The Kansas City Chiefs have advanced to the AFC Championship Game, but are the Patriots or Chargers the better matchup for Patrick Mahomes and Co.?
On Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs emphatically answered questions that NFL fans had entering the Divisional Round of the 2019 NFL Playoffs. Whether those questions were about the Chiefs’ woes in January, how Mahomes would hold up in the postseason, what the defense would look like or anything else, they were answered.
The Chiefs eviscerated the red-hot Indianapolis Colts, cooling off whatever wasn’t already frozen by the snowy conditions at Arrowhead Stadium for Andrew Luck’s team. Mahomes, Damien Williams and the Chiefs offense hummed all night while the defense played arguably their best game of 2018-19.
With the victory, the Chiefs will host the AFC Championship Game against the winner of Sunday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. Thus, the question that must be asked is which matchup would be better for this Kansas City team in regards to their chances of advancing to Super Bowl LIII?
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Interestingly enough, the Chargers and Patriots each handed the Chiefs one of their four losses in the regular season. New England triumphed in Week 6 in Foxborough while LA came out victorious at Arrowhead in Week 15. Moreover, the margin of victory for the Pats was just three points, which was somehow more than the Bolts’ one-point margin.
Thus, it stands to reason that the Chiefs are right on par with both of these teams, who are both extremely talented. And, for what it’s worth, there are things that the Chiefs could exploit when it comes to both teams should they be matched up with either.
In the case of the Chargers, playing in cold Arrowhead Stadium in January is not what they’re accustomed to and could cause them problems. Granted, should they win at Gillette Stadium in the Divisional Round, they’ll have garnered some experience in that regard. Even still, however, the Chiefs would have the distinct home-field advantage even greater than normal.
That wouldn’t be the case with the Patriots, but in terms of the X’s and O’s, Kansas City could really exploit New England’s defense. Bill Belichick’s defense has played well at times this season, but they seriously lack athleticism and talent as a whole. That’s something that the likes of Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs offense could feast on.
Having said all of this, however, the better matchup for the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game is the Los Angeles Chargers. While I think they may actually be the better team than the Patriots, they are more favorable for Andy Reid’s team to face.
For all the talent that the Bolts have, they don’t have the postseason experience or success that Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots do. And again, the wintry conditions would likely play a factor in their success in KC as well. If that weren’t enough, the familiarity with LA also helps the Chiefs staff gameplan more effectively. Subsequently, if you’re a Chiefs fan, it might be hard to support a rival, but you want the Chargers advancing out of the Divisional Round.