Can the Chiefs deliver a perfect season? 10 big questions for NFL's second half
Published 9 November 2024
It’s halftime of another wild NFL season, the perfect time to ponder key questions...
Can the Chiefs run the table for a perfect season?
As if making history as the first threepeat Super Bowl champ isn’t enough of a challenge, KC has added another layer of intrigue by hitting midseason as the NFL’s only undefeated team (8-0). It’s striking that just two of the Chiefs’ results have come with margins of victories of more than one possession.
They are hardly blowing out opponents, yet merely finding multiple ways to win. Lately, closing has been a concern as KC’s defense has allowed a late TD in three consecutive games. Then again, this is a “rich-team problem” because with Patrick Mahomes in tow it would be a bigger worry if the Chiefs couldn’t score in crunch time. In any event, the toughest threat to perfection could come in Week 11 at Buffalo. Survive that and other playoff contenders line up, including the Steelers for a Christmas matchup in Pittsburgh. Of course, the most essential test to KC’s perfection will begin in January with another playoff run.
Besides Lamar Jackson, who else is worthy of MVP consideration?
Look at Jared Goff. The Lions (7-1) are one of the hottest teams in football, and their quarterback has been in a historic rhythm. Over the past six games, Goff has completed 82.8% of his passes – best ever for a six-game stretch – to manage one of the league’s most explosive units. There’s also been buzz about Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels becoming the first rookie MVP since Jim Brown in 1958. As impactful as Daniels has been to revive Washington’s franchise, the MVP argument loses steam when considering how it went down when he was on the same field with Jackson in Week 6. Jackson, by the way, has already passed for 24 TDs – matching his total for all of last season, when he won MVP honors for the second time.
Is this really the Year of the Kicker?
Yes, maybe until next year. Through nine weeks, kickers have connected on 101 field goals from at least 50 yards, with a 72.1% success rate on 140 attempts. At this rate, the NFL’s record for most 50-yard field goals that was set last season (158) will be shattered. More accurate from longer distances. Simply put, kickers are getting better. Still.