KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – The Kansas City Chiefs don’t resemble a formidable football team with three games remaining in the regular season. However, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes insists there is still time to get into top form.
Kansas City (9-5) is just one victory away from clinching its eighth straight AFC West title as it enters a Monday contest against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs can also clinch if they tie the Raiders and the Denver Broncos lose to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Chiefs have lacked the consistency this season of some of their recent Mahomes-led squads, but the man who makes the offense go believes that can be turned around.
“You always want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs,” Mahomes said. “Let’s put that complete game together. I think if we can do that and start getting better and better these last few games, we can get to the playoffs and be playing our best football.
“Then I think the AFC is wide open and we’ll be able to go out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl.”
Kansas City enters the weekend with the third-best record in the AFC behind the Baltimore Ravens (11-3) and the Miami Dolphins (10-4), so there is plenty of work to do in terms of home field advantage.
Standing in their way is a Las Vegas squad that set a franchise record for points with a 63-21 steamrolling of the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14.
“We know it won’t be easy,” Mahomes said. “The Raiders are playing good football and they definitely want to beat us. And so we have to come in with the mentality that we’re gonna play our best game and have our best week of practice in order to go out there and win that game.”
Kansas City posted a 31-17 road win over the Raiders on Nov. 26 for their 18th victory in the past 21 meetings. Mahomes passed for 298 yards and two touchdowns.
But Las Vegas is well-rested and should be full of confidence after the wipeout of the Chargers.
Raiders cornerback Jack Jones went the bravado route while expressing that the Kansas City receivers are not a concern.
“We’re not worried about them,” Jones said. “It’s Patrick Mahomes we’ve got to stop. You stop the magician, then the act is over.”