Tonight's Monday Night Football meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might wind up way closer than most experts anticipated. Yet another outcome for the Chiefs will be seriously influenced by injury. Sorry if that sounds like a bummer, and I know it's a bit of a theme this year, but that's just how it goes in full-contact sports. The Bucs looked like a sneaky-good pick to end the Chiefs' winning streak after Tampa started off 4-2, but they lost their two best wide receivers to injuries in their Week 6 victory over the Saints.
Mike Evans is out for several more weeks, and Chris Godwin's season is over. Nobody else on the roster has averaged over 43 receiving yards per game while playing in more than one game this year. The Bucs lost their last two games without Godwin and Evans healthy, but it wasn't a lack of scoring holding them back. The Bucs scored 31 on Baltimore and still lost by 10. Last week, they put up 26 on the Falcons, but they allowed Kirk Cousins to throw for four touchdowns.
Despite Baker Mayfield's remarkable resurgence with Tampa, they enter this matchup with a 4-4 record and a nine-point Vegas handicap. That isn't just because Godwin and Evans have been gone for two weeks. Tampa ranks in the bottom five in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed and points allowed per game. They've scored 26 or more and still lost in three of their last four games. With all the Chiefs' injuries and subsequent struggles on offense in mind, this could be Kansas City's perfect opportunity to find their rhythm.
I expect Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the offense to take advantage of Tampa's flaws tonight. I'm predicting a Chiefs victory, but a nine-point spread seems like a lot. Baker really does deserve credit for the work he's putting in as a Buc this season and last. He has compiled the NFL's seventh-best Passer Rating and second-highest average for passing yards per game. That consistency on offense could keep this one close. I'm picking the Chiefs to surpass 30 points for the first time since November of last season and win this game 31-24.
