This Kansas City Chiefs team hasn’t been the dominant force we’ve seen in years past, but Saturday’s drubbing of the Dolphins was evidence they still command the same respect.
Patrick Mahomes and Co. shellacked the Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium, and now will face either the Bills in New York or the Texans at home in the divisional round.
This season has had its bumps for the Chiefs. The offense, in particular, hasn’t run roughshod over opposing defenses like it tends to. Mahomes himself has been largely fine, but the overall talent of the skill positions trended downwards.
The emergence of rookie Rashee Rice has been a godsend, and has allowed Mahomes to have another quality target beyond Travis Kelce. The improved passing game of late has opened things up for Isiah Pacheco on the ground as a result. The defense has been Kansas City's calling card this season, and now the offense seems to be hitting its stride at the right time.
Longtime Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson told Fescoe in the Morning on Monday the Chiefs are playing like a team with something to prove.
“The Chiefs have been under the radar this year a little bit just because they haven’t had the success they’ve had the last three, four, five years with getting that No. 1 seed,” Johnson said. “… They can beat anybody. Obviously it’s the NFL and it’s any given Sunday – any given Saturday I should say -– but the Chiefs are playing with confidence. They are playing with a chip on their shoulder because people have counted them out and things haven’t gone their way.
“Honestly, it’s going to help them through these playoffs to play tough like that because people – I wouldn’t say disrespect the Chiefs, but they counted them out just because things are not looking like they were in the past.”
The defense kept Tua Tagovailoa at bay, and will have a huge test next weekend against either Josh Allen or C.J. Stroud. But if the offense can keep rolling, then the Chiefs undoubtedly will be a tough out.