Kansas City Chiefs: KC Survives Early Season Test
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs had a tough early season schedule to contend with in 2016. The Chiefs have pulled through that stretch with at 3-2 record.
The Kansas City Chiefs faced an early challenge that featured a tough stretch of four games. Their opponents included the Houston Texans, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Oakland Raiders. Three of those teams are current division leaders. So the fact the Chiefs came out and are sitting at 3-2 is very good news for Chiefs Kingdom. It definitely tells us that this team is good.
The highlight of the four game stretch has to be the dominant performance the Chiefs showed against division rival, Oakland. The Raiders were 4-1 with some impressive victories to their resume. However, the Chiefs were able to go on the road and put up a strong win in a game they dominated. Even the two score advantage in the final score didn’t highlight how much better the Chiefs looked than the Raiders.
That’s a good win, on the road, against the current division leader. Wins like that can’t be underestimated in their importance. Beating the Raiders gives the Chiefs the advantage in the AFC West. Even though the Broncos and Raiders are technically ahead of the Chiefs in the standing, it is KC that has control. The Chiefs are currently 2-0 in the division, while all other teams have at least one loss. That is a big advantage.
Driving to work on a Monday morning after a #Chiefs win like... pic.twitter.com/x3xULnqOCM
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) October 17, 2016
Some Bumps In The Road
However, it wasn’t all good for the Chiefs over the early stretch. A frustrating loss to the Texans and a blowout loss to the Steelers had many fans questioning the Chiefs early on. Losses like that can often convince fans and analysts that a team isn’t as good as previously thought. It was certainly enough for many fans to overlook the Chiefs early wins.
On top of that, the Chiefs still are not playing up to their potential. Even in the big win over the Raiders we can see areas where the team should be playing better. The passing game is not yet up to snuff, and the defense still has some big question marks. That is especially true with the pass rush which simply has not been there for the Chiefs early on.
More from Kansas City Chiefs
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
- DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
- Fan-Favorite Locks Up Chiefs Roster Spot With Stellar Preseason Performance
- DraftKings NFL Kansas Promo: Bet $5 on Chiefs vs. Saints, Win $150 Bonus!
Things Are Looking Up
On the whole though, it’s hard to not be at least somewhat optimistic about this Chiefs team right now. At 3-2, KC is looking a whole lot different than they did after five games in 2015. Jamaal Charles is back and has already shown some of his old explosiveness. Jeremy Maclin appears to have gotten over his case of the drops. The defense was surprisingly stout against a very dangerous Raiders offense. Most importantly, “Justin Houston Watch” is officially underway.
The Kansas City Chiefs star pass rusher is now eligible to return to the team as soon as he is physically ready. The six week stint on the PUP list is over, so it is all on Justin Houston himself. On that end, Houston has been cleared for football activities. That should mean he is able to start practicing, at least in a limited capacity. He is currently expected to make his return in early November, but an even earlier return should not be ruled out.
This puts the Chiefs in a great position coming out of this early stretch. Despite a couple of big hiccups, Kansas City is sitting in a strong position moving forward and should be able to build some big momentum. That is big for a team looking to compete for a division title, and maybe more.