Don’t count out Chiefs, who might have saved their season with huge win
The Kansas City Chiefs stared into the abyss in Week 7. Luckily for them, the abyss didn’t stare back.
The Chiefs scored a potentially season-saving victory over the San Diego Chargers, who had won five straight coming in, with a late-second victory on the road.
A loss would have put them four back of the Chargers in the win column, but now they are 3-3 with two games (home against the St. Louis Rams and New York Jets) that should be quite winnable.
The Chiefs now have wins over the Chargers, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins — combined record: 13-7) and respectable losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. (Throw out that inexcusable Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans for just a moment, will you?)
For a team many expected to take a step back, the Chiefs are playing at a pretty high level. Alex Smith continues to make big throws. Jamaal Charles has rallied from an early-season injury. Travis Kelce has turned into a pivotal playmaker. And the much-maligned offensive line is developing more than anyone could have expected.
Sunday’s victory came in a highly charged atmosphere with big AFC West ramifications. Overcoming a slew of injuries and dropped passes, the Chiefs are in good shape now and would be in terrific shape at 5-3 at the turn if they can get to that point, all things considered. They’ve run through a gauntlet of a schedule so far and have held up fairly well.
There were unexpected contributors all around in this game.
Cairo Santos came from nowhere to win the kicking job, beating out incumbent Ryan Succop, and he hit three key field goals in the win, including the 48-yarder in the waning moments.
A shorthanded defense kept Chargers QB Philip Rivers, a league MVP candidate, in check with 205 passing yards on 31 attempts, none going for longer than 27 yards.
Fullback Anthony Sherman did his usual dirty-work blocking with aplomb but also added a stunning 11-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, he made a great tackle in coverage.
Castoff safety Kurt Coleman, who has been on three NFL teams since February, had the game-clinching interception.
The Chiefs’ three leading tacklers — Jamell Fleming, Husain Abdullah and Josh Mauga — are all role players and ones that other NFL teams didn’t want.
Andy Reid will take them. Oh sure, he still hasn’t figured out how to use timeouts properly. But he has his Chiefs back in the playoff picture and just how he likes it: When the rest of the league doubts a Reid-coached team, that’s often when he’s at his most dangerous.
Don’t forget about these Chiefs.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
