Panthers Pose No Challenge to Chiefs' Playoffs Pole Position

The 9-1 Kansas City Chiefs still hold pole position for the #1 seed in the AFC, but the legs of Josh Allen dashed KC's hopes for an undefeated season last week. In Orchard Park, the Chiefs suffered defeat for the first time since last Christmas. This week, they're back to the noon slate for a road game with the 3-7 Carolina Panthers. This version of the Panthers, like most versions of the Panthers over the last decade, seems hopeless. In their last six seasons, the Panthers have employed seven head coaches and finished last in their division four times. Nothing about this year's stats indicates a positive change coming soon.

Their 3-7 record is actually far better than the numbers would have us think. After beating the Raiders for their first win in Week 3, the Panthers lost five straight games, all by multiple possessions. Then they beat the 4-7 Saints by one and the 2-8 Giants in overtime. For the sake of reference, the 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars are objectively awful this season, and their point differential of -108 is the second-worst in the league. Carolina is currently at -143.

I've heard a lot about Patrick Mahomes' Passer Rating looking relatively ugly this season, but Bryce Young's Rating ranks 35th in the league. That means he's playing worse than both the backups who played for Miami when Tua was hurt, both the QBs who have started for Tennessee and Cooper Rush. Carolina's defense is allowing the most points per game of any team in the NFL. This is in large part to them allowing the most rushing yards per game in the NFL. The only category in which Kansas City matches the Panthers' subpar status is the turnover differential; the Panthers and Chiefs are tied for ninth-worst in the NFL with a -5.

So, what kind of positive takeaways can I mention about this current version of the Panthers? Well, Chuba Hubbard has rushed for over 90 yards in five games this season. That's nice, right? It's nicer than anything I can think to say about their other skill players on offense. Five different Panthers have had the highest receiving yards total in a game this season. Not on that list is Xavier Legette, their latest first-round draft pick.

The Chiefs are not perfect this season, and their record finally reflects that in earnest. That does not mean they're susceptible to losing games to teams like the Panthers. KC has an interior offensive line so great that Pro Football Focus names the Chiefs' offensive line as the second-best in the league despite Kansas City's significant struggles at the left tackle position. Carolina's aforementioned inability to stop the rush will doom them against the Chiefs and any other competent teams they play this year. I'm predicting a 27-17 victory for Kansas City.