The Mahomes show marches on
The Kansas City Chiefs enter their Week 10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals as prohibitive favorites with a point spread more than two touchdowns, but head coach Andy Reid well knows this type of game caused problems for his team in recent seasons.
“Guys are going to be asked that question a lot,” Reid said as his team prepares for a game as a huge betting favorite. “That’s just part of this game. You always hear that. You can let spreads, you can let all these things, trap game, all these terms that pop up and things that happen come into it.”
When favored by seven or more points during the last three seasons, the Chiefs stand just 6-3. In 2016, when the Chiefs finished 12-4, they stubbed their toe at home to a pair of 9-7 teams in Tampa Bay and Tennessee. Last season, the Chiefs dropped two games against Buffalo and the New York Giants as more than a touchdown favorite.
The Cardinals come to town carrying a 2-6 record, with both victories against the equally hapless San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs have the added distraction of a marquee matchup looming next week against the Los Angeles Rams in Mexico City.
As the Chiefs and their high-flying offense continue to counter big-time underdogs, Reid continues to focus on a common message: stick to what you do.
“If you can honestly focus on the process and discipline yourself enough to do that, that normally takes care of things,” Reid said. “It at least makes it an even game in that area where you’re not going to let distractions get in the way.”
For the second straight week, the Chiefs encounter a team recovering from some midseason turmoil. The Cardinals fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy on Oct. 19, elevating quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich to the top job on offense.
“They’ve made a couple of changes there with Byron,” Reid said. “We have the upmost respect for Byron. I do personally, I think he’s an up and coming coach there, someday will be a head coach.”
Arizona head coach Steve Wilks believes the former quarterback can serve as the ideal mentor for rookie quarterback Josh Rosen.
“Outstanding communicator, understands how to relate to the players and most importantly just that development of that position, understanding what it needs, the details, how to get it done,” Wilks said. “I think he’s doing a tremendous job, so I’m excited about the offense moving forward under his leadership.”
The Cardinals have struggled this season but are not without talent, however. Their defense statistically fares well against the pass, allowing just 224.6 yards per game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes believes this game serves as another test for himself and the offense.
“They have Patrick Peterson at corner,” Mahomes said. “They got dudes everywhere on that defense. For me it’s going to be a great test to get to go up against these guys. We’re going to try to be ourselves and keep what we have going going.”
But Wilks says his team faces a bigger challenge trying to solve a riddle no one else in the league has figured out yet: how to slow down Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense.
“I don’t think you can stop those guys completely,” Wilks said. “You’ve just got to hope you can slow them down.”
Wilks served as a defensive assistant with the Carolina Panthers when Cam Newton entered the league. But he sees a different makeup from Mahomes and Newton. While both have an innate ability in using athleticism to escape the pocket and cause problems for a defense, Wilks sees a different quality with Mahomes’ penchant for working the ball down field.
“He’s not looking to run,” Wilks said of Mahomes. “He’s looking really still trying to push the ball down the field. With a lot of young guys you don’t get that. They’re going to sit here, if it’s not open their first read, they’re going to look to take off. This guy does a tremendous job of still keeping his eyes down the field trying to find the open receiver.”
But the question remains if this Chiefs team can avoid the upset bug that bit other teams under Reid in recent seasons.
“We’ll find out, time tells you that, right,” Reid said. “But it’s important that you focus on the things that you can control, and one of those is getting ready to play a good football team and not listen to the questions. You’ve got to have small ears in that area.”
SERIES HISTORY: 13th regular-season meeting. Chiefs lead series, 8-3-1. The Cardinals claimed a 17-14 victory in the last meeting between the two teams in 2014. That outcome hinged on a controversial call, with the replay official ruling Travis Kelce fumbled at the Arizona 22-yard line late in the fourth quarter. The two franchises played for the Governor’s Cup when the Cardinals called St. Louis home. The two teams played each preseason between 1968 to 1987, with the Chiefs owning a 13-6-1 record in that series.
