In the last five years, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the NFL’s leading team.
They have the most regular-season wins and have appeared in the most Super Bowls. No one has been as dominant in crucial moments, especially when facing tough challenges. The competition can’t measure up to the success of the Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and Travis Kelce era. The Chiefs have been setting the standard for everyone else and outperforming their rivals at every opportunity.
However, maintaining this pace has proven to be challenging for Kansas City.
On Saturday night, the Chiefs secured another playoff victory, defeating the Miami Dolphins. This will be their sixth consecutive appearance in the Divisional Round, and if they win next weekend, they will extend their streak of AFC title game appearances to six, behind only the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick New England Patriots (eight). Despite this, the possibility of sustained postseason success for the Chiefs this year feels increasingly unlikely.
FINAL: The @Chiefs get a #SuperWildCard win in the cold! #NFLPlayoffs #MIAvsKC pic.twitter.com/s3AErcJCZV
— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2024
While the Chiefs may not complain about their 19-point win, their inconsistent performance this year raises doubts about their ability to maintain their dominance. Despite a comprehensive win over a struggling Miami Dolphins team, the victory comes with a context of the Dolphins missing several key starters due to injury. Shutting down a struggling quarterback like Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t necessarily indicate a return to classic Chiefs football.
This first-round matchup was a fortunate draw for the Chiefs:
The Dolphins were missing 5 starters on one side of the ball tonight against the Chiefs.
A casual observer could be forgiven for not being able to tell which side.
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 14, 2024
What was witnessed on Saturday night didn’t deviate from the Chiefs’ inconsistent play during the second half of the regular season. The offense still struggled to generate big plays and had issues in the red zone. The team’s cautious approach and reliance on a few key players raise questions about their ability to compete against the top teams in the AFC. The offense’s limitations and the team’s lack of a high-flying offense led by Mahomes may hinder their chances of making a deep playoff run this year.
While the Chiefs can rely on their strong defense, their potential path to the Super Bowl is filled with challenges. The team’s vulnerabilities make it difficult to ignore the fact that they may struggle against the top competitors in the AFC.
Missing their top three edge rushers, the Dolphins used cover 0 on 18 dropbacks, tied for the 2nd-most in a game since 2018.
Patrick Mahomes (Wild Card vs MIA)
🔹 vs Cover 0: 7/18, 74 yds (-6.2 EPA)
🔹 Other Coverages: 16/23, 188 yds, TD (+19.1 EPA)Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/YwGheR80HB
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 14, 2024
While the Chiefs have a talented lineup, their current issues may prevent them from achieving significant success in the playoffs. Despite their noteworthy playoff performance, the team’s flaws and vulnerabilities may limit their chances of making a deep run this season.
