The Chiefs never went anywhere, but now they're back
The two-time champs are the NFL's only 5-0 team and they're getting better, as they demonstrated to New Orleans.
It appears that the football fans of America need to find a path to peaceful coexistence with the Kansas City Chiefs.
This won’t be easy. Some think the Chiefs have the officials mesmerized. Some are simply tired of hearing about their greatness, as ESPN’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman mentioned Monday night, with a certain degree of helplessness.
Liberals are mad at placekicker Harrison Butker, whose sociological views, expressed at a college commencement, have made him a MAGA favorite. They also don’t like the tomahawk-chop chant. Conservatives are mad at Taylor Swift, for maintaining a relationship with tight end Travis Kelce, and then having the gall to go to Kelce’s games and act as emotionally dependent on his fortunes as a high school quarterback’s girlfriend. Try getting irritated at the networks who can’t take their cameras off her. After all, why should they acknowledge the presence of the most famous entertainer in the world? The NFL doesn’t mind any of this, not one bit.
Players are miffed that, despite the Hallmark image of the Hunt family, the organization is callous toward its players. In an NFLPA survey they low-rated the Chiefs’ training staff, food quality, locker room and weight room. Worse yet, the Chiefs got the same low grades last year and gave little effort toward improving it. The players did recommend playing for coach Andy Reid, because he listens to them.
And the voters aren’t happy with them either, or at least unhappy enough to reject their calls for Arrowhead Stadium renovation. Last year, over 58 percent of them nixed a bill that would provide a sales tax revenue stream to satisfy the Chiefs and build a new ballpark for the Royals. This is after the Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in four years.
Now the Chiefs are trying to become the first team to win three straight pro football championships since the 1965-67 Packers. There was no Super Bowl at the end of the 1965 season, so the Chiefs aspire to be the first Super three-peaters. This would be a mountainous accomplishment because the Chiefs would do it under salary cap restrictions, unlike the Steelers, Dolphins, Packers and 49ers who dominated their time. Only Bill Belichick’s Patriots could supersede Kansas City’s bid for supremacy, and even though the Pats won six Super Bowls, those victories were spread out over 17 years.
On Monday the Chiefs handled New Orleans, 26-13. The Saints rushed for 46 yards. They got inside the red zone only once. They gained 220 yards total, less than half of KC’s total. They had injuries, especially in their O-line, but the Chiefs are doing without Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice, their best running back and wide receiver, and Rice is gone for the year.
There had been some squirming in Kansas City, and some hope everywhere else, that the Chiefs were huffing and puffing their way back to the pack. After all, they went into a late-season tailspin in 2023 and had to regroup. Kelce was quiet for most of September,, and the Chiefs survived their opener only because Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely had a cuticle over the back of the end zone when he tried to catch a game-winning TD, and then benefited in Atlanta and Cincinnati from apparent last-gasp pass interferences that weren’t called.
Patrick Mahomes came into Monday’s game with the second-lowest depth-of-target in the league — that is, he was throwing unusually short passes. The Chiefs had proven they could win it all without the downfield specter of Tyreek Hill, but at some point they would need a field-stretcher. The defense was nasty, maybe more so than usual, but some people thought the Chiefs generally needed a little rust-o-leum.
And yet they were undefeated. They still are, at 5-0. Except now they seem to have recaptured their habits. They took back Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing for the Chiefs before a domestic violence charge sent him spiraling. Hunt ran the ball 27 times on the Saints and gained 102 yards. Kelce also has made the full transition from brooding villain on streaming channels, and top-hat-wearing companion to Swift on stage, to Gold Jacket tight end. In the past two games he has caught 16 passes for 159 yards.
You know Kelce is serious because he’s having fun. He caught a pass over the middle and suddenly lateraled the ball to Samaje Perine, for 20 yards on a third-and-21. Then he took a direct snap on the goal line and got the ball to Xavier Worthy for the touchdown that pushed the lead to 23-13.
