Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs Predictions
The Kansas City Chiefs host the Atlanta Falcons for the first time since 2012 for their Week 16 contest. A win in Sunday's matchup would clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the Chiefs. The Arrowhead Report crew previews the game and gives their predictions.
Joshua Brisco: This game went from meaningless to extremely meaningful when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, giving the Chiefs a chance to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the AFC with one more victory. A Chiefs win means a chance at two weeks off before taking the field in the divisional round of the playoffs. With a roster recently attacked by injuries, KC could use it.
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Falcons 24.
Tucker Franklin: The biggest question surrounding this game is "how much are the Chiefs going to win by?" While the Falcons might be better than their record shows, they have an inability to close out games late. It just so happens the Chiefs are pretty good in that department if it comes down to it. But it won't. Kansas City's passing attack will be too much for Atlanta to handle and Patrick Mahomes won't play the whole game.
For a more in-depth preview of the game, Arrowhead Report's Jordan Foote joined me on a special Saturday edition of Roughing the Kicker to break down the matchup. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.
Prediction: Chiefs 38, Falcons 21.
Jordan Foote: The Falcons have an offense capable of scoring points in bunches but without a reliable running game, along with being away from their dome, I don’t trust them to even come close to keeping up with the Chiefs. Atlanta’s defense is also liable to get shredded by Patrick Mahomes as he asserts himself as the MVP front-runner and the Chiefs capture the AFC’s No. 1 seed. This one won’t be close, folks.
Prediction: Chiefs 42, Falcons 24.
Conner Christopherson: It feels like the Chiefs will want to end their regular season with a bang against a middling Falcons team. After finishing a stretch of five games with four on the road, the Chiefs are returning to Kansas City, spending time with their families on Christmas, and playing at Arrowhead. It feels like this game might get ugly for the Falcons, and Mahomes will punctuate his MVP campaign with a statement game this Sunday.
Prediction: Chiefs 45, Falcons 20.
Sam Hays: I don't expect the Falcons to give that much of a threat to the Chiefs, but I think it'll be closer than we'd like to see and it will continue messing with Chiefs fans everywhere. The Falcons, I believe, could be better than their record and they have some talent on their team, but the Chiefs are simply the best team in the league and shouldn't fall to a team like this. Mahomes puts up three touchdowns, Kelce breaks multiple records and the Chiefs clinch home-field advantage en route to a potential third consecutive AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Prediction: Chiefs 38, Falcons 28.
Mark Van Sickle: The Chiefs have been winning a lot of close games lately. In fact, six consecutive games winning by six points or fewer is an NFL record. I don’t think the players care how much they win by, but fans sure do get anxious in the heat of the moment during a game. I think this is the week the Chiefs give their fans a chance to relax in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes will put on a show and Andy Reid will need to decide if this is the last game his starters play meaningful snaps in before the postseason.
Prediction: Chiefs 45, Falcons 24.
Taylor Witt: The Chiefs will lock up the AFC's number one seed and sole playoff bye with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Knowing that they might not get an opportunity in Week 17 to add to their prolific offensive numbers in 2020, I expect Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to punctuate their Pro Bowl campaigns with big numbers in Arrowhead.
Prediction: Chiefs 48, Falcons 16.
Joe Andrews: This feels like a trap game, but we’re talking about the Kansas City Chiefs here. They’ve strived on a bend-but-not-break strategy all season long, and it has seemed to work. So why would it be the Atlanta Falcons to break it? Lock up the bye so the starters can have a couple weeks off.
Prediction: Chiefs 42, Falcons 28.
Jacob Harris: Yawn.
Prediction: Chiefs 35, Falcons 21.
