The Kansas City Chiefs looked perhaps the worst they have this season in Week 5 and still beat the Jaguars by 16 points. Are they Super Bowl locks?
After a blistering 4-0 start to the 2018 season, the general belief was that the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t be able to maintain their absurdly high level of play. Even if they remained good, they seemed to be unstoppable every time out, which is just impossible to maintain. And, with a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars looming in Week 5, that seemed like the week it may happen.
On the part of Mahomes, the stout Jaguars defense indeed brought the early MVP favorite back to Earth. The second-year quarterback completed 22 of his 38 passes and not only threw his first interception of the year, but actually threw two on the day. He did add a rushing touchdown to his credit, but didn’t throw for one for the first time this season.
Yet the Chiefs still beat the Jaguars — a team that was in the AFC Championship Game last year — 30-14.
After looking like a sieve for the bulk of the season to this point, the Chiefs defense stepped up and carried the team with Mahomes not being otherworldly. They picked off Blake Bortles four times on the day, including a pick-six by Chris Jones, and forced a fumble from the Jaguars quarterback as well. With Kareem Hunt pitching in a late touchdown and Harrison Butker going 3-of-3 on field goals, it was the recipe to get a 5-0 Chiefs start.
As impressive as the Chiefs were in the first four weeks of the season with their lights-out play on offense, this may have been their most telling victory of the early quintet. And it’s one that makes you think they have to be a Super Bowl favorite out of the AFC, if you weren’t already thinking that way.
There’s no questioning the fact that, when Mahomes and the offense are clicking, this Chiefs team can put up points on anyone. They showed that much in Weeks 1-4. However, showing the ability to win — and do so emphatically — against a good team when the offense isn’t at that level is something different. It’s the mark of a great team.
This isn’t to say that the Chiefs can bank on this performance from their defense every week. Even when Eric Berry is healthy, that’s not really in the cards. With that being said, the great teams of the modern NFL aren’t just able to score at will, but are able to survive when that’s not the case. That’s what we saw from the Chiefs in Week 5.
Obviously the Super Bowl is a long way down the road. However, as they sit undefeated and after toppling the Jaguars on Sunday, it’s hard not to have the Kansas City Chiefs heading to Atlanta come February at this point.