Fans should let themselves enjoy that side of the Chiefs, the sandlot side, the way Mahomes can follow the script and beat you but can also run around and make big plays when the sirens are sounding. And, from a personnel nerd side of things, they should enjoy the way the Chiefs ferret out helpful players, like rookie Carson Steele, who was a running back at Kent State and UCLA and has a pet alligator named Crocky-J. Instead, PETA began citing Steele for cruelty because of photos in which Crocky-J’s jaws are taped shut. If Steele didn’t do it at least some of the time, he would also have a nickname: Stumpy.
They should enjoy the work of defensive backs coach David Barrett, who has now survived the loss of free agent L’Jarius Sneed. They should enjoy what the scouts do, as they find Tershawn Wharton from Missouri Science and Technology, in bucolic Rolla, Mo., and watch him follow Chris Jones to the quarterback. Or as they find Leo Chenal, the Wisconsin linebacker who, at Grantsburg (Wis.) High, was named Small School Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, because he had 5,100 yards of total offense and 385 tackles. Chenal was one of the Chiefs’ top defensive playmakers at the most recent Super Bowl.
Since 2016, the Chiefs have had one draft pick among the top 10. That was Mahomes, and he was 10th, and only because the Chiefs traded up to get him. With Mahomes, the Chiefs will always have a chance, and if he gets hurt, they won’t. That’s just quarterbacking reality. Until something radically changes, the Chiefs will be like that neighbor who runs the leaf blower at 8 a.m. and gives unsolicited tips on hedge maintenance. Express your disapproval of the Chiefs if you must. They aren’t moving.
Otherwise in the NFL:
Baltimore 41, Cincinnati 38 (OT)
– When Joe Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase with a 70-yard touchdown with 9:05 left, the Bengals led 38-28, the Ravens knew that nothing less than the 2-time MVP version of Lamar Jackson was required. And they got it. Jackson turned a fumble into a scramble and a epochal 6-yard TD pass to Isaiah Likely. Then he took advantage of Marlon Humphrey’ s interception to give Justin Tucker a shot at a game-tying 56-yard field goal, which Tucker converted.
– In overtime Jackson fumbled again, this time with Germaine Pratt of Cincinnati recovering. Evan McPherson had a 53-yard shot at the win but missed it. Derrick Henry then tore off a 51-yard run that gave Tucker a chip shot and an exhausting win by the Ravens (3-2). Jackson hit 26 of 42 passes for 348 yards and four TDs, and Burrow was 30-for-39 for 392 yards and five TDs. Chase took 10 catches 193 yards for two scores.
– Tucker, a probable Hall of Famer, had missed all three kicks from 50 or more yards and was 2 for 3 from 40-plus. Last year he was 1 for 5 from 50-plus. There was only one punt in the second half of this game, by Cincinnati, and the Ravens and Bengals (1-4) combined to convert 18 of 29 third-down situations.
Houston 23, Buffalo 20
– Buffalo coach Sean McDermott blamed himself for this one. It was a 20-20 game at the end, when the Bills found themselves pinned on their own 3-yard-line. The Bills called three passes, and Josh Allen missed them all, and a 13-yard punt return by Robert Woods gave Houston a first down on Buffalo’s 46. The series consumed only 16 seconds, and the Texans only needed to move five yards to give Ka’imi Fairbairn a shot at a 59-yard field goal, which he made at the buzzer.
– The Bills got the tie when C.J. Stroud fumbled to Dorian Williams, his second turnover of the game. But they stalled on the Houston 15 and settled for Tyler Bass’ field goal. Allen was 9 for 30 for only 131 yards, and that included a 49-yard touchdown play to rookie Keon Coleman.
– Buffalo (3-2) scrambled back from a 20-3 deficit and bottled up Houston’s run game. Stroud hit Nico Collins with a 67-yard touchdown, but lost Collins to a hamstring injury that might take him out next week. Aseez Al-Shaair was a force on defense for Houston (4-1), with two quarterback hits and two passes defensed.
