The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens had brutal schedules to start the season, and it resulted in both championship-contending teams getting off to underwhelming starts. One team was going to fall to 1-3 after their Week 4 matchup against each other. Such poor starts are hard to come back from in the NFL, and the Chiefs proved that there is nothing to worry about in Kansas City. They destroyed the Ravens 37-20. So are the Chiefs firmly in the Super Bowl picture again?
Chiefs are still the cream of the crop in the AFC
A 1-2 start, which succeeded a Super Bowl blowout loss, led to some claiming that the Chiefs' dynasty was over. This was far from fair, though, as Kansas City has done nothing but win in the Patrick Mahomes era. The Chiefs had been to five of the last six Super Bowls. They hoisted the Lombardi Trophy three times during that stretch.
The start of this dynasty was filled with Mahomes and the offense stuffing the stat sheet. The quarterback earned two MVP nods, including a season in which he threw for 50 touchdowns and another where he had 5,250 passing yards. His favorite targets were Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, both of whom were the best players at their respective positions at the time.
In recent years, Mahomes has taken on more of a game manager role and done what it takes to ensure close victories. However, the defense has also vastly improved, too. This apparent offensive regression, especially when it came to big plays, led some to believe that the Chiefs' time at the top was over. Other AFC teams, including the Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Buffalo Bills, seemed poised to finally break through and surpass the Chiefs.
While Lamar Jackson is great, Baltimore has proven incapable of beating the best teams. The Bengals are the only team that defeated the Chiefs in the postseason over the past six seasons. But they are without Joe Burrow for most of the season. The Bills are thriving right now. But Mahomes has always figured out a way to win the close ones that matter the most against Buffalo.
The Chiefs can once again best any of these teams come playoff time. And the same can be said about other AFC contenders, such as the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Chiefs really didn't lose much talent from the team that was in the Super Bowl just last season. Kelce is still playing at a high level, and the team's offense looked like it was at another level with Xavier Worthy back in action. More pass-catching weapon reinforcements are on their way, as Rashee Rice only has two more games under his suspension.
Furthermore, the defense features Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie, who are among the best players in the NFL. The Chiefs simply know what it takes to win, and their experience will be enough to again win the AFC. As the most polarizing team in the NFL, they will receive scrutiny when they aren't perfect. But that doesn't mean that criticism is always fair. The Chiefs have proven themselves for a long time now, and more championships are likely to come.
