It's hard to believe that after next week's slate of NFL games, we'll be almost 25% done with the regular season already. It's even more difficult to fathom that the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs have already captured 50% of their total wins from a season ago. But it's true, and we can all appreciate the steps the front office and coaching staff took to get themselves to a point where we, as fans, could be excited about a potentially really good team.
Patrick Mahomes and the offense have been rolling so far, benefiting from a multitude of factors. A freshening of the scheme by Andy Reid, incorporating more of an under-center, play-action type offense that utilizes superstar running back Kenneth Walker III to his biggest strengths. A healthy wide receiver room that, while yes, still leaves plenty to be desired, is at least not sinking the team.
And who can forget the ole reliable in Travis Kelce, looking the best he has in years, as well as a return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who infuses a level of detail, aggressiveness, and no-excuse mentality that players tend to gravitate toward and follow.
The defense remains a work in progress under Steve Spagnuolo as a very talented but young group continues to find its way both in on-field communication and cohesiveness on all three levels. But at the end of the day, the Chiefs are 3-0, whereas the rest of the AFC West and the Conference as a whole have a lot of work to do on their end to catch up to KC.
Kansas City may be 3-0, but capturing the crown of the AFC West will be a long and hard road
As of now, the Chiefs are tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the lead in the division, both sporting a 3-0 record. Yes, the Raiders have yet to lose a game. On the other hand, the always underperforming Los Angeles Chargers have plateaued this season at 0-3, with games coming up against the Seahawks, Broncos, and Chiefs before a Week 8 Bye, to then play the Rams, Texans, and Ravens. Safe to say the Chargers' season is toast.
The Denver Broncos were able to pull off their second victory last night versus a shorthanded Rams team. Of course, the Chiefs currently have the tiebreaker on them already from Week 1's bout in Arrowhead. This week's Chiefs-Raiders game in Las Vegas is probably the most impactful matchup these two teams have had in quite some time, as the winner takes firm control of the division.
As for the rest of the AFC, the North remains a slugfest, with each of the Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, and Browns having a 2-1 record. That should be a season-long battle for the division crown, as is usually the case. The 3-0 Buffalo Bills lead the East, in probably the worst division in football, as the Jets, Patriots, and Dolphins are a combined 2-7 through three weeks.
And in the South, it's a similar story. The 2-1 Jacksonville Jaguars have won two blowouts, and in the middle was a bad loss at the hands of the Broncos' defense. The Colts, Texans, and Titans are a combined 1-8, seemingly trying to be a worse division than the AFC East.
All this is to say that, over three weeks, the Chiefs find themselves in one of the better divisions in football, depending on how much you trust the Broncos' offense to remain passable and whether you believe the Raiders have truly turned the corner into a competent franchise with first-year Head Coach Klint Kubiak leading the charge. It should keep KC on their toes to make sure that they don't repeat their 1-5 division record last year
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