The Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins were served up by the NFL as one of the most anticipated matchups ever exhibited overseas, and despite a lopsided first half, the end result was exactly that in a game that went down to the wire and resulted in a 21-14 win for K.C.
For the Chiefs, there's a lot to celebrate and examine following such a pendulum swing of a performance, but the ultimate takeaway is that K.C. now has the tie-breaker over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins as teams volley for position atop the conference. They now sit at 7-2 heading into the bye while the Dolphins fall to 6-3.
Let's look at some of the loudest statements made from an international stage by the Chiefs against the Dolphins in Week 9.
Readiness is never an issue
As the NFL closed the chapter on Week 8, there were a couple of stated concerns pointed toward the Chiefs.
First, some analysts wondered how the Chiefs might respond after suffering arguably the most lopsided or embarrassing loss in the Patrick Mahomes era. The Denver Broncos held Mahomes and company to only three field goals and won a 24-9 divisional battle on the verge of such a big international game.
Second, the Chiefs and Dolphins put up examples of two very different approaches to playing internationally. Both teams had to get to Frankfurt, Germany before Sunday morning, but the Chiefs chose to wait until late in the week before making the trip while the Dolphins got there early and practiced all week.
Before the game, questions were asked about whether the Chiefs would look tired or flat in response to their travel decisions. Concerns also arose about how Andy Reid's team might look off of such a loss with the bye week ahead. Two straight losses would quickly deflate the stock of a team that had coasted to first so quickly.
As it turns out, it was the Dolphins who looked outmatched to start the game while the Chiefs looked focused on the task at hand. When it comes to readiness, no one should ever doubt Andy Reid and his staff.