The Kansas City Chiefs are going into the playoffs as a Wild Card no matter what, which means they can rest some starters in their upcoming game. But have they turned things around so drastically (nine or ten more wins than last season) because they’re a much better team or simply got lucky enough to play a very easy schedule?
The last few weeks without Justin Houston have proven this team might be quite struggling without its best player, but what team wouldn’t be? There’s the argument of the Chiefs playing a lot of backup quarterbacks early this season, which is true, but why should they feel sorry about it? Luck is part of the equation, and staying healthy is as well.
The strength of victory posted by the Chiefs at the moment, .339, is the second worst SOV for a playoff team over the last 10 years. The only team that got in with a worse collection of wins are the 2011 Cincinnati Bengals, who lost 31-10 in the postseason opener to the Houston Texans. What does that say about these Chiefs?
We take you back to the 2003 season, as the Chiefs also got into the playoffs (13-3 record) after enjoying a comfortable schedule. This led to a bye week and then hosting Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead in the no-punt game, which the Colts won 38-31.
So what does this mean about the Chiefs? Not a lot. They’re probably not favorites to win anything, especially after we’ve seen them disappoint against the Denver Broncos (twice), lose to the Chargers and the Colts. However, statistics don’t always tell the whole story, as it was once said: Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.
The Denver Broncos, apart from their wins over the Chiefs, don’t have too many big wins as well. Over the Ravens when the season started, over the Eagles and the Cowboys later on. Still, those aren’t Super Bowl destined teams. A lot of the playoff success depends on momentum and matchup, which often seem to ignore everything the numbers suggest.