3 Chiefs on Thin Ice Before Divisional Round vs. Bills
By Joe Summers
The Chiefs put together their most complete game of the season at the perfect time, crushing the Dolphins 26-7 to move onto the Divisional Round against the Bills this Sunday.
It was an incredible defensive effort to hold the Dolphins scoreless on 10 of 11 drives, and the offense moved the ball with ease for most of the contest.
That being said, not all was perfect, with just two TDs in six red zone trips. With Kansas City preparing for the biggest game of the season, let's look at three Chiefs on thin ice as we head to Buffalo for a snowy showdown.
3 Chiefs on Thin Ice Before Divisional Round vs. Bills
1. Mecole Hardman - WR
Hardman caught six passes for 77 yards in Week 18 against the Chargers, paving the way for him to make an impact in the playoffs. He got an opportunity with 34% of the snaps in the Wild Card round, but finished with just one catch on three targets for three yards.
Unfortunately, it could have been a monster day for Hardman, as the two targets he failed to corral were both open deep shots that could have been long TDs. We've seen plenty of missed connections on deep passes all year long, but Hardman's were concerning because it looked like he just gave up on both plays.
Here's a quick compilation of Mecole Hardman hardly even trying to catch balls he could have caught last night pic.twitter.com/tXfkIFu7Aa
— Andrew Cooper (@CoopAFiasco) January 14, 2024
Fans hoped Hardman could take over an impactful role in the postseason, and this game could have been even more dominant had the speedster hauled in either pass.
Against an equally-explosive Bills offense, the Chiefs need to hit on these deep shots. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has struggled, so it's likely Hardman will get at least one more chance.
If Patrick Mahomes can drop a beauty into Hardman's breadbasket and he hauls it in, I'll feel extremely confident about the Chiefs' chances. If not? It could be a long Sunday for Chiefs fans.
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