Well, who wants to hear a ghastly, unpopular opinion?
Trap game.
The Bucs defense is still very good, and while they are missing two fantastic receivers, Baker is playing at an MVP level right now.
I don't think Kareem is going to do much of anything on the ground. Vita Vea is a Hall of Fame caliber run stuffer, and Kareem has slowed down each of the following weeks. The Chiefs have to rotate RBs this week, or they're going to face the consequences of Kareem collapsing before Pacheco can return. Because I'm envisioning Kareem running the ball like 14 times for 20 yards.
As a result, Mahomes is going to have to air it out to win this game. I think his odds of doing that are better -- I like the Bucs interior passrush more than their outside rush, and our interior line is where KC is strongest. But the Bucs still field a really talented back seven, that's also extremely intelligent. Lavonte Davis has the ability to man up Kelce, and the Winfield/Whitehead reunion has again given the Bucs one of the best safety tandems in the league.
On the other side of the ball, I think it's doubtful that White/Irving/Tucker can get much going on the ground, but they don't need to. They only need to get a little going on the ground, to give Baker some breathing room. The Bucs' second-string receiving corps is underrated, however, and they'll give the Chiefs' depleted CB room some issues occasionally.
Get ready to see Josh Williams on the screen a ton. If he plays well, the Bucs are going to have a lot of problems scoring. If he doesn't, well...
Mayfield is well protected on the edges, so can Jones/Wharton disturb the pocket a ton from the interior? The Bucs have a good interior, but I'd bet on Jones/Wharton.
There's a lot of factors going into this being the best chance of an upset we've had in a while: the Chiefs will have no running game, their passing game will be contained by an intelligent/talented Todd Bowles back seven, Baker is arguably a Top 4 QB right now, and the Bucs are an NFC team that the Chiefs don't really care about with the Broncos coming up on a short week. I think this game will come down to turnovers, and Mahomes is giving the ball away a lot right now. Baker, not so much.
It's MNF, and the Chiefs should win this one? But it has the feel of an upset to me. All the things you need for an upset are there, and if it happens, it'll be some ugly one at like 16-13, something like that.
|