The Chiefs season, through the first three weeks, has not lived up to the expectations of Chiefs fans. A 2-and-1 start isn’t bad by any means but it’s not what the Chiefs faithful were looking for, given the strength of schedule in their first three games. Although the Lions are on the rise, they still should not beat the reigning Super Bowl champs. Looking at the majority of big name companies’ power rankings of the NFL such as ESPN, CBS, and NFL, the Chiefs still find themselves in the top five of every one. However, people have still not bought into the Chiefs’ dynasty. Teams like the Dolphins and Eagles have been very dominant through their first three games. Yes the offense is there for the Dolphins, however the defense still looks under construction. They gave up 34 points to the Los Angeles Chargers that lost to a Tennessee Titans team that ranks 28th in passing this year.
In the Chiefs’ first game against the Lions, the story was clearly the struggle they had on offense without the aid of Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones. Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Chiefs, can only do so much, and the lack of talent at the wide receiver position is a clear problem for the Chiefs at the moment. The leading receiver for the Chiefs through three weeks is Justin Watson with 11 catches for 158 yards. For reference, the former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill had 11 catches for 215 yards in just one game. Justin Watson is currently listed as the fifth receiver in the Kansas City depth chart. The receiver listed at the top of the depth chart, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, has only caught five passes this year. Without Travis Kelce, this weakness is really exposed. Eight passes were dropped by the Chiefs in week one against the Lions. Receiver Kadarius Toney received the bulk of the hate on social media for his poor play. Without some of these drops, the Chiefs would have probably snuck out with a win, instead of losing in a one point game. The defense, on the other hand, looked good against a Lions offense, which ranked in the top five of the NFL last year. They gave up 21 points, which is more than you want, but one of the scores came on a pick six. So they really only gave up 14 on offense.
Travis Kelce’s return last week in Jacksonville against the Jaguars did not go as many people would have thought. Yes, he did score a touchdown, but he only had four catches in an offense where he is expected to be the biggest threat. The rest of the receivers did not take a large leap forward either. The drops were down, but the production was still lacking. Again, the Chiefs defense held strong, not giving up a touchdown in a 17-9 win
Then in week three, they would go on to play the Bears, believed by some to be the worst team in the NFL. There is not a whole lot to say about this other than the Chiefs came into Arrowhead and handled business against a team they should beat by 31 points
The following week the Chiefs traveled to the Big Apple to take on the New York Jets. The Jets had high expectations going into the season signing future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But their hope soon dwindled when he went down on the first drive of week one against rival Buffalo Bills. However, the hope of New York sports fans was still there. They put up a very good fights against the Super Bowl champs. Zach Wilson seems to have taken a step forward for the first time in his career.
The next week the Chiefs traveled to the home of the Vikings in Minnesota. The Vikings, despite their record, have an offense that has not been terrible this season. Fumbles have come back to get them just about every game this year. The Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has not had a, dare I say, a great start. He is second in the league in passing yards behind Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and leads the league in passing touchdowns. The Chiefs offense looked to be back to its old self, firing on all cylinders. They have to build their offense around star tight end Travis Kelce, hitting him on short screens or curl routes to open up all the other receivers.
The Chiefs would go back to Arrowhead to take on divisional rivals the Denver Broncos. The Broncos thus far this year have had a bottom half offense and the worst defense in the NFL. So the expectation is that the chiefs would handle them easily but you never know with these division games in the NFL. The Broncos defense came to play holding the Chiefs to only 19 points. But still the offense lets the Broncos down and only scores 8 points. The Chiefs defense plays well again and are establishing themselves at the top of the NFL in that category. They still won and that’s all that matters in the end.
Hopes are still high for the Chiefs faithful despite the problems with the wide receiver room. Tavis Kelce being back and near 100% has really helped open up the offense. Travis Kelce cannot carry a whole offense by himself. Age is always a factor to consider and Kelce is now 34 years old. Despite still being really productive, it is still something to consider. The offense just doesn’t seem as explosive as it did in the past when the wide receiver room had guys like Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. However the defense has taken a huge stride forward, with a great linebacking crew with heavy hitters like Wille Gay Jr. and Nick Bolton. Overall you can not really complain a lot with how the season has started but the wide receivers are something to keep an eye on.
