This week the game status 8-3 Kansas City Chiefs face the Atlanta Falcons, the NFC top team in the South. While there is more than one way to skin a goat, these are the three things that are requisite for the Chiefs to walk away victor 9-3, further solidifying their chances at post season game play.
1. Justin Houston, Eric Berry, Marcus Peters
With three sacks, last week, Houston looked absolutely wanting to dominate the right side of the Denver Broncos offensive siege line. More of the same will be required this week as Matt Ryan is playing at an MVP level. Disrupting each passing attack will be a huge game changer.
For those who also enjoyed the rumble last Sunday Night, it seemed like Eric Berry channeled his inner Brian Dawkins laying players out left and right. His ability to tackle strategy in the open field and disrupt the short passing game will be huge, specifically against players like Taylor Gabriel who are excellent after the catch. Limiting the catch opportunities passes on from Gabriel, Freeman, and Coleman must the be top priority for this offense. As for Marcus Peters.
2. TNT (Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill Combo)
The dynamite package that is Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. If you want to produce on good offense, get these guys the football. Hill is coming off devastating career performance, and his impact is no surprise to Chiefs Kingdom as he seems to show per game that he possesses an elite skill set. Kelce on the other hand, will be a big target on 3rd downs, where Kansas City has struggled as of late. increasing possessions and scoring points is more important now than ever, as the Atlanta offense is liable to put up 35 points to win the game.
3. Control The Tempo
Good teams find ways to run the football. When you need to keep the lead, and run the clock, the game must find its success. Spencer Ware is coming off three games of 60 yards or more on an average of 15 carries per game. He will be required to outperformed this game to close the difference between 9-3 or 8-4. On the other side of the coin, the Falcons have an excellent running duo in Freeman and Coleman. Stopping the run early can lead to Atlanta ceasing the rushing attack, allowing Houston and company to pin their targets and get at the quarterback.
This is a must-win game for Kansas City if they want to appraise where they stand with other playoff challengers and make their claim for the wild card spot. Miami is charging hard and Denver isn't entirely out of the picture.
