Is it worth the risk? That five-word question will likely sit and fester at the back of every Chiefs fan’s mind as MVP Patrick Mahomes suits up against the Houston Texans just six days after suffering a high ankle sprain last Sunday.
The No. 1 seed, the historic chance at three straight Super Bowl titles and the entire 2024 campaign itself could all go up in flames if Mahomes re-injures his ankle in Week 16. At the same time, Mahomes is a uniquely elite quarterback in part due to his fearlessness, determination, and sheer passion.
And the Chiefs are where they are in part because they’ve put their trust and faith in Mahomes in countless different scenarios like this one. So, is starting Mahomes worth the risk? With all that in mind, there really only is one answer. We’ll get to that after going through some Game Day basics.
Texans at Chiefs: The Basics
- Who: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs.
- When: Saturday, December 21, Noon Central Time.
- Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
- TV and streaming: NBC; Peacock.
- Betting: Spread Chiefs -3.5, Moneyline Chiefs -180, Over/Under 41.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook).
What’s at Stake for the Chiefs
At this stage of the regular season, the Chiefs (13-1) are competing for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, which comes with a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage throughout the entire conference portion of the NFL postseason.
- With a victory and a Buffalo Bills (11-3) loss, Kansas City would clinch the No. 1 seed.
- On the flip side, if the Chiefs were to lose in Week 16, along with a Buffalo win, their lead atop the AFC would shrink to one game with just two weeks remaining. The Bills hold the ever-important head-to-head tiebreaker over KC.
What’s at Stake for the Texans
The Texans have already clinched the AFC South and a playoff berth. As of now, they’re likely only playing for seeding and the potential of home-field advantage over a fellow division winner if they were to advance to round two of the NFL playoffs.
- At 9-5, the No. 1 seed has fallen out of reach for Houston, so there is no scenario where a head-to-head victory over the Chiefs gives them value in a potential tiebreaker with KC.
- Having said that, the Texans could still overtake the eventual winner of the AFC North — which is currently the Pittsburgh Steelers at 10-4 — or the Bills over the final three weeks of the regular season, giving them something to play for in Kansas City.
Heavy on Chiefs Game Day Rant: Sitting Patrick Mahomes Is the Cautious Thing to Do. But Caution Didn’t Turn the Chiefs Into a Dynasty
My take — and the subject of today’s Heavy on Chiefs Game Day Rant: The Chiefs should start Patrick Mahomes.
Would it be smart to rest him? Probably. Would caution be the safer tactic in this instance? Undoubtedly, yes.
But it’s not in Mahomes’ nature to sit idly by when he knows that he is healthy enough to help his team try and clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC portion of the postseason, and it’s not in the Chiefs’ nature to doubt their superstar quarterback.
Remember, Kansas City has not become a dynasty by playing it safe. Fortune favors the bold, and the Chiefs have gotten bolder and bolder under the direction of head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach.
This regime drafted Mahomes — a collegiate gunslinger with elite traits and worrisome flaws — seemingly replacing a successful but limited Alex Smith, because they felt he was special. They traded star players like Tyreek Hill and L’Jarius Sneed when the rest of the football world questioned the potential fallout. And, more than any other organization, they have stressed the importance of putting their best possible roster on the field for every single NFL game.
Kansas City’s recent history is no accident or fluke. Their success has stemmed from decisions like these.
Since 2016, they’ve won three Lombardi trophies, four conference championships and nine straight AFC West divisions.
Yes, the Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West title again this year, but they have not clinched the No. 1 seed. With a difficult upcoming schedule on the road against the Steelers and Denver Broncos, you really can’t take anything for granted in this league.
And make no mistake, the first-round playoff bye and homefield advantage in a potential AFC championship game could be the difference between getting to and falling short of another Super Bowl appearance this winter.
Mahomes knows that. The Chiefs know that. And that’s why KC is throwing caution to the wind ahead of their final home game of the regular season.
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One Answer to the ‘Is It Worth the Risk?’ Question on Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes