The 2024 Kansas City Chiefs love winning but also love a close game. Going into Atlanta and playing the Falcons did not come easy for the Chiefs, but they were able to pull out a win at the end. Some offensive mistakes coupled with some defensive miscues were the key issues for the Chiefs this week, but a strong final few minutes secured the win in Atlanta.
From the very beginning, Patrick Mahomes looked shaky and could not complete simple plays. The defense gave up points early but took shape in the second half to give the offense a chance to work its magic. Compared to the previous two games, this contest was a little calmer, but it still ended with a score too close for comfort.
What's Happening With Kelce?
For years now, Travis Kelce has been an integral part of the Chiefs' offense. Last season, he was one of Mahomes's only offensive weapons. This season, he is barely involved in the offensive schemes, and it does not seem like that is going to change very quickly. Anyone who drafted him in fantasy (like me) knows firsthand how this situation is going.
In this game against the Falcons, Kelce was only targeted five times and gathered only 30 receiving yards. For the entire season, Kelce has only been targeted 12 times for 69 yards. While last season showed that Kelce was on the decline as he ages, I'm not sure anyone would've predicted that these would be his stats this season. However, only time will tell if he will pick it up in the rest of the regular season and beyond.
The frustration with Kelce has gone so far that fans are blaming Taylor Swift for his performance. When Swift attends the games, many complain about how much she is shown. Yet, when she does not attend games like she didn't last night, it must be the reason why Kelce is not performing at his potential. It's clear that Chiefs fans are just looking for a solid reason to explain why the future Hall of Famer is not performing well. However, this doesn't seem to be the reason why.
A Controversial Few Weeks
Controversy surrounding the Chiefs is becoming a common theme over the last few seasons, and has been at it's worst this season. Going all the way back to Super Bowl 57, the Chiefs have been the main topic of conversation when it comes to controversial calls. Almost every week, fans are calling out the referees for missing important calls and benefitting the Chiefs.
Last week, a decisive call was made in the 4th quarter, calling the Bengals for defensive pass interference. While many fans called out the refs on social media for being too easy on the Chiefs, many former refs and tv personalities were there to defend the call. This week, however, fans are calling out the refs for missing an important defensive pass interference call, and allowing the Chiefs to take the victory from the Falcons. So far, no one has defended this call on social media.
While this play certainly helped Kansas City get another chance to put the game out of reach, they ended up not doing any damage, and went three-and-out. Still, it is easy to see why Falcons fans may be mad at this missed call, especially since the final score was so close.
Defense When It Matters
While the Chiefs defense has not been the strongest throughout games this season, they are always able to step up when it matters. This week proved to be no different, when the defense was able to keep the team in the game until the final minutes, and was ultimately the reason why they were able to win.
During the Falcons final drive of the 4th quarter, linebacker Nick Bolton was instrumental in securing the Chiefs win. When Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was handed the ball, many would've thought he would've been able to convert on 4th and inches. However, Bolton was right on top of Robinson, ending with a perfectly timed tackle to ensure that the Chiefs won the game and ended the Falcons drive.
While Bolton has taken the heat over the last few weeks for lackluster performances, there is no way that the Chiefs would've won without him. For the rest of the defense, they were able to step up in the later minutes when it mattered. However, the defense is going to need to get on top of ensuring the other team scores less in the beginning of the game.
The Star Power of Rice
While Rashee Rice's contributions to the team were impressive last year, what he is doing this year is even more notable. Rice is one of the most consistent and formidable receivers on the Chiefs, and what he is doing this season is setting him up to be one of the best receivers in the league. As long as his problems with the law don't prohibit him from being on the field, he has the chance to be paid a lot in the future.
This season so far, Rice has 24 catches for 288 yards along with 2 touchdowns. He's projected to have 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns by the end of the regular season.
The most impressive thing about Rice is his ability to adapt to whatever the defenses are going to do against him. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Bengals, and Falcons, Rice has been able to adapt to how they are playing them, and beat them all. Against the Bengals, Rice had an average gain of 15 yards per catch along with a touchdown. Against the Falcons, he had an average gain of 9.2 yards per catch along with a touchdown. Rice has been able to switch between short and long so far this season, and his adaptability is going to be great for the Chiefs down the line.
Up Next: Los Angeles Chargers
Next Sunday, the Chiefs will travel to Inglewood, California to visit the Chargers. As of right now, the Chargers will seemingly be without their quarterback Justin Herbert after he re-aggravated his high ankle sprain against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As long as the Chiefs continue to stick to what they have been doing, they will most likely come away from the game 4-0. Going against a Chargers team that has certainly struggled this season so far might allow the Chiefs to reinvent their offense and defense, and learn from the mistakes made during the first three weeks of the season.
Final Score: Chiefs 22, Falcons 17
Jones' Three Stars
1st Star - Rashee Rice
12 Receptions, 110 Yards, 1 TD
2nd Star - Juju Smith-Schuster
2 Receptions, 17 Yards, 1 TD
3rd Star - Nick Bolton
Game-winning tackle in the fourth quarter
Main Image via
Comments