KC Chiefs Ready for Disrespected Villain Role in Divisional Round
The Kansas City Chiefs are entering unfamiliar territory. They will be on the road in the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, they are underdogs for the first time this season with Mahomes starting at quarterback and it seems a majority of fan bases around America are cheering for their demise. Is this what it’s like to be in their villain era?
Of all the teams left in the postseason, the Chiefs have had the most recent success. That will grind the gears of other teams and their fans longing for similar success. One player from the team they just beat, the Miami Dolphins, posted on Instagram that he “prays for the Chiefs’ downfall.” DeShon Elliott said, “I hope Buffalo beats them like they stole something.” Praying for that downfall is odd behavior, but even more strange, he claims to be rooting for a division rival. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Chiefs player saying they would be rooting for the Broncos, Raiders or Chargers against an opponent in the playoffs. For one, those teams have not been in the playoffs very often in recent memory. Secondly, showing allegiance to a team in your own division gives credence to the Chiefs currently being one of the most hated teams in the league.
Don’t bother reading Facebook comments or replies under various articles regarding the Chiefs. Fan bases around the country think referees are in the pocket of the Chiefs and the NFL is rigging games in Kansas City’s favor. Yeah, it’s been wild out there this season. When you become the best team in the league with the best quarterback and head coach in the league, this is what happens. Ask the New England Patriots what other fans have thought of them during that string of dominance with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Enjoy being the villain while it lasts, Chiefs Kingdom. It just means other teams and fans wish they had what you do.
As for the game this weekend, the Chiefs are traveling to Orchard Park to take on the Buffalo Bills for what will be their third playoff meeting in the last four years. The Chiefs are 2-0 in those first two meetings, but this one will be different. One Bills player suggested the Chiefs, specifically Mahomes, aren’t going to know what hit them when they step on the field in front of Bills Mafia.
National media has also been disrespecting Mahomes. Jason McIntyre of FOX Sports claims he “wouldn’t be shocked if the Chiefs got blown out” and ranked Mahomes as the seventh-best quarterback remaining in the playoffs, only ahead of Baker Mayfield. Dan Orlavsky of ESPN claims Mahomes is the third-scariest quarterback left in the playoffs behind Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy from FOX Sports claim the Bills have the quarterback advantage in this Divisional Round game. Peter Schrager of NFL Network was the only one on his show to pick the Chiefs to beat the Bills this weekend. The list can go on and on, but it’s obvious the Chiefs are being disrespected despite being the reigning champions and having the most experienced head coach and quarterback left.
The Chiefs had a chip on their shoulder before the season started in 2022 and used that to fuel their run to another Super Bowl title. Could the doubters and haters once again fuel another Super Bowl run for the Chiefs? It's possible, but that isn’t the only reason to believe in the Chiefs, especially this Sunday.
The Chiefs lost to the Bills in the regular season, but they were missing two key pieces on that Sunday: running back Isiah Pacheco and linebacker Drue Tranquill. Pacheco is the type of running back you love to have on your team in January: a hard runner who is tough to bring down, even more so in cold weather. He helped control the game in a win over the Dolphins last week and should be able to do more of the same again against the Bills in Buffalo.
Tranquill will be tasked with limiting Bills running back James Cook, who torched the Chiefs in the regular-season meeting. If you’re expecting another big game out of Cook, those expectations might be squashed by Tranquill. Not only are these two players going to be major factors in the outcome of the game, but the Bills have several players who have already been ruled out and others who will be game-time decisions. The Chiefs are healthier, which could help them advance to another AFC Championship Game.
Despite the rough regular season record against the Bills, the Chiefs' postseason success can’t be denied. Mahomes and company always seem to step up when it matters most and with the best defense of the Mahomes era, it seems like they are building toward something big yet again. It’s ok to embrace being the hated team, it means they’re doing something right on the field.
