The Kansas City Chiefs survived a too-close-for-comfort battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning in overtime, 30-24. They raised their record to 8-0. Our NFL Week 9 recap looks at how Kansas City’s quest to go undefeated might not be particularly wise.
Favored at home, Kansas City did not cover the pregame 9-point spread.
A Dominant Record Does Not Equal Dominance
After their win against Tampa Bay, Kansas City remains unbeaten. However, they squeaked by the Bengals and Falcons in Weeks 2 and 3.
Week 9 can be added to that list.
Against Cincinnati, a questionable defensive pass interference call put Kansas City in position to win.
The officials missed a false start on the winning drive against Tampa Bay.
Under no circumstances have they dominated.
The organization seems to know it too given the flurry of trades and signings they have made for Josh Uche, DeAndre Hopkins, and Kareem Hunt. They remain in the market for upgrades with the NFL Trade Deadline set for 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 5.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is missing two key offensive weapons Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco. Though both are expected back before the end of the regular season, it remains worrisome.
Undefeated Seasons: More Harm Than Good?
NFL head coaches would never publicly acknowledge that going undefeated is more harmful than helpful, but the physical and psychological stress it puts on a team makes it self-evident.
The Patriots all but confessed that head coach Bill Belichick’s hard-driving style in 2007 left them with little gas left in the tank for the playoffs.
It has been over 50 years since the NFL had an undefeated Super Bowl champion. The 1972 Miami Dolphins played 17 games to do it. Currently, there are 17 games in the NFL regular season. The Chiefs played 21 to win Super Bowl LVIII.
Recapping NFL Week 9: Four Challenging Games Remain
Our NFL Week 9 recap shows that despite being unbeaten, Kansas City has four games on their schedule that stand out as potential threats: Buffalo, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston, and Pittsburgh.
How hard do they push to go undefeated and how does it impact the pregame expectations?
Given the risks involved, the Chiefs’ decision-makers might not mind seeing them get knocked off before the playoffs. After what happened to the 18-0 Patriots in 2007, losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl in perhaps the greatest upset in NFL history, it might be a preferred outcome to get their loss in during the regular season and not when it matters most.
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