Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) roll out of the pocket in the third quarter during a Week 17 NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Kansas City Chiefs won, 25-17.
The Kansas City Chiefs will get an opportunity to defend their title from last year. However, this year is different than past years. The offense has struggled mightily as they lead the whole league in drops. They still have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid but the team overall looks shaky. Here is the Kansas City Chiefs playoff preview.
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Kansas City Chiefs Playoff Preview
The Chiefs are locked into the number three seed in the AFC. They are guaranteed a round one home game but after that, could find themselves on the road for the rest of the playoffs. It is an unfamiliar place for the team as in past years they have gotten the first-round bye. This year, they will have a tough wild-card matchup as the conference is incredibly deep in 2023. Many are down on the Chiefs because of the lackluster year but in the playoffs, anything can happen.
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Kansas City Chiefs Playoff Preview: Why They Will Win
If the Chiefs lift another Lombardi Trophy it will be because of two reasons. The first is obvious. Patrick Mahomes plays out of his mind for three games. The receivers all of a sudden start catching passes and this offense returns to form. Travis Kelce goes all out for three games and the Chiefs average 30 points per game in the postseason. This isn’t that far-fetched. The team is a couple of catches away from being in contention for the top seed.
The other reason is the defense. While the offense has struggled, the defense has kept them in games. Chris Jones is a game-wrecker who has shown that he can go off in the postseason. Steve Spanuolo has shown that he can dial up the right blitzes at the right time to get big plays. Even if the offense plays one percent better, the defense has the juice to carry this team.
Kansas City Chiefs Playoff Preview: Why They Won’t Win
The offense doesn’t return to form and looks like it has all season. Mahomes has had to hold onto the ball longer this season as players simply cannot get separation. The tackles cannot hold up against elite pass rushers leading to more sacks. If Mahomes does get the ball off, there is a high probability someone drops it. There is little margin for error in the playoffs. One dropped pass could be the difference between winning and losing.
There also seems to be a lack of trust between Mahomes and his pass-catchers (for good reason). This is not where you want to be heading into the playoffs. The whole team should be gelling right now and it seems like the offense especially is going in the opposite direction. Another factor is that it doesn’t seem like other teams fear the Chiefs the same way they have in past seasons.
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Playoff X-Factor
Kansas City Chiefs playoff preview X-factor: Kadarius Toney
There is no question that Toney is an electric playmaker. In the five snaps he played in the Super Bowl last year, he made a huge impact. This season, his drops and boneheaded plays (lining up offsides) have given games away. However, all will be forgiven if he can lead the team to another title. The past is in the past. It doesn’t matter what Toney has done this season. He can be a WR1. The issue may be complacency as the Chiefs’ playoff chances were never really in question. Maybe Toney is a player that turns it on in the postseason or maybe this is who he is.
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It is crazy to write a Kansas City Chiefs playoff preview and question the offense. However, the young players haven’t stepped up and the team will have an uphill climb to make it back to the Super Bowl.