Minnesota 23, N.Y. Jets 17
– The passer ratings tell you how much of a hassle this was. Aaron Rodgers was 54.9 and Sam Darnold 54.6, after he’d surpassed 100 in his first four games for Minnesota (5-0).The Jets had only one explosive play and Rodgers threw three picks, including one that Andrew Van Ginkel returned for a touchdown. A hard-to-believe number: Rodgers threw two interceptions in the first quarter for the first time in a career that has spanned 229 NFL starts.
– Minnesota led 17-0 and had 14 first-half first downs to the Jets’ four. Things turned around in the second half, and Rodgers had a first down on the Minnesota 26, trialing by six with :58 to go. On third down, Stephon Gilmore reacted to Rodgers’ pass before the Jets’ Mike Williams did, and intercepted it, ending the day at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
– Without a feasible run game, Rodgers threw 54 passes, 22 in the direction of Garrett Wilson, who caught 13 for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Jets (2-3). Justin Jefferson had six grabs for the Vikings but also drew three defensive pass interference penalties and two defensive holdings.
N.Y. Giants 29, Seattle 20
– Ever since Isaiah Simmons was turning heads at Clemson, people wondered if he was too good for his own good. He had so many gifts that it was difficult to find a position to accommodate them all. Simmons showed another side at Seattle, when he blocked a game-tying field goal attempt and watched Bryce Ford-Wheaton streak 60 yards for the clinching touchdown in a game the Giants (2-3) richly deserved to win.
– New York has 15 sacks in the two games it has won, including seven on Sunday, three by Dexter Lawrence. The Giants also snuffed Seattle’s run game to the point that quarterback Geno Smith was the leading rusher for Seattle (3-2), and Tyrone Tracy Jr., a fifth-round rookie from Purdue, gouged out 129 yards for the Giants. Darius Slayton filled in for Malik Nabers and caught eight of Daniel Jones’ passes for 122 yards. Rookie safety Tyler Nubin was involved in nine tackles.
— Seattle had the ball for fewer than 23 minutes and scored one offensive touchdown, but it was a big one, a 5-yarder from Smith to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that moved the Seahawks to within 23-20 with 2:09 left. They got the ball back, but Simmons blocked Josh Myers’ 47-yard field goal try. Then they got it back again and were stymied when Lawrence and D.J. Davidson sacked Smith.
Washington 34, Cleveland 13
– The Browns are disintegrating by the week. DeShaun Watson was sacked seven times, which makes 26 in five games. The defense gave up eight explosive plays to Jayden Daniels and friends. Cleveland (1-4) failed to convert on 12 of 13 third downs. Etc. The Browns still haven’t scored 20 points in a game.
– Meanwhile, the Commanders are 4-1 and rolling. Daniels ran for 82 yards total, Austin Ekeler reeled off a 50-yard run, and Daniels hit Terry McLaurin with a 66-yard pass. Frankie Luvu led the pass rush with two and a half sacks. The key drive was a 64-yarder late in the second quarter that ended in Brian Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown for a 17-3 lead.
– Daniels has led Washington to 38, 42, and 34 points the last three wins and Washington has 24 explosive plays in its five games. Watson was 15-for-28, and missed on four of 10 throws to featured receiver Amari Cooper.
Dallas 20, Pittsburgh 17
– Dak Prescott was cool when he had to be, taking the Cowboys (3-2) 70 unhurried yards for the winning score at Pittsburgh. He hit Jalen Tolbert on a shallow cross for a 4-yard touchdown on fourth down, two plays after he had jumped on Rico Dowdle’s fumble in the Dallas backfield. It also followed Prescott’s interception to Joey Porter, and Pittsburgh’s go-ahead drive with Justin Fields hitting Pat Freiermuth for a six-yard score. The drive took nearly five minutes and ended with :20 left.
