The start to the 2011 NFL season may have been a disaster for the Kansas City Chiefs, but if the team can take advantage of their next four games they could find themselves right back in the race for the AFC West Championship.
After an 0-3 start that saw heavy criticism heaped upon head coach Todd Haley and GM Scott Pioli, the Chiefs rallied for two straight victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts. Now, standing at 2-3, the team will come out of their bye week with renewed hope and a favorable schedule.
The Chiefs will kick off the rest of their 2011 campaign next week with a tough road contest against the Oakland Raiders. This will be an excellent test for KC as the team’s only two wins this season came against the then winless Vikings and Colts. If the Chiefs can go into the “Black Hole” and emerge with a victory, they will pull their record even at 3-3, while also defeating a Raiders team that swept them in 2010.
Taking care of business against Oakland should give the Chiefs plenty of momentum heading into their next contest against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have already beat the Chiefs once this year and KC can’t afford to lose to the current division leader twice. The Chiefs performed better than expected in their first meeting with the Chargers a few weeks ago, falling to their rivals by only three points in San Diego. This contest, however, will be at Arrowhead Stadium. If the home crowd can help power the Chiefs to an upset victory, the Kansas City will move to 4-3 and will have earned a series split with the Chargers.
Dispatching of the Chargers would put the Chiefs on a four-game winning streak when the struggling Miami Dolphins come to town. By then, the team’s early season woes should be forgotten. As bad as the Chiefs have looked at time, the Dolphins have looked worse. Between an unsettled QB situation and a head coach that could be on his way out, the Dolphins could be perfect prey for Todd Haley’s squad. The Chiefs should be favored and a win would put them at 5-3.
Should all go as planned, the Chiefs have a chance to make it six in a row when Time Tebow and the Denver Broncos come to town. Divisional games are always tough but the Broncos appear to be in full rebuild mode and the Chiefs should be able to deal with them at Arrowhead. This game would be the perfect opportunity for the Chiefs to put the rest of the NFL on notice that their slow start is a thing of the past. A win would cap off an incredible five-game winning steak move the Chiefs to 6-3.
It may be tough for the Chiefs to win all of these contests. The first two games vs. the Raiders and Chargers could prove to be particularly difficult. Still, the Chiefs have to take advantage of this favorable stretch because after the Miami game, their schedule get’s absolutely brutal with contests against the Patriots, Jets, Bears and Packers remaining.
Some early season injuries and a schedule for of marquee opponents have put the Chiefs in a tough spot. The team’s next four games, however, offer them an opportunity to make a run and keep the season interesting for their fans.
And after the way the team began the year, that is pretty much all Chiefs Nation can ask for.