KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are an inch and a flag away from being winless two games into their Super Bowl title defense.
Instead, they are 2-0 with the tiebreaker over two teams thought to be among their biggest rivals.
The Chiefs certainly seem to be living a charmed life after Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely landed with a toe out of bounds on a would-be tying touchdown catch on the final play of their game two weeks ago, and a pass interference call on fourth-and-16 on Sunday kept them alive to kick a winning field goal with no time left for a 26-25 win over Cincinnati.
Yet the reality is this: Kansas City has been in so many down-to-the-wire situations over the years, especially with Andy Reid on the sideline and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, that victory almost always seems to be inevitable.
Even when they lose running back Isiah Pacheco to an injury in the final minute of a close game.
“Until the time hits zero, I feel like there’s a chance that you can win the football game,” Mahomes said. “Obviously we’ve done that in so many different ways, and so we’re prepared. We come in with that mentality that if we get the football with a chance to win the game, we’re going to do it, and we were able to do that.”
It’s difficult to argue that such last-second antics are unsustainable because, well, the Chiefs keep doing it. But what might be unsustainable is poor play from some of their most important players that have put them in such dire situations.
Mahomes has already thrown three interceptions for a percentage double the highest of his career. He’s been sacked four times, putting him on pace for more than any previous season. His quarterback success rate, passer rating and several other advanced metrics are the worst in his career, albeit with a sample size of just two games.
His longtime safety valve, Travis Kelce, has been conspicuously absent from the offense. The four-time All-Pro tight end has a mere four catches for 39 yards through two games, though he did have a long reception wiped out by a penalty on Sunday.
“Obviously, we’ve played two opponents that we’ve played a lot, so they have a plan on how they’re going to account for Travis,” Mahomes said. “As the season goes on, he’s going to get his catches, he’s going to get his yards.”
The Chiefs are 2-0 after playing two perennial playoff contenders, even though they have not played particularly well.
Imagine what they could look like if they finally put everything together.
What’s working
The Chiefs were excellent against the pass and middling against the run last season. But their defensive front has been improved against the run through two games, limiting the Bengals to 74 yards and successfully making them one-dimensional Sunday.
What needs help
Kansas City has been overly conservative early in the season to the extent that it is costing points. In the first quarter Sunday, Reid went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Cincinnati 3 and picked up a first down. But three plays later, after only managing to get to the 1-yard line, he sent the field-goal team on rather than go for it on fourth down and the same distance.
Stock up
WR Rashee Rice had five catches for 75 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown reception. That gives him 12 catches for 178 yards through two games. He’ll need to continue to produce like that with Marquise Brown undergoing surgery on the dislocated joint in his shoulder this week, potentially sidelining him for the entire season.
Stock down
LT Kingsley Suamataia was benched after a late holding penalty against Cincinnati, and after getting beaten repeatedly by Trey Hendrickson. The rookie tackle has faced two premier defenses to start his NFL career, and the learning curve has been sharp.
Injuries
Pacheco is likely headed to injured reserve, a person familiar with his ankle injury told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because they were not authorized to discuss the situation. That means undrafted rookie Carson Steele and veteran Samaje Perine are in line to get the majority of snaps for the foreseeable future.
Key number
4 — Harrison Butker’s 51-yarder as time expired to beat the Bengals on his Sunday was his fourth career game-winner. It also was his 29th career field goal of at least 50 yards.
Next steps
The Chiefs hit the road for the first time this season when they visit Atlanta on Sunday night.
