Monday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams was the game of the year thus far in 2018. Both teams put up video game-like numbers in the highest-scoring Monday night game in NFL history.
In the end, the Rams prevailed by a 54-51 final, but the Chiefs proved that they have what it takes to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Behind fabulous second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they nearly knocked off Los Angeles on its home field.
Following the three-point loss, Kansas City enters its bye week at 9-2. That's still the best record in the AFC, and with two meetings with the Oakland Raiders and home games against the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers among their five remaining games, it's altogether possible the Chiefs end the season with 13 or 14 wins.
However, despite having a great chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Chiefs still have some things they need to work on. No one expected there to be much defense during Monday night's contest, and there certainly wasn't. But there were a lot of turnovers, so both defenses did show up in some fashion.
Kansas City's top offensive playmakers also showed up on Monday night, which was expected. The aforementioned Mahomes made a lot of big plays, as did running back Kareem Hunt, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, the Rams made just a few more plays than they did. As a result, they suffered their second three-point loss of the season, with the other coming on Oct. 14 at the New England Patriots.
Here are three takeaways from Kansas City's Week 11 loss to the Rams.
3. Mahomes Needs to Work on His Late-Game Decision-Making
There isn't much to nitpick when talking about Mahomes' performance this season. However, he struggled with turnovers on Monday night, particularly late in the game.
On the plus side, Mahomes completed 33 of 46 passes for a career-high 478 yards and six touchdowns. But he also finished with five turnovers in the contest (three interceptions, two lost fumbles), including picks on each of Kansas City's final two possessions.
To be frank, Mahomes simply didn't get it done in crunch time. And mistakes late in games could ultimately prove to be the difference against the premier teams in the NFL. They certainly cost the Chiefs against the Rams.
There's no need for Mahomes to beat himself up because the Chiefs wouldn't be in the position they are in without him. He is one of the favorites to win the league's MVP award, and with good reason. With 39 total touchdowns (37 passing, two rushing) and 3,814 total yards (3,628 passing, 186 rushing), he has been one of the most dominant offensive players in the NFL in 2018.
But if Mahomes wants to lead his team on a deep playoff run, his late-game decision-making must improve. The individual accolades will come, but his late-game play will likely determine how far the Chiefs go as a team.
2. The Chiefs Have What It Takes to Keep Pace with Any Offense
This was pretty apparent prior to Monday night's game as well, but Kansas City's offensive showcase against the Rams reinforced just how phenomenal the Chiefs are on that side of the ball. After their 51-point outing, they're now averaging the second-most points per game in the league at 36.7.
The Chiefs are also third in the NFL in yards per game (434.3) and second in passing yards per game (318.5). In addition, they have 13 plays of 20-plus yards, tied with the Chargers for the most in the league.
On Monday night, Kansas City finished with 546 yards of total offense. In addition to Mahomes' impressive stat line, Hill had 10 catches for 215 yards and two TDs. Kelce also surpassed the century mark with 10 receptions for 127 yards and a score.
Wide receiver Chris Conley also had a big game, catching seven passes for 74 yards and two TDs. And Hunt added 14 carries for 70 yards to go with three catches for 41 yards and a score.
It was another incredible offensive output for the Chiefs, who have scored 40 or more points four times this season. Furthermore, they have tallied at least 30 points on nine occasions and have yet to be held under 26 points in any game.
If there's any squad that can challenge the likes of the Rams, the New Orleans Saints or the Chicago Bears — the top three teams in the NFC — in the Super Bowl, it's the Chiefs. They are capable of scoring points in bunches, and no one has really been able to stop them yet.
1. The Chiefs Must Force More Turnovers Than Their Opponents
OK, so let's be honest: Kansas City probably doesn't need to force turnovers to beat some NFL teams. The Raiders, who the Chiefs will see twice over the final five weeks of the season, are one of those teams.
But against the best teams, the Chiefs need to force turnovers. For instance, the aforementioned Rams, Saints and Bears are three of the top six highest-scoring squads in the league. Those are the types of teams Kansas City needs to take the ball away from.
On Monday night, the Chiefs turned the ball over five times, but they also recorded two takeaways. However, both came on fumbles by Rams quarterback Jared Goff that they were able to recover, so they didn't come up with any interceptions.
Kansas City is capable of doing so, though, as it is tied for seventh in the NFL in takeaways (17) with 11 interceptions and six fumble recoveries. And the Chiefs' 11 picks are tied for fourth in the league, so that's actually a strength of theirs.
The Chiefs may not possess an elite defense in any sense of the term. But they do have the dangerous combination of a potent offense and a ball-hawking defensive unit. In the end, that could take them a long way.
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