Opinion: Watch out, NFL. Chiefs look like they've regained their dominant form.
As they throttled the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders for the second time this season, winning 48-9 on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs delivered their highest point total of the year, most lopsided victory of the year and largest point differential in the rivalry's history.
But more importantly, the defending AFC champs extended their win streak to six games and appear to have taken additional strides back toward top form.
After two years of largely dominating the competition on regular-season quests that put them on target for the Super Bowl, the Chiefs encountered new challenges this season while stumbling to a 2-3 start.
But after that troubling kickoff, which saw Kansas City experience its first losing month of September of Andy Reid’s nine seasons at the helm, the Chiefs have gradually worked their way back up the standings. They've had to win ugly at times while lacking the usual potency on offense, or the reliable defense that helped them win the Super Bowl two years ago and return to the league’s championship last season.
On Sunday, they outcoached and outplayed the Raiders while dominating every phase of the game. So, after weeks of disjointed play, are the preseason Super Bowl favorites back? Or did Sunday's dominance have more to do with the Raiders' struggles? Vegas has endured all kinds of off-field calamity and on Sunday suffered its fifth loss in the last six outings.
Maybe both.
But the Chiefs exhibited signs that lead people inside and outside the organization to believe they're close to recapturing their most dangerous form at the most crucial point of the year.
The most significant growth involves their defense. After surrendering an average of 32.6 points and 437.4 yards over their first five games, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's crew inched toward better play as key players' health improved.
A three-week window that brought the Chiefs to midseason saw the defense hold opponents to 19 points and 315 yards a game as they beat Washington, lost to Tennessee and rebounded with a win over the Giants. But given the struggles of their opponents, it was hard to pronounce the Chiefs’ D completely resurrected.
Then came the trade-deadline acquisition of pass-rusher Melvin Ingram, whose presence allowed coaches to move Chris Jones back to the interior, where he is best suited. At the same time, fellow edge rusher Frank Clark was regaining his health.
In the five games since Ingram joined the mix, the Chiefs have limited opponents to 9.6 points and 315 yards per game while recording multiple takeaways in each contest. Sunday against Las Vegas, the Chiefs recorded a season-high five takeaways while holding the Raiders to just 44 rushing yards (a season-low for Kansas City opponents).
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Sunday's scoring eruption signifies true restoration for the offense or just another random spike. The Chiefs’ first touchdown came from their defense as cornerback Mike Hughes returned a fumble recovery 23 yards to paydirt. The offense then scored touchdowns on three consecutive first-half possessions. Kansas City produced points on three more second-half possessions (two field goals and a touchdown).
The Chiefs delivered the kind of balanced play they have long sought, as a 132-yard rushing attack complemented Patrick Mahomes' 258 passing yards. And coaches have been waiting for another pass-catching weapon to emerge alongside Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. It appears midseason addition Josh Gordon is finally finding comfort in a new system, as he logged 20-plus snaps for the second time in three games and recorded his first touchdown catch as a member of the team.
But as a whole, the Chiefs are still striving for improved consistency in their passing game. Mahomes had largely an error-free game on Sunday and avoided turning the ball over for the first time since Week 10. But the Chiefs’ pass-catchers have yet to fully cure their tendency for drops at inopportune times.
Cohesion remains a work in progress along the offensive line, but center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith (both rookies) appear to have settled in and are playing with improved consistency.
Thursday’s matchup against the L.A. Chargers is an opportunity to avenge an early season upset at home and should tell us a lot more about Kansas City’s progress than did Sunday’s drubbing of the Raiders. But they appear to be trending in the right direction.
A much-improved defense seems primed to shoulder a greater load, which could prove crucial. But the Chiefs acknowledge fine-tuning remains necessary elsewhere.
“Listen, I’m proud of the way the guys are playing,” Reid said after Sunday’s victory.
“The neat part is we have a chance to even be better. We’ve just got to keep the foot on the pedal here as we go. We still have some things we can fix on both sides of the ball and special teams.”