NFL pundits after KC earns playoff bye: ‘Stop nitpicking about’ the Chiefs
The Chiefs are having an incredible season with a 14-1 record and 10 straight victories.
But the Chiefs’ last seven wins all have been by six points or fewer. That includes Sunday’s 17-14 victory over the 4-11 Atlanta Falcons.
Is there reason for concern about the close outcomes? Here is what NFL media members have been writing and saying about the Chiefs since Sunday’s victory.
In his Week 16 takeaways for NFL.com, Michael Baca wrote about the Chiefs earning the bye week in the playoffs after beating the Falcons.
Here is an excerpt: “Overall, it was an uncharacteristic day for the Chiefs, who were held under 20 points for the first time all season. The ball simply bounced their way on more than one occasion (perhaps even a handful) to squeak out a win, but now coach Andy Reid will have a bye week (and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs) to work out the kinks as Kansas City looks to defend its crown.”
On Fox Sports’ “First Thing First” talked Monday morning about the Chiefs’ biggest challenger in the playoffs:
The Washington Post’s Mark Maske has the Chiefs at No. 1 in his NFL power rankings.
This is part of what he wrote: “Get ready for a third straight AFC championship game to be played at Kansas City. Stop nitpicking about how the Chiefs are winning. Patrick Mahomes has reached the point in his career at which he simply knows how to do whatever it takes to win.”
Sports Illustrated’s Gary Grammling offered his takeaways from the NFL’s Week 16 games.
Here is a snippet of what he wrote: “For 58 minutes it was an absolute grind against an inferior opponent in a game they had no right winning. ... Sunday was as ugly a win as they’ve had in the Mahomes era, but the common thread is: Whenever it’s time to turn it on, the Chiefs turn it on.”
Trey Wingo, the former host of ESPN’s NFL Live, shared this thought:
USA Today’s Steven Ruiz looked back at the Week 16 games and wasn’t concerned about the Chiefs’ close win.
This is an excerpt from the story: “I’m still convinced that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are just toying with teams at this point. … And, yes, I know A.J. Terrell dropped a pick that would have all but iced the game, but Patrick Mahomes playing poorly isn’t really a concern for me because it doesn’t happen often. The fact that Mahomes played poorly — for his standards — and the Chiefs still won has only made me more confident in this team.”
NFL.com’s Brandon Mendoza wrote about the contract extension signed this summer by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Here is a snippet: “In August, Travis Kelce inked a four-year, $57 million extension, which was the second-largest tight end contract in terms of total value and average per year ($14.3 million). Only George Kittle earns more money at the position than Kelce. And yet, the Chiefs’ six-time Pro Bowler is still severely underpaid. ... With one game remaining, Kelce already has 105 receptions and 11 TDs to go along with his record-breaking yardage. The last player to hit 100 receptions, 1,400 receiving yards and 10 receiving TDs in a season was wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in 2018. Now, Hopkins is making $27.3 million per year, which is almost double Kelce’s annual average. Is it too soon to renegotiate?”
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has the Chiefs atop his NFL power rankings.
This is part of what he wrote: “The top seed in the AFC is set with the Kansas City Chiefs earning that spot, which still has them at No. 1 in my Power Rankings. But they haven’t looked as dominant this season as they did in last year’s playoffs, which has to be concerning. I still think they have the offense to turn it on when need be in the postseason.”
