‘Don’t sleep on the Chiefs.’ National observers see Chiefs peaking as playoffs near
What a difference five weeks makes.
When they left the field in Nashville, Tennessee, following a 35-32 loss to the Titans, the Chiefs had a 6-4 record and had dropped four of their previous six games.
But the Chiefs have gotten back on track with four straight victories. At 10-4, they have clinched the West and are currently the third seed in the AFC playoff field.
When the Chiefs were struggling and quarterback Patrick Mahomes was dealing with injuries, the Ravens and Patriots became the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs have captured the attention of national observers, particularly after Sunday’s 23-3 win over the Broncos.
Here is what’s being said about the Chiefs:
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com offered this thought on Patrick Mahomes: “It’s outrageous how easy Patrick Mahomes makes quarterbacking look, even in a driving snowstorm. This was a bad-weather clinic by the 2018 MVP, with all of his skills on display in a 340-yard effort: touch, accuracy, arm strength, timing and mobility. With very little running game to help him, this was the Chiefs passing attack I’ve wanted to see since Mahomes returned from injury, with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill taking turns making big plays. With all respect to MVPGOD Lamar Jackson, there’s no QB I’d rather have down the stretch than Mahomes.”
Peter Schrager of “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network said the Chiefs defense is now one of the best in the NFL:
In his wrapup of Week 15, Mark Maske of the Washington Post wrote a segment with the headline, “Don’t Sleep on the Chiefs.” This is a snippet of what he wrote: “Patrick Mahomes’s knee injury and a 2-4 stretch in the middle of the season have made Kansas City, a preseason Super Bowl darling, an overlooked team. But they have served notice that they’re not only the team everybody thought they could be. They might be better.”
Former Eagles president Joe Banner also said the AFC may be sleeping on the Chiefs:
Christian D’Andrea of SB Nation wrote a story with the headline “Patrick Mahomes’ brilliant game in the snow is a warning shot to the rest of the AFC.” This is part of what he wrote: “After looking like someone else over the past month, the Chiefs looked like THE CHIEFS again. Once the final whistle blew, Mahomes flashed the goofy swagger that’s defined his run to the top of the league while explaining how coach Andy Reid has set his offense up to thrive in rough conditions.”
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky was blown away by the Chiefs’ speed while watching Sunday’s win over the Broncos:
In his power rankings, Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News said the Chiefs are putting it all together. This is part of what he wrote: “Patrick Mahomes is back in a groove, and they are peaking as a complete team at the ideal team. They are better than last year’s version of themselves.”
