The Kansas City Chiefs are headed into the BYE week with some momentum. After beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium last week, Kansas City took out its early-season frustrations on the Detroit Lions, destroying them by a 45-10 score.
The Chiefs fell behind 3-0 in the first quarter and then exploded for 38 straight points, putting the game away in a major way. Kansas City was led by the legs of quarterback Alex Smith and a relentless pass rush which harassed Matthew Stafford all day and recorded six sacks.
Smith ran for 78 yards and a touchdown on five carries, including a 49-yard jaunt. Smith also threw for a pair of touchdowns, hitting Travis Kelce once and Jeremy Maclin in the fourth quarter. Kelce was a bull the entire afternoon, catching six passes for 49 yards and being a force in the run-blocking game. Meanwhile, the defense teed off. Justin Houston was the star of the show, notching 1.5 sacks and an interception. Ron Parker also recorded a pair of sacks, while Derrick Johnson and Dontari Poe each had one. Tamba Hali was also credited with a half-sack.
Going into the BYE week, the Chiefs are finally beginning to look a football team. At 3-5, Kansas City is very much alive in a brutal AFC. While the Western division is completely out of their grasp at the moment, the Chiefs could make something happen in the wild card race. Kansas City will come out of the break against the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers on the road. Those two games will tell us plenty moving forward.