By LEÓN FELIPE GIRON
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs left behind an uncertain start to once again put on the superpower costume. Nothing like a trip to Josh Allen and the Bills‘ home to test your momentum.
Buffalo, which has four consecutive victories over Kansas City in the regular schedule, is ready for the challenge. Armed with a balanced attack, the second-best pass defense and a much more mature Allen, the Bills (5-2) are looking for their second win of the season against a team with a winning record, after defeat Carolina last week.
If Buffalo wants revenge their 32-29 defeat in the run-up to the Super Bowl last season, he must first find the form that got him there. After all, facing the Jets, Dolphins, Saints and Panthers is not the same as facing the defending champion of the American Conference.
With five wins in their last six games, Kansas City (5-3) seems to have regained its power. Mahomes is tied for the NFL lead with 17 touchdown passes, including at least three in his last three games. And their defense, the second-best in the entire NFL, is battle-tested.
Kansas City is increasingly looking like the team that has seven consecutive trips to the Conference Finals, four of them including a victory over Buffalo in the postseason.
But the Chiefs are not invincible. Last season, Mahomes and company traveled to the Bills’ home with a 9-0 record and returned home with a loss. The Bills have the elements to repeat the trick.
“It could be a really special (game),” said running back James Cook, who with his 753 yards has become the perfect complement to Allen in the absence of a true No. 1 receiver.
The Chiefs don’t seem to have those problems. On the contrary, Mahomes has at least three touchdown connections with four different receivers, including Rashee Rice who has just two starts after a suspension for disciplinary reasons.
There are inevitable things in this world: Death, taxes and Allen against Mahomes in a high-stakes duel.
COLTS (7-1) en PITTSBURGH (4-3)
The Steelers have $163 million this season — $27 million more than any other team — on their defensive unit, just for concede at least 31 points in more than half of their games this campaignincluding 68 in his last two games.
When it seemed that the situation could not get worse, the calendar had a surprise in store for them: the visit of the most dangerous offense in the NFL.
These are Colts that not only lead the league in points and yards, but also have the most effective attack of the century in terms of points per offensive series with 3.46, even above the legendary 2007 Patriots (3.37).
Indianapolis has taken the NFL by storm at the hands of a Daniel Jones in full resurgence and a Jonathan Taylor which leads the NFL in scoring, total yards, rushing yards and four games with at least 100 yards on the ground, and three with at least three scores.
With four consecutive wins, in which they have averaged 36.7 points, the Colts are a formidable rival for anyone, let alone a defense that has accumulated three games without generating a steal and allows 273.3 passing yards per game, the worst record in the NFL.
If the Steelers are unable to correct their defensive deficiencies in time, their only hope is to depend on the arm of Aaron Rodgers who, at 41, has shown that he retains some magic with 16 touchdown passes. But thinking he can keep up with the Colts might be too much to ask.
CALENDAR
The midpoint of the regular schedule begins on Thursday with the visit of the Ravens (2-5) to Miami (2-6). Baltimore recupera al quarterback Lamar Jackson after a three-game absence in which the team went 1-2. Miami allows 30.6 points per game in its six losses this season and just 15.5 in its two wins.
The action continues on Sunday with the following games: Bears (4-3) at Cincinnati (3-5); Vikings (3-4) at Detroit (5-2); Panthers (4-4) at Green Bay (5-1-1); Broncos (6-2) at Houston (3-4); Falcons (3-4) at N. England (6-2); 49ers (5-3) at NY Giants (2-6); Colts (7-1) at Pittsburgh (4-3); Chargers (5-3) at Tennessee (1-7); Saints (1-7) at LA Rams (5-2); Jaguars (4-3) at Las Vegas (2-5); Chiefs (5-3) at Buffalo (5-2); and Seahawks (5-2) at Washington (3-5).
This round concludes Monday night when the Cardinals (2-5) travel to Dallas (3-4-1). Arizona has five consecutive losses, all of them by four points or less. The Cowboys defense is the second worst in the entire NFL and has conceded at least 30 points in five of eight games this season, including two performances of 40 or more points.
Browns (2-6), Jets (1-7), Eagles (6-2) and Buccaneers (6-2) have a bye week.
