Much has been made about the kind of season the Kansas City Chiefs have had. Close games and contests coming down to the final play have been at the forefront. The Chiefs have also dealt with a great deal of injuries to some of their top players. But the bottom line is that and currently sits at the top of the AFC standings. They have also clinched the AFC West division title.
There is still something worth playing for. The one seed is not yet clinched. And even with a two-game lead on Buffalo, Kansas City already lost the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Bills. Buffalo could easily win out. That, in turn, would force the Chiefs to win at least two of their final three games. More chemistry and rhythm from the offense could be worth vying for, too.
But when it comes to the last few weeks of the regular season, the Chiefs should ideally attempt to play things as smart as they can. With a bigger goal still at play come January, Kansas City can opt to play things safe, if they so choose. Overall, there is a variety of ways in which the Chiefs could approach their last three regular-season weeks. Here are the biggest headlines, when it comes to managing the roster.
Mahomes' injury puts everything in a blender (even more)
To put it lightly, Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury puts things into a blender even further.
While Mahomes is going to play with a mild high-ankle sprain against the Texans, things could become dicey as the whole team is already playing on a short week and that's before they have to suit up on a Wednesday of all things to play at Pittsburgh. Can Mahomes really stay upright through all of that against two contending teams?
If Mahomes gets injured even further, the critical response will be considerable. At the same time, another thing that could determine whether Mahomes plays certain games in the regular season or not, is if the one seed remains in play. if the Bills keep the pressure on the Chiefs, the team will want to lean on Mahomes over Carson Wentz.
What fi Mahomes reinjures his ankle and it costs the Chiefs a game they needed to win? Could that force Mahomes to play in a week that he perhaps wasn't planning (Week 18? There are a lot of variables in play.
Managing Travis Kelce's workload
Travis Kelce turned it on for an amazing playoff run last year. Who knows how much of that was due to him resting in the regular season finale last season? That makes the idea of managing Kelce fascinating as the regular season winds down. Perhaps giving him time off before the playoffs is as vital as it is for any other Kansas City offensive skill player.
Ideally, not having Kelce play for at least one game, and possibly two games, could be as great of a boost as any for the Chiefs offense. Giving him some rested legs entering the playoffs truly may open up so many options for Kansas City. How they disguise plays pre-snap with Kelce, his threat after the catch and his ability to still shake free with added separation are all parts of his game that could be rejuvenated with added time off.
Rust may be less of a concern under Andy Reid
How much time off is too much? Andy Reid's success of a bye is historically great. He knows how to get his guys ready and prepared with a week of no live snaps in between. You can also point towards the results of Reid's squads when beginning a fresh, new slate of games, particularly when the calendar changes to the beginning of a new window. His teams usually start strong out of the gate in Week 1 of the year. In addition, his partnership was especially impressive in September, at the start of a new campaign.
Plus, this Chiefs roster knows how to step up more often than not in tight, close situations. When the stakes are higher, the Chiefs rise to the occasion. You coincide that with the overall age of most of Kansas City's top performers and key pieces, and limiting some snaps could be of even more benefit. To boot, the Chiefs have already dealt with many injuries this season. Not getting dealt any more significant blows would be huge.