The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs certainly haven’t looked like contenders in the last few weeks. Their victory over the New England Patriots in Week 15 snapped a two-game losing streak, as they had lost three out of four games before that.
For the first time in the Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes era, there are some serious issues to iron out offensively. The team failed this offseason to add impact players at the wide receiver position, which has contributed to the team’s performance slipping, at least for their ridiculously high standards.
This is still an offense knocking on the door of being top 10 in the NFL, but for that duo, this is considered a down season. Instead, the Chiefs have been relying on a stellar defense to keep them afloat and alive in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
NFL News & Rumors: Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Updates
Will the Chiefs be able to secure home-field advantage? Based on projections done for the remainder of the regular season, it will be close. But, ultimately, the projections aren’t in Kansas City’s favor.
They certainly get close, as the Chiefs are expected to dominate the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16, officially ending their playoff hopes. That would make them 10-5 on the season and pushing closer to the first seed with the Baltimore Ravens projected to lose to the San Francisco 49ers.
A victory by the Miami Dolphins over the Ravens in Week 17, coupled with the Chiefs defeating the Cincinnati Bengals has all three teams tied with 11-5 records heading into Week 18. There, Kansas City fell short in an upset loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, dropping them to the No. 2 seed.
NFL News & Rumors: Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Updates
Even without home-field advantage, the Chiefs have been projected to go on a run in the postseason. They defeat the Dolphins in the Wild Card before defeating the winner of the AFC South matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the AFC Championship Game, Kansas City defeats Baltimore in a high-scoring affair, 39-26. They advance to the Super Bowl, where they face the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. In another high-scoring blowout, the Chiefs come away victorious, 37-21, defending their Super Bowl and becoming the first back-to-back title winner since the Patriots, who win in the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
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