– Dallas outgained Pittsburgh 445-226 and showed the outline of a running game, also cashing nine of 15 third downs. The Steelers’ longest run of the night was eight yards, and Dallas held George Pickens to three catches for 26 yards, even though Dallas was playing without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence on defense.
– T.J. Watt’s half-sack in the first quarter gave him 100 in 109 games. Only Reggie White has gotten to 100 sacks faster. Watt had another sack later, and the Steelers forced three turnovers, but they couldn’t stop Prescott on the last drive, giving up a 10-yard third-and-9 completion to Jesse Ferguson and then an 18-yarder to Hunter Luepke to get Dallas close.
Atlanta 36, Tampa Bay 30 (OT)
– It seemed over for the Falcons with 1:52 left, when Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David intercepted Kirk Cousins on Atlanta’s 28. Leading 30-27, the Bucs had to punt after a holding penalty by rookie Graham Barton. That allowed Yonghoe Koo, king of the last minute, to tie it with a 52-yard field goal after a weird delay-of-game penalty,, and the Falcons (3-2) won the coin toss for overtime and ended it with Cousins’ 45-yard pass to Khadarel Hodge. It capped a franchise-record 509-yard passing night for Cousins, who tossed it 58 times for four touchdowns.
– Baker Mayfield was also hot for Tampa Bay (3-2), going 19 for 24 with no picks and three touchdowns, two of them to Mike Evans. Mayfield’s passer rating has exceeded 100 in three of his five games, and he has 11 TD passes. Logan Hall also had two sacks and hit Cousins five times. But the defense gave up eight explosive plays and allowed Drake London and Darnell Mooney to exceed 100 yards receiving.
– The Falcons definitely keep you in your seat. At no point, over five games, have they trailed or led by more than eight points. Ten of their 17 games last year were also decided that way.
Arizona 24, San Francisco 23
– Losses by the 49ers (2-3) are beginning to lose their surprise factor, but they were at home in this one and held a 23-13 lead in the third quarter. But with kicker Jake Moody hurt, Kyle Shanahan passed p a 45-yard field goal and went for it on fourth and 23. Arizona stopped that, drove for a touchdown and converted the 2-pointer, and then Mack Wilson seized a fumble by Jordan Mason on the Arizona eight. Kyler Murray completed a fourth down to Marvin Harrison, and that led to Chad Ryland’s field goal that boosted Arizona to 2–3.
– Murray put Arizona on the board first with the type of 50-yard TD run that makes him so watchable. He and James Conner combined for 169 yards rushing. Kyzir White intercepted Brock Purdy on San Francisco’s last drive.
– The defending NFC champs have now blown double-digit leads to Arizona and the Rams, and the inability to dominate the line of scrimmage on either side has been a problem. They had only one offensive touchdown, with Deommodre Lenoir scoring on a blocked field goal by Jordan Elliott.
Green Bay 24, L.A. Rams 19
– Xavier McKinney entered the record book with his fifth interception in the first five games. No one has joined a new team and done that since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970. McKinney also recovered a fumble, and both of his takeaway led to touchdowns by Green Bay (3-2). “That’s Madden stuff that I do,” said cornerback Eric Stokes. McKinney came over from the Giants as a free agent. In 2021 he led the NFL with five interceptions.
– Kobie Turner had two sacks for the Rams, but Jordan Love was only hit three times, as the Rams continue to try to compensate for the retired Aaron Donald. The defense denied the Packers on seven of eight third downs and got a 4-yard interception TD from Jaylen McCollough, an undrafted rookie from Tennessee.
– The Rams fell to 1-4, their worst start since 2014. Jordan Love’s two TD passes to Tucker Kraft, following McKinney’s takeaways, put the Packers ahead 24-13 in the third quarter, but the Rams had a chance to win on the last drive. A sack of Matthew Stafford by Keion Brooks and Preston Smith put it away for the Packers, who won the 100th game of this series..
