The success of the Kansas City Chiefs has been a relatively recent development. The Chiefs are by no means a dynasty like the New England Patriots, but they are a consistent threat to the AFC. How much of a threat they are will be determined on Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs Have More Than Just a Super Bowl Run on the Line
Earlier this year, while Pittsburgh was unloading on the Chiefs, fans everywhere were asking “Where is this team?” There is plenty of talent on the roster, and the special teams unit is the best in the league. However, on that dark Sunday night, the Chiefs looked more like their 2012 selves than their present day incarnation.
The Chiefs sat on that bitter loss going into the bye, and came out better for it. They would put together a 10-2 record after that night, and have now a chance for revenge in the Divisional round. When asked about this next matchup, Pittsburgh’s James Harrison said “We played them? I didn’t know that.” The Chiefs should help him to remember this next game.
The Arrowhead gates will open at 6:30 am. A loud and wild crowd will welcome the Steelers into the cold and bitter confines. The Chiefs are on a streak, and boosted from a bye week, they will be hungry.
Why This Game is About More Than a Super Bowl Run
The Chiefs have been a consistent threat to the AFC. This season is the third in the past four that they’ve reached the postseason. It’s also the first in decades that they’ve played in Kansas City. This game has a lot riding on it, more than simple revenge.
The Chiefs need to win and prove to the rest of the AFC, and by default the NFL, that they are a bigger threat than they may seem. In an age ruled by the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger, the Chiefs have been largely looked over by the mainstream media. This has worked to their advantage, because they are among the most quietly dangerous teams in the NFL.
On Sunday, they host one of the NFL’s most famous triumvirates in Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell. A win over them sends a loud and clear message that the Chiefs are on the warpath. Even some of the NFL’s favorites, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are no longer safe.
The Chiefs are playing to seal their reputation, just as much to make a Super Bowl run. Andy Reid is undefeated coming off the bye week, including the three playoff games he’s had with a bye. This season, the Chiefs took a bitter loss to the Steelers, went into the bye, and then proceeded to humble the Raiders in their own home. You may remember that game had the “Hungry Pig Right” play where defensive tackle Dontari Poe took a screen pass on the goal line and plowed into the end zone for a touchdown.
If the Chiefs do not win, then they may be confined to the image that they are merely a regular season team, and not a deep playoff threat.
What to Expect
Expect noise. Expect a lot of noise. The Chiefs boast a fanbase that is famous for creating the loudest stadium in the world. When the Chiefs re-took the record in 2014, it was in a regular season Monday Night Football game against New England. The Chiefs stomped them 41-14, and set the noise record at 142.2 decibels. The Chiefs would miss the postseason, and the Patriots would win the Super Bowl. That is the power of Arrowhead Stadium and its inhabitants.
Imagine what this weekend will be like. The last time the fans saw their team open the postseason in Arrowhead, it was with the man with the Hollywood name. Joe Montana beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 on Wild Card weekend. It was the last playoff victory in Arrowhead Stadium, as the Chiefs would go on a 22 year playoff drought after losing to the Bills two weeks later.
If the Chiefs win this weekend, they will most likely travel to New England, assuming the Texans lose. Otherwise, they would welcome Houston to the friendly confines of Arrowhead. Last season, the Chiefs lost to the Patriots in Foxboro.
There are plenty of differences between last year’s playoff team and this year’s, but hopefully we’ll be looking deeper into that next week.
Main Photo:
