Ignore the standings as of Sunday. Ignore the best way the Kansas City Chiefs stumbled out of the gate to start out the 2025 season. Put all of it in a field, bury it after which neglect about it. As a result of all of it’s irrelevant proper now that the Chiefs are once more beginning to roll and, nicely, appear to be the Chiefs.
They received on Sunday for the fourth time in 5 video games to enhance to 4-3 general, utterly humiliating an overmatched and overpowered Las Vegas Raiders crew by a 31-0 margin.
Nevertheless lopsided that closing rating appeared, rest-assured the sport was really worse than that.
The Raiders completed the sport with solely three first downs and solely 30 offensive snaps. The Chiefs had 30 first downs. Patrick Mahomes was out of the sport by the top of the third quarter. The Chiefs have been in victory formation and taking a knee on the plus-side of the two-minute warning towards a crew that also had timeouts remaining.
It was decisive. It was one-sided. It was emphatic. It was additionally an indication that the Chiefs are, actually, again.
Chiefs make it clear the AFC remains to be theirs
It isn’t that there wasn’t purpose to be involved with the Chiefs early on. As a result of a few of the issues have been legitimate. The protection was displaying some cracks, Mahomes was not taking part in like we’re accustomed to seeing and the crew as a complete was simply struggling.
However even with that, all three of their losses have been carefully contested, one-score video games that might have gone both manner. Whenever you play as many one-score video games because the Chiefs are inclined to play, you might be typically instances placing the sport within the fingers of some luck, or only one or two performs going a sure manner. Lots of these video games go the Chiefs’ manner. Generally, they will not.
It additionally can’t be ignored that the Chiefs have been taking part in most of these video games with out their prime two huge receivers in Xavier Worthy (harm) and Rashee Rice (suspension).
The season turnaround started when Worthy returned on the finish of September towards the Baltimore Ravens. He had 121 yards from scrimmage on seven touches in that sport as a part of a 37-20 win. His presence alone has opened issues for the remainder of the offense.
On Sunday, Rice made his debut and made an immediate impact with seven catches for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It might have been so simple as simply getting their good gamers again.
The Chiefs have been in at the very least the AFC Championship sport in every of the primary seven years Mahomes has performed because the crew’s starter, together with 5 Tremendous Bowl appearances (and three championships). Their sluggish begin — which is now a factor of the previous— shouldn’t decrease the expectations for what they’re able to this season.
Till anyone within the AFC beats them when it counts, they need to nonetheless be thought-about the clear favorites. And they’re beginning to play prefer it once more.
