Loser: Focus Worries
It was exactly three weeks ago that the Chiefs left their home field stunned after being beaten by the visiting Las Vegas Raiders by a final score of 40-32. It was a disappointing effort by all parties involved, and it seemed they potentially overlooked their opponent after dominating the Raiders and the rest of the AFC West in recent seasons.
Since that game, the Chiefs have dialed it in with a stronger mental focus in all aspects of the game. Fewer mistakes are being made. The units look cleaner in their execution. The results speak for themselves. The Chiefs have defeated their last three opponents by a total of 62 points.
It would have been easy for the Chiefs to coast past the Jets given the fact that they were favored by 20 by oddsmakers. The Jets had yet to win a single game, while the Chiefs were waiting at home for their seventh win in eight games. Yet if you listened closely to players and coaches throughout the week, it was clear that they were focused on nothing more than their next opponent. They took the Jets seriously and, on Sunday, it showed.
During the week leading up to the game, both Chris Jones and Patrick Mahomes made public statements about the Jets being a good football team. No one was flippant about the job they had to do. On Sunday, the Chiefs looked very well-prepared for a franchise that could go down as one of the single worst teams in NFL history. If you wondered whether these Chiefs would fall for a trap game again, you saw your answer on Sunday.