Chiefs try to get rolling vs. Lions
The Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to be one of the best teams in the National Football League going into the 2015 season. Kansas City was seen as the team with the best shot to dethrone the Denver Broncos in the AFC West, but has started the season with a horrific stretch.
The Chiefs are 2-5 and looking like a team without much hope of making the playoffs on the surface. Running back Jamaal Charles and cornerback Phillip Gaines are both out for the season, having tore their ACLs. Kansas City will also be without defensive end Mike DeVito, guard Ben Grubbs and inside linebacker Ramik Wilson for this Sunday’s contest in London, England, against the Detroit Lions.
It appears like everything has gone – and much has – for the Chiefs, but there might still be hope if head coach Andy Reid can lead his team over Detroit.
Kansas City would be at 3-5 with a win this weekend heading into its BYE week. Again, nothing great about that situation, but the Chiefs have an insanely easy schedule after their break. While the first game out of the gate is a road matchup against the undefeated Denver Broncos, the Chiefs then travel to play the San Diego Chargers, host the Buffalo Bills, visit the Oakland Raiders, host the Chargers, make a house call on the Baltimore Ravens, and then welcome in the Cleveland Browns and Raiders.
In the AFC, the Chiefs would likely only need nine wins to make the playoffs. While it won’t be easy, that schedule certainly lends itself to Kansas City making a huge run and perhaps shocking the world. The good news to this point is conference record and a head-to-head victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Chiefs have lost three games to NFC opponents, giving them an in-conference record of 2-2. Compared to teams like the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, that is a major advantage. Most of the teams that Kansas City is competing with for a wild card berth have brutal schedules as the winter comes, another leg up for the team that calls Arrowhead Stadium home.
Ultimately, it could all come crashing down. The Chiefs could absolutely lose to the 1-6 Lions on Sunday at Wembley Stadium and put any playoff dreams to rest. However, everything remains in play right now for a team that can still salvage some shred of dignity following its appalling start that included a home loss against the Chicago Bears, despite an 11-point lead in the final seven minutes.
The Chiefs are not looking like a playoff contender at the moment, but with a win against Detroit, thingscould be rapidly changing.
