The Chiefs started the season as the hottest team in football at 5-0, but the Chiefs have lost five of their last six and they have a tenuous one-game lead in the AFC West.
"It hasn't been one thing," Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest said on The Official Jets Podcast Game Preview. "It's been kind of a cavalcade of disaster here. Early on it was the defense that couldn't stop anybody. Their overall numbers for the season are still 28th and 29th against the pass and the run. That's what really got them in trouble early there.
"Now it's the offense that looks absolutely lost and once again, I don't think you point to any one thing," he added. "Alex Smith is playing poorly, the offensive line is playing poorly and they can't get a run game going. It's just a mess right now."
The Chiefs' primary playmakers on offense are the NFL's second-leading rusher Kareem Hunt, speedy receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Hunt, a rookie out of Toledo, eclipsed 100 yards on the ground in four of five games to kick off his career. Since, he hasn't rushed for more than 88 yards. Hill is a burner that can take the top off a defense as the second-year player has three scores of at least 56 yards this season. Kelce is a dynamic tight end who provides a security blanket for Smith as he ranks 10th in the NFL with 777 yards and No. 8 in first down receptions with 42.
Defensively, the Chiefs are led by OLB Justin Houston and CB Marcus Peters. In his seventh season, Houston paces the team with 8.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 17 QB hits. Peters is one of the premiere corners in the league and leads the Kansas City defense with three interceptions. The talented corner might may or may not see a lot of Jets WR Robby Anderson because Peters predominantly plays one side of the field.
"Marcus Peters has been locked there at left corner, he's never moved or traveled," Derrick said. "Generally, what defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has done in Kansas City the last five seasons has been to lock down those corners and then move the slot corner to wherever he needs to."
Offensive Matchup to Watch: Jets WRs vs. Darrelle Revis
All eyes will be on Darrelle Revis as he makes his 2017 season debut against his former team in a stadium he used to call home. It'll be interesting to see what kind of shape Revis is in and how Sutton deploys the seven-time Pro Bowler. Revis might line up against his former teammate in Anderson, who's been on a recent tear as he's scored in each of the last five games.
Defensive Matchup to Watch: Jets LBs/DBs vs. TE Travis Kelce
Last season, Kelce reeled in six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown against the Jets at Arrowhead Stadium. While this team is much different than last year's, Kelce still remains Smith's top option as he leads the team with 62 receptions 777 yards and five touchdowns.
