NFL Network analyst: Chiefs are ‘not perfect’ but still the team to beat in AFC
Christmas came at just the right time for Chiefs fans.
After the Chiefs’ 38-31 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday night, Chiefs fans got to focus on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and leave behind those nagging concerns about their favorite team for a couple of days.
The Chiefs have lost three of their last five games but still have the best record in the AFC and can clinch the the top seed in the playoffs with a victory Sunday against the Raiders.
The Chargers, Patriots and Texans also could all claim the top seed depending on what happens Sunday, and the Chiefs could drop to the No. 5 seed in the playoff field if things go badly in the Week 17 games.
That coupled with the Chiefs’ past playoff woes has some fans concerned about the Chiefs’ future.
But David Carr of the NFL Network said Monday night that he believes the Chiefs are the best team in the AFC, although they have two areas of concern. One is the defense’s inability to get off the field and the other is quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ lack of experience in big games.
“They’re still a good football team, and I think they’re still the team to beat, but there are some chinks in the armor,” Carr said. “They’re not perfect. Their defense isn’t great. Their defense gives up big plays, they constantly put their offense in bad situations. When you look at the offensive side of the ball, as good as Patrick Mahomes is, he doesn’t have a ton of experience. He doesn’t have Russell Wilson-type experience.
“As fun as they are to watch on the offensive side of the ball, I still think there are still things they need to clean up. There are moments when Patrick puts them in some interesting situations. He made some dynamic plays, but he also doesn’t make the plays that make you feel good, make you feel comfortable as a head coach. ...
“When you play those prime-time games, you’ve got guys like Russell Wilson, you’ve got guys in these playoffs that know what they’re doing, Drew Brees, and they’re going to be on it, from a situational standpoint, and they’re going know what to do against your defense.”
In Carr’s estimation, this is not a strength for Mahomes.
Here is the clip:
This story was originally published December 26, 2018 at 11:00 AM.
