The Mahomes Era Begins Kinda!

This afternoon's Week 17 game at Arrowhead will matter, even if it doesn't affect this year's playoff seeding. Many younger Chiefs will get more snaps than ever before, and one NFL record is still attainable. Of course, the #1 reason to enjoy this week of football is very, very clear...

1. The Patrick Mahomes II Era kinda-sorta begins today! KC waited over 30 years to draft a franchise QB in the 1st round, and today we get a tease of Chiefs football with Pat leading the offense. Despite Denver's disdain for KC, and their legit defense, they know they have nothing to play for. The Broncos don't even get a chance to play spoiler this time. I don't see Denver playing with a lot of spirit in frigid conditions during a meaningless road game. The wind chill should reach -10 degrees by halftime, so motivation could be a hard thing to find on the Denver sideline this afternoon.

Also, a game without a turnover would give KC an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season. This gives Mahomes another reason to stay mostly conservative today. Young, part-time contributors like Demarcus Robinson will get a chance to shine today as he starts alongside Mahomes. Robinson's growth in the coming seasons means a lot to KC's offense, so the chemistry between Pat and Demarcus is something to watch closely this afternoon. I predict a safe, but solid effort from KC's future QB, with at least one of those impressive "no-look" throws and at least one bomb of over 55 yards - perhaps to Robinson.

2. Chiefs Kingdom will also be keyed in on multiple other games that will decide who comes to KC in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. By playoff seeding standards, today's concerns for Chiefs fans are relatively simple to understand; the Ravens can beat the Cincinnati Bengals today to secure their playoff seeding and punch their tickets to Kansas City. If they don't, Tennessee can earn this spot by beating the Jaguars. If both these teams lose, Buffalo can earn this spot if they beat the Dolphins. Since Baltimore looks solid over their last several weeks of play, and because the Bengals simply stink this year, the excitement of seeing who KC will face in the playoffs may be short-lived today. I predict that the Ravens take care of biz and I start Googling embarrassing photos of Joey Flacco shortly thereafter.

3. Tanoh Kpassagnon will also get a chance to play the biggest role in any game of his young career so far. This 6'7" 2nd-round draft pick has oodles of raw talent and a highlight reel that makes me grin ear-to-ear every time I watch it. Pressuring the QB is key to a modern NFL defense, an K-Pass is our hope for a great edge-rusher for years to come. The importance of his impact on this game will be greatly understated because of Mahomes' first start, but a strong performance from Tanoh today should make the Kingdom thrilled to see more of him in the future. I predict two QB pressures from Kpassagnon today, as the Chiefs beat a disheartened Denver squad 27-17.

Doug LaCerte still has a Facebook page and occasionally tweets @DLaC67.