Live Thread: New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs
By Ben Nielsen
Game two of a critical ‘must win’ stretch against the St. Louis Rams, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bill continues this week with a the Jets portion of the three game plan. Let’s get dirty. (I don’t know what that means.)
The Kansas City Chiefs, 4-3, have a chance to improve to 5-3 at the season’s midpoint. A win today and the Chiefs are in a four-way tie for a playoff spot, a spot that seemed improbable after the way the first week of the season went down. A win each of the next two weeks and the Chiefs will have crucial tie-breakers over the San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins. None of that happens (or may even matter) if the Chiefs can’t come up with a win over the 1-7 Jets.
The numbers wizards at 538 say this game has a 25-percent swing the in Chiefs playoff chances. Not so much for what it could add to their chances with a win (5%) but what it would take away (20%). Right now the Chiefs are a coin toss to make the playoffs (51.3% of making the playoffs) so a loss today would send the Chiefs down to about a 30% chance. So, no, the Jets don’t come in as an imposing threat but they could seriously damage the Chiefs if Kansas City doesn’t take this game seriously.
Big game today, ladies and gentlemen. Big game.
Prediction: Chiefs 27, Jets 10.