Kansas City Chiefs clinch No. 1 seed with win over Falcons

The Kansas City Chiefs barely beat the Falcons and the No. 1 seed is theirs.

Well, that was a gross game. It feels like I’ve been saying that a lot lately due to the Kansas City Chiefs not being able to put their opponents away and close out games and it was the case once again on Sunday against the four-win Atlanta Falcons. It’s hard to be too angry here, though, as the Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed with this victory, but there’s still a lot to nitpick.

First and foremost, the offense was bad. They had scored at least 23 points in all of their other games this season yet against one of the worst passing defenses in the league, the Chiefs offense couldn’t capitalize. Patrick Mahomes had arguably his worst game of the season (despite not being sacked at all) and the unit just looked sloppy. There was one really bad play call on fourth down in the first half that I still don’t understand (you all know which one I’m talking about).

As bad as the offense was, however, the defense stepped up and made plays. They forced turnovers, hit Matt Ryan throughout the game, and kept the game within reach. It was definitely an impressive game from the defense. They put on a bend, but don’t break kind of performance.

If this were a playoff game, it’s possible that the Chiefs are down in a huge hole by halftime. Luckily for them, they were facing the four-win Falcons and that’s why the team moved to 14-1 and clinched the No. 1 seed. Younghoe Koo, who has had an incredible season, missed the field goal that could have tied the game and forced overtime. I couldn’t believe he missed honestly.

The win ensures that the Kansas City Chiefs will be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

A win is a win and it’s fantastic that the reigning champs have home-field advantage through the Super Bowl. That being said, I’m not feeling great about this team as of now. Yes, they have Mahomes, but the defense is wobbly and we’ve seen the offense have some hiccups as of late.

Can the Chiefs beat the Bills or the Titans if they meet up in the playoffs? We obviously don’t know yet, but Chiefs fans should be a bit worried after this close call vs Atlanta. For now, however, we can celebrate the No. 1 seed and not having to go on the road again until the Super Bowl. The team has to get there first though.