Kansas City Chiefs: Three teams to avoid in the playoffs
The Kansas City Chiefs are already in the postseason. Here are three teams they are likely hoping they can somehow avoid playing again.
After a heartbreaking, last-second loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs are still in the driver’s seat in the AFC. However, the margin for error is gone.
With the playoffs upon us, we are going to look at three teams that the Kansas City Chiefs don’t want to see in January—if at all possible. While any playoff matchup is going to be tough, team history tells us that we’d like some potential opponents more than others.
The first team that we are going to look at is a team that Kansas City is very familiar with.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The New England Patriots are one of the most if not the most dominant team in NFL history. Bill Belichick and his future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady have excelled over the last 10 years with 9 (soon to be 10) AFC East division titles and two more Super Bowl victories. It seems that no matter the circumstances or roster concerns, the Patriots are able to overcome them and produce—especially in the playoffs.
If the Chiefs fail to win the AFC West and have to go into Foxborough in the playoffs, the odds are stacked against the Chiefs—even with wonder kid Patrick Mahomes. In his first start against the Pats, Mahomes struggled in the first half but returned to have an amazing second half that fell just short to another Brady comeback.
The reason the Chiefs don’t want to see the Pats again is the state of their defense. We have seen that Mahomes can put points on the board no matter the opponent, including against Belichick, but the Chiefs are quick to give up just as many.
The Chiefs like to play a lot of man to man defense against the Patriots, but the lack of talent at cornerback, as well as the efficiency and accuracy of the routes and throws of Tom Brady, allowed the Patriots to move the ball at will.
This could all change with the increased ability of the defensive front of the Chiefs that currently has 46 sacks leading the NFL. The recent emergence of Eric Berry should also shore up the questionable secondary. If the Chiefs are able to maintain home-field advantage and the defense can put pressure on Brady to make some errant throws, the Chiefs may shake the Patriots playoff ghost.
The next team is the team that played the Chiefs down to the wire just a little over a week ago.