The Atlanta Falcons to have found themselves in free fall again, losing three straight games ahead of this weekend’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. After winning the Super Bowl last season, the Chiefs look poised to do it again in 2020.
To help us preview Sunday’s game, we went behind enemy lines with Charles Goldman, the managing editor of Chiefs Wire.
Where have the Chiefs improved this season?
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I really feel like this is a better team than their Super Bowl-winning team and in all three phases, too. On offense, they returned a lot of guys but also added some pieces at running back. Patrick Mahomes is a year wiser and healthier which has made all the difference. The defense has another year in Steve Spagnuolo’s system and they’re getting tons of contributions from the 2020 rookie class. Then on special teams, I mean this group had three separate players earn Special Teams Player of the Week this season. That doesn’t even include Mecole Hardman, who had a punt return touchdown against the Dolphins in Week 14. Also, now that Andy Reid has a Super Bowl under his belt, I think he’s been a bit more unafraid as a play-caller and it shows on a weekly basis.
The Chiefs' offense gets a lot of credit, but is their defense overlooked?
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The defense definitely flies under the radar, but they’re entirely capable of taking over a game. This year the secondary has been lights out. Last week against the Saints, they held Drew Brees without a completion until nearly the middle of the second quarter. There’s a great blend of veteran leadership and young budding talent. They’re also incredibly deep too, especially at the cornerback position. They were without Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward early in the year and didn't miss a beat.
What makes Eric Bieniemy such an appealing coaching candidate?
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If culture is the problem, he’ll fix that right away. He’s a no-nonsense guy, but he’s also good at letting players’ personalities show. He’s also big on preparation, so if you’re a team that has been blown out, I don’t think that’ll happen under Bieniemy unless there is a serious talent deficiency. I also think people also don’t realize how much input he has over the offense in Kansas City. He’s very involved with the situational play-calling on game day and the play design and installation leading up to the game.
Where is Kansas City most vulnerable against Atlanta?
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The linebacker group comes to mind. They’re without the top two guys on the depth chart in Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson -- though Hitchens could still play even if he doesn’t practice all week. Ben Niemann will wear the green dot on defense if Hitchens can’t go. Falcons fans may remember the pick-six Niemann had against them in the preseason back in 2018. That might have been an aberration because he’s rarely made that type of impact over the past two years. He can definitely be exploited in coverage and he struggles with his run fits at times.
Any bold predictions for Sunday's game?
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
I’m not sure how bold this is, but I think the Chiefs are going to feed their play-makers in this game in a way that they really haven’t done all year. They’ve been content to spread the ball around and take what the defense gives them, but they’re playing to clinch the No. 1 seed this week. If that happens, guys like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill probably won’t be playing the following week. Kelce needs 60 yards to set the NFL record for receiving yards in a single season. Hill needs a touchdown catch to become the franchise leader in receiving touchdowns in a single season. I think that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will do everything they possibly can to ensure all of these things happen in Week 16.
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