Five keys for the KC Chiefs to keep the AFC’s top seed

2. Get the ball to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce

If the win over the Los Angeles Chargers proved anything it was that KC’s offense is at its best when it is feeding Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce the ball. While Mahomes will always be the biggest name on the team, the fact is the Chiefs have a trio of Hall of Fame-caliber players. While Mahomes is guaranteed to have the ball in his hands all game long, the Chiefs have to make sure that their other elite players touch the ball consistently as well.

Obviously, the Chiefs can’t just force the ball to Hill or Kelce if they are double covered and aren’t getting open. It’s not about forcing something that isn’t there, it’s about having plays ready that are designed to get their top guys open and get the ball to them. Every defensive coordinator in the league would gladly take Mahomes throwing to guys like Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, and Demarcus Robinson over Hill and Kelce. I’m not saying that Mahomes should never target those other guys, but if they are seeing more action than Hill and Kelce, then K.C. is playing right into their opponents’ hands.

Tyreek Hill is such a freak that he is almost impossible to completely take out of a play. He’s so fast and his change of direction is so sudden that he can create space for himself on almost any play. Travis Kelce is too big for most defensive backs to take out of a play and he runs routes too well for linebackers to keep with him. Those facts alone make them essential to the game plan for every single game. If both players don’t catch at least five passes every game the Chiefs are not utilizing their best players enough.

There’s one other key for the offense as well.