Surviving September is the goal for the Kansas City Chiefs

A scant 19 days ago, following a tough loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the league opener, Baltimore Ravens tight end Isiah Likely had this to say about the trajectory of the team, "This is probably the worst game we’re gonna play all year. So if this is the best they’ve got, I mean, good luck in the postseason."

One could argue that was a glib reaction to losing in heartbreaking fashion to a top conference rival. It was Likely whose toe crossed the end line on the final play of regulation. Sure, there's a sense in which he's trying to come to grips with a missed opportunity, but there's something profoundly true about what Likely said. Good teams in the NFL ascend throughout the course of the season.

Fewer and fewer of the league's top talent play significant snaps in the NFL preseason. That reality in many ways shapes the month of September. Passing yardage and points-per-game averages are down league-wide. Six of the 14 NFL playoff teams from last season are 1-2. Put simply, the first month of the regular season has largely become the preseason. As such, the Kansas City Chiefs have done themselves a favor by managing to win three ugly games in spite of some unsightly warts.

The aesthetics are never important in the first month of the NFL season.

A month ago, if I'd told you rookie receiver Xavier Worthy would have more receiving yardage and touchdown receptions than Travis Kelce through three games, you might've insulted my intelligence. No one could've predicted two major injuries to offensive starters, but would you have predicted a 51.2 QBR and four interceptions for Patrick Mahomes?

Make no mistake, the Kansas City Chiefs have real questions that demand real answers. The trajectory of this football team is largely dependent upon fixing legitimate issues on both sides of the football. I'm concerned, but I'm heartened by the team finding ways to win despite its shortcomings. The Cincinnati Bengals are equally as flawed, but they're on the business end of a 0-3 start after falling in Landover on Monday Night Football. As cliche as it might sound, "Things could be worse."

The silver lining in this is the fact that the Chiefs have the runway necessary to improve. It's tough to imagine the Chiefs not getting more consistent performances from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Injured players like Charles Omenihu, Isiah Pacheco, and Marquise Brown are ostensibly set to return later in the year. This team will grow and evolve as the season progresses. Their primary objective is to stack wins while they tighten the screws. If they can continue to do that, they stay ahead of the field in the AFC and position themselves to be the top seed come the NFL postseason.

Over the next two weeks, the Chiefs have favorable matchups with a Chargers team presently ravaged by injuries and a Saints team that was humbled on Sunday by the Philadelphia Eagles. There's a real chance the Chiefs go into their bye week undefeated. When Kansas City returns for its Week 7 contest with the San Francisco 49ers, they'll likely be healthier and more mature as a team.

Sunday is Kansas City's final September game and a win over a division rival helps them buy more time to morph into a team prepared to make another championship run in January.