiefs want to remain perfect, and the Bills want to make a statement. If Kansas City wins, they’ll have a four-game lead over Buffalo for the number one overall seed. I can’t see the Chiefs losing that many games this season.
Even with a loss, the Chiefs are still atop the AFC. Even if Pittsburgh wins next Sunday when they face the Baltimore Ravens, who are 7-3. The Ravens and Bills face some challenging games over the next four weeks.
The Chiefs, not so much. After Buffalo, they play the Panthers on the road and a Black Friday game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead. They’ll have a chance to wrap up the AFC West against the Los Angeles Chargers a week later at home.
In watching Sunday’s game, Head Coach Andy Reid reacted after the blocked punt as if he stole Christmas. Big Red must feel like his team is talented and the benefactor of incredible luck.
If we are realistic, the Chiefs should have three losses: the Ravens, the Bengals, and the Broncos. Yet, because of their will to win and generational quarterback, this might be the best overall team in Chiefs history.
They find different ways to win. Despite shooting themselves in the foot numerous times during their winning streak, they make the plays at the end of the game that turn defeat into victory.
So, Sunday’s Road game at Buffalo will tell us two things. If Kansas City wins, they’ll set a franchise record with ten straight wins, and only a road game at Pittsburgh on Christmas Day will derail their perfect season.
If the Bills win, they will have won their regular-season Super Bowl and have a shot at the top seed in the AFC. Still, even if that happens, they know they are not a lock to win at home in January.
Sunday is just the next game on the schedule, and that’s how the Chiefs have attacked this season. So far, it’s worked out just fine.
