The Narrative

The playoff field is set. Can the Chiefs finish the story in the postseason?

For many fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2023-24 season has been rougher than expected. Sure, the team has spoiled this fanbase since Patrick Mahomes took over at quarterback, hosting five straight AFC Championship games, appearing in three Super Bowls, and winning it all twice. But with great success comes great expectations, and for the first time since Mahomes took over the team looks like it’s standing on shaky ground heading into the playoffs.

This is the lowest seed that the Chiefs have entered the postseason as, and it comes in a year where their typically-potent offense has performed below expectations. The team has had to lean heavily on their defense for the first time with Mahomes, and they can’t count on their pass catchers for the first time in a long time. Everything on the offensive side of the ball seems a bit off-kilter, and that has left many Chiefs fans — and national media members — already forseeing an early exit for this team. And yes, even someone as optimistic as I typically am about this team can admit that there are a few more cracks in the facade after their regular season performances.

But there’s a bit too much writing off of this team, in my opinion. There are far too many people that are ready to bury Andy Reid’s team and try to move on to the next big thing. The narrative has already been set in motion for most: an underachiever that can’t hold court in a tough conference. That’s massively premature for a team holding down the 3 seed in a conference that — outside of the Baltimore Ravens — doesn’t have a team that seems to be able to string together multiple quality performances.