Three Keys to a Chiefs Victory Over Atlanta
The Kansas City Chiefs return to Arrowhead Stadium for their final two games of the season and welcome the Atlanta Falcons for the first time since 2012 for their Week 16 contest.
The Falcons carry a 4-10 record with them but since starting the season 0-5 and firing head coach Dan Quinn, Atlanta has gone 4-5. With a win, Kansas City would clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Arrowhead Report's Jordan Foote joined me on a special Saturday edition of Roughing the Kicker to discuss and breakdown the Chiefs and Falcons' matchup and talk about some key matchups in the game.
Here are three things Kansas City needs to do to secure a victory and the No. 1 seed.
1. Score early, score often.
The Chiefs' biggest strength might be the Falcons' biggest weakness. The Chiefs passing attack could potentially shred this Atlanta secondary. On paper, the matchup doesn't look favorable for the visitors. The Falcons allow opposing quarterbacks to throw for an average of 287.7 yards per game and collect an average quarterback rating of 103.2. Patrick Mahomes is a bit above average.
2. Get takeaways.
What's better than giving Patrick Mahomes more chances to score? The Falcons have a solid passing attack but their inability to run the ball effectively makes them one-dimensional. The Chiefs secondary has played well this season only allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete only 61.1% of their passes. Kansas City is in the top five of opponent QBR, ranking fourth-lowest with an average rating of 84.3.
3. Don't turn the ball over.
We've seen it time and time again this year. The only way the Chiefs can lose is if they beat themselves and the other team plays nearly perfect football. Even though Kansas City turned the ball over four times against the Miami Dolphins, a playoff team, they were still able to pull out a victory. Keeping the ball secure while the Chiefs defense gets takeaways will only give Patrick Mahomes more opportunities for rest heading into the playoffs.
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