If you’ve followed the AFC West for as long as I have, (30 years and counting) it seems that for the most part the Denver Broncos pretty much dominated that division and during that span of three decades they’ve won 3 Superbowls. As for the rest of the division, it’s been a long, long drought. The Raiders haven’t hoisted the Lombardy Trophy since 1984, The L.A. Chargers have never won a Superbowl, and the Kansas City Chiefs last won the AFL-NFL World Championship game back in 1970.
We all know that Andy Reid has and is currently an excellent football coach. Ever since his early days in Philadelphia with the Eagles and now with the Chiefs, coach Reid has an all time coaching record of 198-133-1 (.598), winning nearly 60% of his games coached. His regular season record as coach of the Chiefs is an outstanding 57-27. It’s safe to say that coach Andy Reid knows what he’s doing and his team is currently on a roll in Kansas City. Since being hired as head coach in K.C. back in 2013, he’s brought a renowned sense of hope to this franchise and its city.
The Chiefs aren’t just currently the class of the AFC West, but they’re the class of the league, with Patrick Mahomes II and that vaunted Chiefs offense putting up big numbers with the capability to score on any opposing defense. Many folks around the league and fans were shocked when Reid and the Chiefs elected to trade away veteran QB Alex Smith to the Redskins during the offseason for a 3rd round pick and CB Kendall Fuller. It seems that Andy Reid has the last laugh on this deal, as he knew exactly what he was doing and he also knew what he had in Patrick Mahomes II.
Keep in mind that Mahomes II had only one NFL start under his belt prior to this season which came in week 16 of last year’s regular season finale when he went into Denver and beat the Broncos in a close game 27-24. He was drafted by Kansas City in 2017 with the 10th pick in the first round. Despite only playing 3 years at Texas Tech, Mahomes II accumulated 11,252 yards passing, 93 TD’s, just 29 interceptions and a 63.5% completion percentage. Reid who’s known for his offensive brilliance, saw plenty of film on Mahomes II and knew immediately on draft day that they had something special in Patrick.
I know it’s early and there’s a lot of football left to be played, but Mahomes II is putting up some very impressive numbers. He’s thrown for 1,200 yards, 14 TD’s and no interceptions. He’s also ran for a rushing TD this season. He’s the exact opposite of who Alex Smith is and was, in which Smith has and still is labeled as a game manager, while Mahomes II is a game changer and a “risk manager.” Let me break this down for all my readers in case you’re scratching your head at this.
During Smith’s tenure as QB of the Kansas City Chiefs, he had a tendency to not turn the football over, which we all know is a good thing. However, with that being said, Smith wasn’t as mobile as Mahomes II is, he also doesn’t have the arm strength that Mahomes II possesses, nor the ability to make a big play on the run throwing across his body or off balance with a level of accuracy that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. Smith was more known for taking sacks or throwing the football out of bounds, but oddly enough he never really threw the deep ball down the field.
Many folks around the league including myself felt that the Chiefs weren’t utilizing the true value of players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill since both of them are big play offensive players who can get open against any secondary. So with this being said and based on the Chiefs record and the play of Mahomes II, this was a brilliant move on the part of Reid and the Chiefs to trade away Alex Smith. Just when you think he’s on the verge of getting sacked or a vital third down play is needed, Mahomes II will turn a busted play into a big first down or even a touchdown, something that Alex Smith could rarely do.
Smith was and still is currently a “game manager” and a decent quarterback while Mahomes II is a “game changer” and ultimate “risk taker” who is quickly looking more and more like a franchise quarterback. The chemistry and offensive skill of Reid mixed in with the big play ability and accuracy of Patrick Mahomes II has the Chiefs offense looking unstoppable. Reid has blended a variety of offensive packages, formations, and different sets and styles during the course of different games to keep opposing defenses guessing and not knowing what’s happening next.
It’s a secondary’s nightmare to stare across the line and see the likes of Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. Let’s not forget about that talented runner Kareem Hunt or the threat of Mahomes II to beat you with his legs as well. If the Chiefs stay healthy and go on a run which appears to be happening, watch out AFC. They may just punch their ticket to Atlanta for next year’s Superbowl in Atlanta, but it’s way too early to tell and there’s a lot of football left to be played.
Two concerns that I genuinely have regarding Kansas City is their defense has given up big chunks of yards on the ground and through the air, and coach Andy Reid’s all time playoff record in the postseason is just 11-13 (.458). Reid has struggled over the years to go on a deep playoff push, but keep in mind that he didn’t have someone like Mahomes II in his tenure as the Eagles head coach and this is his first year as a starting NFL quarterback with Kansas City. I guess we’ll have to let the rest of the 2018-2019 NFL season play out, “low and slow” just like that down home Kansas City Barbeque. Stay hungry my friends…..