Denver 34, Las Vegas 18
– The Broncos (3-2) have three consecutive wins,, and the highlight play was a 100-yard interception return by Patrick Surtain. That tied the game 10-10 and Denver scored the next 24, as rookie QB Bo Nix completed 19 of 27 without a turnover.
– Gardner Minshew threw that interception to Surtain and another one, and Aiden O’Connell replaced him to little effect. The Raiders’ offense is becoming more dependent on Brock Bowers, the rookie tight end from Georgia, who was targeted on 12 throws and caught eight, including a 57-yarder.
– Denver has given up seven touchdown drives in five games. The Raiders (2-3) had three explosive plays, but the Broncos have allowed only 12 all season, and their opponents have only entered the red zone nine times. Nix threw four interceptions in the first two games of his career but hasn’t thrown one since.
Jacksonville 37, Indianapolis 34
– Give Trevor Lawrence some pass protection and stand back. The former first-overall pick broke a personal 9-game losing streak on a day he wasn’t sacked or even hit, as he went 28 for 34 for 371 yards. The Jaguars won their first game in five tries.
– But the Jaguars had to withstand another chapter in Joe Flacco’s career revival for the Colts (2-3). Down 34-20 with 5:09 left, Flacco hit Alec Pierce for 46 yards to set up one touchdown, then connected with Pierce on a 65-yard touchdown to tie it up with 2:50 left. Flacco went 33-for-44 for three TDs, 359 yards and no interceptions. Lawrence answered with a 14-yard pass to Christian Kirk that got the Jaguars within Chad Little’s field goal range, and the 49-yardeer wrapped it up with :21 left.
– The Jaguars have been waiting on Tank Bigsby to provide a run game, and he ripped off an 85-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Lawrence also hit rookie Brian Thomas Jr. with an 85-yard score. Travon Walker, another first-overall pick, made a breakthrough as well, by sacking Flacco three times and forcing a fumble.
Chicago 36, Carolina 10
– The Panthers got a 38-yard TD run from Chuba Hubbard in the first quarter but the lead disappeared in 3:10. Caleb Williams hit ex-Panther D.J Moore for a 34-yard touchdown, and the first rout of the year for the Bears (3-2) was on. Williams, continuing to develop, hit 20 of 29 passes for 304 yards and no picks, and Moore caught five for 105 yards.
– The Bears’ defense gave the Panthers 82 yards rushing after Hubbard’s score, and they turned up the pressure on quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Bryce Young. Gervon Dexter had four of Chicago’s 10 quarterback hits. It might have been humbling for Young, the former first-overall draft pick, to relieve Dalton because coach Dave Canales feared Dalton would get hurt, but Young actually held his own, hitting four of seven passes, including a 27-yarder.
– Over the past three games, Williams has gotten touchdowns in seven of 11 red zone trips. The Bears continued to push the run game, with 39 carries. DeAndre Swift had 73 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown.
Miami 15, New England 10
– It would have been a comedy of errors had it been funny, but the Dolphins’ road win was just bizarre. It took one good drive to win it for the Dolphins, an 80-yarder in the fourth quarter that fullback Alex Ingold finished with a four-yard run. A pass interference call kept the drive going, which was not atypical on a day when the Patriots had five offensive holding calls and five pre-snap offensive penalties. New England appeared to score on Jacoby Brissett’s pass to Ja’Lynn Polk, but the call was reversed and the drive died on the Dolphins’ 17.
– New England (1-4) missed a 33-yard field goal and had 12 penalties, and the teams combined to go 6-for-24 in third down situations. The only real functioning unit was Miami’s running game, which produced 193 yards, 86 from Tennessee rookie Jaylen Wright.
– Brissett was 18 for 34 for 160 yards and no TDs in what might be the final game before rookie Drake Maye takes over as the Patriots’ quarterback. Tyler Huntley will probably hang onto his job running the Dolphins (2-3) after he went 18-for-31 for 194 yards.
Great column!