Three question marks heading into the postseason
The Chiefs are 15-2 and are as healthy as they have been all season. Questions still linger though. Here are three things to keep your eye on over the next week and a half before the divisional round.
The Chiefs season-long statistics looked a whole lot better before the 38-0 beatdown the Denver Broncos handed them, but 15-2 is 15-2. Kansas City deployed a junior varsity, if not a c-team squad and a preseason scheme, so nobody in Chiefs Kingdom should let that game take away the confidence they had after the team won three games in 11 days with two being against playoff opponents.
The calling card of this year's squad, which is attempting to make history, is to play extremely efficient and complementary football. When the offensive line was consistent Kareem Hunt was as good as it gets at taking what the defense gave him. Patrick Mahomes and the offense have been historically good on third downs. 11 of their 15 wins were won by one score, which has been viewed by many as a bad thing, but that experience and the confidence they have in close games can only be a good thing in January and February.
Even after the week 18 loss, the defense is top-five in scoring, allowing 19.2 points per game and they were top five in yards allowed before falling to ninth. Throughout the entirety of the year, they were third in rushing yards allowed per game, before falling to eighth after the meaningless game. Towards the end of the year, they even added generating turnovers and sacks to their arsenal. In that span of three games in 11 days they forced 10 turnovers, doubling what they had through the first 13 games and that now has them at the 14th most takeaways in the NFL. Weeks 13 through 17 they tallied 18 sacks, which over a 17-game season would have them at a pace where they would lead the league in sacks.
Perhaps the best news coming out of Arrowhead right now is that they are the healthiest they have been since week one. Rashee Rice is not walking through that door, unfortunately, but for the majority of the year they have been without Isiah Pacheco, Hollywood Brown, Charles Omenihu and Jaylen Watson and all will potentially, if not likely, be back for the home stretch. All of this is a recipe for success when factoring in the recent history of success and pedigree with this team, but that is not to say there are not some question marks. Let’s dive into the three biggest remaining questions that Andy Reid and his staff will have to figure out before the divisional round.
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