Who do the Chiefs want to avoid the most in the Divisional Round?
By Grant Tuttle
Chiefs fans anxiously await the outcome of the first wave of playoff games. Who should the Chiefs want to play? Who do they want to avoid? We discuss.
After years of early playoff exits, the Kansas City Chiefs have new life.
With one playoff victory in the last 25 years, the fanbase has become restless. Led by MVP frontrunner, Patrick Mahomes, the feeling in Kansas City is that the team can shed its horrendous playoff history and have a chance at the Super Bowl. In order to get there, the Chiefs will have to win two games at Arrowhead Stadium. In the Divisional Round, the Chiefs will play the lowest remaining seed after this weekend.
This means that Kansas City could play the Indianapolis Colts, the Baltimore Ravens, or the Los Angeles Chargers. I will be breaking down how the Chiefs could fare against each opponent, citing the key matchups and giving an example of how they match up well and where the Chiefs may have shortcomings. Finally, I will rank them from one to three of best to worst matchups, one being the easiest opponent and three being the most difficult. We will start with the lowest seed, the Indianapolis Colts.
6. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
The Colts are one of the most intriguing teams in the playoffs. After a confusing offseason in which Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels accepted and then withdrew from the Colts head coaching position, there was a concern that the season may be a disaster. Fortunately, Frank Reich has helped hone the team in and steer them in the right direction.
Along with some key additions this offseason, Andrew Luck has returned from a major injury and is playing as well as ever; tossing 39 touchdown passes, trailing only Patrick Mahomes for the leagues most. 9-1 in their past ten games, it certainly does not seem impossible that the Colts upset the Texans in Houston. If that happens, they will be the Chiefs next opponent. This is how Kansas City matches up.
Offensively:
Let’s be honest, facing Andrew Luck at Arrowhead does not make anyone feel comfortable. If not for Mahomes’s incredible season, Luck would be in the MVP conversation. As aforementioned, he has fully returned to dominance. With the likes of tight end Eric Ebron, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and vastly underrated running back Marlon Mack, the Colts have the ability to move the football with relative ease.
Hilton had the 12th most receiving yards in the NFL with 1,270 yards. The Colts love to use him anywhere on the field, but most of all deep downfield. Hilton averaged 16.7 yards a reception making him 8th in the league in this category. Hilton’s speed and deep threat ability would obviously test the Chiefs secondary which gave up an average of 273.4 passing yards per game.
Eric Ebron‘s career has been revitalized since signing with the Colts. His success story can’t be understated. As the 2nd tight end on the depth chart behind Jack Doyle, Ebron put up great stats. Then, when Doyle went down with injury, Ebron quickly became one of Luck’s go-to targets; Finishing the regular season tied for 2nd with Davante Adams in receiving touchdowns, catching 13. Again, with the Chiefs coverage issues against tight ends, this is not a matchup you are hoping for.
Finally, regarding the Colts offense, Marlon Mack is one of the NFL’s most underrated running backs. After missing a lot of time early in the season with a hamstring injury, Mack has created an excellent balance for the offense. In 12 games, Mack rushed for 908 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. Mack’s presence has brought an element to the offense that has contributed to the team’s 9-1 record in the last ten games. The Chiefs would struggle containing him and the receiving targets.
Defensively:
The Colts have been consistently effective, yet not overtly flashy on defense. With the 11th best defense in terms of yards surrendered, the Colts have the ability to give the Chiefs, or any opponent trouble on offense. This, paired with an electric offense, is terrifying for opposing teams.
On the backs of some key defenders, the Colts have a shot to make a deep playoff run. Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard has made a serious case for Defensive Rookie of the Year, compiling 163 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions. As a defensive tackle, Denico Autry led the team with nine sacks. On the back end, second year cornerback Kenny Moore has three interceptions.
For Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, this is not a push-over defense. Ranked 16th in passing yards surrendered, the Chiefs will have a chance to move the ball through the air. In order to beat the Colts defense, the Chiefs will need to play one of their smoothest and most efficient games of the year. Any kind of hiccup, could lead to another disappointing loss to the Colts at Arrowhead Stadium.
Ranking and analysis:
The Colts are one of those sneaky wild card teams that have a path to the Super Bowl and have caught fire at the right time. With nightmares of the Chiefs blowing a 35 point lead and Andrew Luck rushing in a touchdown, I shudder at the thought of another Colts matchup in the Playoffs. That being said, I have them as my number 2 team; Meaning, they are right in the middle. They are not a push-over team, but I also don’t consider them the toughest team that the Chiefs could face.
With the fan base collectively saying that the Chiefs are in a new era with Patrick Mahomes, I can think of no better way to destroy the old narrative than to beat the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs. Now, does that mean that I have no nervousness about this matchup? No. Facing Andrew Luck is scary all the time. However, it would make for a great story if Kansas City was to slay their biggest playoff nemesis in franchise history in the first year of the Mahomes era.