October feels like a lifetime ago.
While that statement could be applied to life in general,it can certainly be applied to the NFL. Back in October, the Kansas City Chiefs were at the bottom of the AFC West. Sure, they were among a cluster of teams with either 4-2 or 3-3 records, but there were concerns about the Chiefs.
Many were on the defensive side of the football, as that unit looked like a true liability. But concerns over the defense bled into the offense, as Patrick Mahomes and company seemed to have a serious problem.
Two-deep safety coverages.
Teams were playing with two-deep safeties against them, whether Cover 2, Cover 4 (quarters) or Cover 6 (quarter-quarter-half) and forcing the Chiefs to either try and throw deep against those looks, settle for underneath options, or even run the football.
It was working.
Now, since then the Chiefs have started to figure out how to attack these defense. Part of the adjustment has come thanks to what the defense has figured out, as that unit has shored itself up. Mahomes feels he can settle for easier throws and checkdowns now and not turn every throw into a touchdown. Part of it was also the idea that Kansas City did not, as some argued, really have a problem.
However, down the stretch the Chiefs offense looked more like the unit we were expecting to see when the season began. That was true again on Sunday night, as Kansas City dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers by a final score of 42-21.
While the Chiefs got off to a slow start, and actually trailed early in the game, their offense got on a role and did not stop. After punting on three of their first five possessions, and turning the ball over on the other two, Kansas City scored a touchdown on their next six possessions to pull away.
Looking at their passing game, the Chiefs seemed to have an answer, particularly as they pulled away, for whatever the Steelers threw at them.
