WEEK FOURTEEN CRYSTAL BALL - WEEKEND: Are the Chiefs done?
Published continually since 1994
My friends, THE GURU is here to talk about one of his favorite topics: Kansas City.
I love how they barbecue meat from dawn to dusk. I love how they go out to lunch at 10:45 a.m. on a Tuesday to “beat the rush”. And I love how passionate they are about their football.
Unfortunately, this year those gridiron fortunes have taken a turn for the worse as their beloved Chiefs are scuffling at 6-6, good for third place in the AFC West and tenth in the conference. Spoiler alert: only seven AFC teams will make the playoffs, leaving Andy Reid and KC on the outside looking in.
This, of course, begs the question: is the Kansas City dynasty done?
Well, it’s certainly flagging right now but I don’t think it’s finished, not by a long shot.
First, Patrick Mahomes is only 30 years old and remains the best quarterback in the sport.
Second, most great pro football franchises hit speed bumps from time to time but, because their foundations are so strong, they ultimately rebound with a vengeance.
Bill Belichick’s Patriots missed the playoffs in 2008 after suffering their Super Bowl XLII loss to the Giants but rebounded to make 11 straight postseason trips, winning three more championships.
John Harbaugh’s Ravens missed the playoffs three straight times (2015-17) but then returned as a force, making the postseason in six of the past seven years. And 2025 looks like another playoff campaign with Baltimore leading the AFC North with five wins in its past six games.
Joe Gibbs and Washington won the Super Bowl during the 1987 season but then missed the playoffs the next two years. They returned to the postseason in 1990 and then produced what ESPN called “the greatest team of all time” in 1991.
P.S. ESPN was right (see below).
You get the picture. Kansas City is NOT done.
They’ve got Mahomes, a great head coach and an organizational infrastructure that historically finds the right players at the right time. Expect 2025 to be a momentary blip for the Chiefs.
On the subject of rare occurrences, LE GURU was 11-5 (.688) last week, improving the season mark to 102-80 (.560). Let’s look at this weekend’s games with the Giants (2-11), Niners (9-4), Panthers (7-6) and Patriots (11-2) enjoying the bye.
1 PM ET – FOX
I’ll take the Seahawks (9-3, 5-1 away) at Atlanta (4-8, 2-3 home) as road warrior Mike Macdonald moves Seattle one step closer to clinching a playoff berth. The Falcons will fight but their pass game will suffer with Drake London on the shelf…
…Cincinnati (4-8, 2-4 away) falls at Buffalo (8-4, 5-1 home) despite QB Joe Burrow’s heroics. The Bills will miss pass rusher Joey Bosa but, with snow a possibility, I like the hosts in a squeaker…
…the Browns (4-8, 2-3 home) take down the visiting Titans (1-11, 1-4 away) with extreme prejudice. Cam Ward meet Mr. Myles Garrett…
…My Beloved Commies (3-9, 1-5 away) beat host Minnesota (4-8, 1-4 home), breaking their seven-game losing streak. Jayden Daniels returns to action, but he may not be the catalyst; this team has played much better the past two weeks with consecutive OT losses. We could win this one in a rout…
1 PM ET – CBS
The Jets (3-9, 2-5 home) topple Miami (5-7, 1-4 away) at MetLife, capturing their fourth win in six weeks. Don’t look now but Aaron Glenn’s cultural shift is taking hold, folks…
…the Saints (2-10, 1-5 away) take a beating at Tampa (7-5, 3-2 home). Last week’s Bucs’ win over Arizona was ugly, but it got Baker & Co. back on track. No Alvin Kamara is no bueno for Nola…
…Daniel Jones and the Colts (8-4, 2-3 away) lose at the Jaguars (8-4, 4-2 home), their third straight tough loss. The Indy QB has been off of late, but the visitors’ #1 issue is the absence of cornerback Sauce Gardner, out with a calf injury.
Expect Trevor Lawrence to riddle that secondary as Jacksonville moves one step closer to earning its first playoff trip since 2022…
…visiting Pittsburgh (6-6, 2-3 away) loses at archrival Baltimore (6-6, 3-4 home). The Ravens looked out of sorts against Cincy last week, but I think they right the ship vs. the flagging Steelers. Mike Tomlin’s historic run in the Steel City is nearing an end, folks. Fly those flags at half-mast at THE HOUSE OF SUSSEX.
4:05 PM ET – CBS
Take the Broncos (10-2, 4-2 away) to crush the Raiders (2-10, 1-5 home) in Vegas. The gulf between these two franchises is wider than the space between the back pockets of my Levi’s.
4:25 PM ET – FOX
Green Bay (8-4, 4-2 home) takes down the Bears (9-3, 5-2 away) to tie the teams atop the NFC North with four weeks to play. Expect the Pack to focus on Chicago’s stud tight ends - Loveland and Kmet - with star receiver Rome Odunze out.
Enjoy the game and relish the fact that these teams meet again in two weeks in the Windy City…
…I LOVE the Rams (9-3, 4-2 away) at Arizona (3-9, 1-5 home). Kudos to McVay & Co. for one heck of a season. This is the mortal lock of the week, folks, even with LA’s stud running back, Kyren Williams, injured.
8:20 PM ET – NBC/Peacock
In the nightcap, I’ll take the Texans (7-5, 4-2 away) at the Chiefs (6-6, 5-1 home) with apologies to RIGHT WING MATT, a man teetering on the brink.
The reason? Kansas City’s offensive line is in tatters on the right side with tackle Jawaan Taylor out and guard Trey Smith unlikely to play. Expect DeMeco Ryans to take advantage of that opportunity.
MONDAY, 8:15 PM ET – ABC/ESPN
In the week’s final game, I’ll go with the host Chargers (8-4, 2-4 home) to take down Philly (8-4, 4-2 away).
The Eagles recent struggles have been well documented but the bigger concern is the absence of two studs in the trenches: defensive tackle Jalen Carter and right offensive tackle Lane Johnson. That’s enough to give TOMMY BIRD a bit of agita which, of course, brings a smile to my face.
That’s all for this week, folks. Enjoy the games and God bless you and yours!