One other week. One other win. And one other recreation the place the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs did not play as much as their very own requirements.
The offensive line and secondary continued to battle. Nonetheless, the Chiefs discovered a approach — on the again of quarterback Patrick Mahomes — to do sufficient to beat one other unhealthy staff, topping the Las Vegas Raiders 19-17 on “Black Friday” in Arrowhead.
Listed here are 5 issues we realized.
1. The move rush nonetheless has a pulse
For the previous month, it looks like Chiefs’ followers have been consoling themselves by saying the move rush would get up from its hibernation as soon as Charles Omenihu returned from harm; he can be the ultimate spark that set the kindling ablaze
That seems to be a minimum of partially appropriate.
It’s true that Omenihu returned from harm on Friday. It’s additionally true that the move rush performed higher than it has in weeks. However Omenihiu wasn’t that a lot of an element. That’s what we anticipated, as a result of the Chiefs are nonetheless ramping him again up.
Chris Jones discovered a method to get residence and sack the quarterback twice. George Karlaftis added one other sack. However past taking down Raiders quarterback Aiden O’Connell, the Chiefs did an excellent job at getting their palms up within the passing lanes and batting balls down, doing as a lot as they may to help Kansas Metropolis’s struggling secondary.
2. The Chiefs want D.J. Humphries to be able to go
Whenever you thought Kansas Metropolis’s offensive tackles couldn’t get any worse, the staff mentioned, “Right here. Maintain my beer.”
It’s exhausting to win on this league with out two good offensive tackles. By the tip of Friday’s recreation, that they had one good guard lined up at left sort out — and that’s about it.
Wanya Morris seemed worse than he has all yr. At one level, he was the sufferer of a full-on Brad Pitt Achilles bounce from Raiders’ edge rusher Okay’Lavon Chaisson.
The one distinction is the massive bald dude in “Troy” put up extra of a struggle than Morris did.
Heading into this recreation, there was no query that Kansas Metropolis wants newly-signed left sort out D.J. Humphries to play at a serviceable degree. However after Friday, you must assume the staff may also wish to draft one other sort out within the 2025 NFL Draft — as a result of we simply can’t be ok with the event of the staff’s younger tackles.
3. If the Chiefs performed the Giants this yr, Daniel Jones would nonetheless be their quarterback
The Kansas Metropolis secondary must be nicknamed “The QB Whisperers,” as a result of it helps a struggling quarterback have a profession day. The most recent beneficiary of this motivational program is O’Connell, who dissected the Chiefs’ secondary with ease — simply because the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Younger did in Week 12.
How do the Chiefs do it? It’s as straightforward as 1-2-3.
Play an elite slot cornerback on the surface.
Play 5 safeties to make up the remainder of your dime protection.
Give each receiver a minimum of three yards of separation on each route.
I’ve been beating this drum for weeks. You may’t inform me these are the perfect cornerbacks accessible available on the market. There’s a diamond within the tough on the market someplace.
I don’t care if he’s a highschool soccer coach in Texas whose profession was derailed by harm — like a soccer model of Dennis Quaid in “The Rookie.”
Wherever and whoever they’re, Kansas Metropolis common supervisor Brett Veach wants to search out them.
4. Travis Kelce is flirting with 1,000 yards once more
There isn’t any doubt that Travis Kelce has misplaced a step — however he’s nonetheless taking part in at a really excessive degree.
With 5 video games remaining, he has 637 yards receiving.
It’s an extended shot that he’ll make it to 1,000 yards this yr. He wants 72 yards per recreation. With defenses keying in on him (and with Mahomes’ penchant for spreading the ball round), it could be exhausting for the outdated conflict horse to recover from these yards. Then again, with the emergence of Noah Grey and DeAndre Hopkins taking some consideration away from him, nothing is inconceivable.
All it would take is one huge recreation to place the outdated boy again on observe.
5. You don’t luck into 11 wins and a playoff berth in November
This staff has points. It has evident issues that have to be mounted. It additionally has a 1.5-game lead on the Buffalo Payments for No. 1 seed (and a bye) within the playoffs.
On Friday — with 5 video games left within the season — the Chiefs secured a playoff berth. As a lot as we criticize the holes on the staff’s roster, that doesn’t occur by chance. You must be doing 1,000 different issues proper to make up for the opposite issues going fallacious.
What the Chiefs have achieved this season is outstanding by any measure. If the staff can work out a method to proceed to win these shut video games, it could actually put up the perfect file in franchise historical past.
Sure… that’s a giant if. However irrespective of how the remainder of the common season performs out, the Chiefs have punched their ticket for a chance to compete for the Tremendous Bowl — and get three-peat.
Bonus: It was good to see Isiah Pacheco’s vitality again on offense
They are saying you don’t know what you bought till it’s gone.
Right here’s the corollary: Typically you don’t know what you had till it comes again.
When working again Isiah Pacheco returned from harm on Friday, it was refreshing to see his infectious vitality breathe further life into an offense that — other than its offensive line woes — has been clicking fairly effectively.
Welcome again, Pop.