Despite having a talented roster at hand, not many expected The Kansas City Chiefs to be playing at the level that they have been due to the recent coaching change and the uncertainty that the change presented. Many PML coaches didn’t know whether or not it would work out as the players would have to take on a new scheme not only offensively, but also defensively. It can take many years for a roster to become acclimated to these changes, but Mahomes has been a strong leader in the locker room and helped these guys to hit the books day in and day out, and it has paid off thus far as the Chiefs sit atop of the division at 7-1.
Looking at the season so far, The Kansas City Chiefs average 39.4 PPG (4th best) with the 2nd most passing yards at 2603 trailing only the division rival Denver Broncos. Although they are middle of the pack at 880 rushing yards, they lead a balanced attack on offense with 19 Rushing TD’s (1st) and 19 Passing TD’s (T-7th). They aren’t afraid to move the ball methodically if they need to, which is something Mahomes has worked on as the year goes on as they have accumulated 139 first downs (4th), and they concert 60% of their 3rd downs trailing only the Denver Broncos yet again. Their Redzone efficiency is a league best at 75% as they look to punch it in once they make their way down the field.
Mahomes at the helm at the offense has done his job as a QB to take care of the ball while still taking calculated risk down the field. As mentioned earlier he has 19 passing touchdowns on the year which isn’t the shiniest stat, but he has only throw 5 interceptions, which is something he prides himself in as he sits at a 120.8 passer rating while completing 68% of his passes. The new acquisition of Phillip Lindsay was a little questionable at the beginning of the season, but he has proved to be a good compliment to this Chiefs offense as he has accumulated 756 rushing yards (7th) and 11 rushing TD’s (T-2nd), all at 5.5 yards per carry. He has also had an impact to the passing game with 28 receptions for 277 yards and 2 TD’s. The receiving core has had a great year that has been led by Travis Kelce who leads the league in receiving yards at 899 yards and 5 touchdowns along the way. Courtland Sutton has mad his impact with 595 yards and 3 TD’s himself. The 2 speedsters in Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman have played an important role in stretching the defense vertically and have contributed 419 yards and 302 yards respectively. Hardman has 4 TD’s on the year, and Tyreek has 5 TD’s despite missing the first 5 games of the season due to an injury.
Defensively the Chiefs seem to sit middle of the pack when you look at yardage allowed passing and rushing. They’ve allowed 2033 Passing Yards (19th) and 844 rushing yards (19th). However, they’ve allowed only 172 points total, which is the 7th best in the league alongside 24 sacks (T-3rd) and 21 INT’s (T-5th). This defense has made big strides in helping this team to win in other ways rather than just a shootout and Mahomes carrying this team on his back.
Chris Jones has been the leader this defense needs and he continues to be the anchor as he leads the league in sacks at 8.5 despite the move to DT, and he also has contributed 26 total tackles. The rookie RE Amare Barno has been a great addition to the defensive line as he has 5 sacks on the season with 21 total tackles. Taco Charlton has also pitched in 4.5 sacks. Charvarius Ward has stepped up this season as he has 7 INTs with 2 of them going the other way for 6. He is followed by Sneed with 3, and Keanu Neal, Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, and Jordan Battle are all tied with 2 interceptions as they get contributions from all around. Keanu Neal and Willie G** lead the team in tackles with 51 and 50 respectively, while G** has forced 2 fumbles on the season so far.
The Chiefs look to continue to play well, but realize that staying humble and continuing to approach each game one at a time is vital to their long-term success. It is of the utmost importance that they make other teams beat them rather than beat themselves by turning the ball over. Patience is a virtue, and may the Chiefs continue to play sound football.
