The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off of an impressive win last Sunday against its division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. This week the Chiefs are faced with a familiar foe as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town for Monday Night Football. The Chiefs have the chance to improve on a 14 game win streak dating back to its 2023 Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Chiefs have been regarded as one of the best defenses in the NFL this season, ranking top five in both opponents yards allowed per game with 295 and opponent points scored per game with 17. The one weak spot on the defense has been the 212.7 passing yards allowed per game, which puts them in the bottom half of the NFL. 

Some might think this is a major worry for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the crew due to the Buccaneers boasting an electric passing offense. They lead the league in passing touchdowns per game and are the runner ups in passing yards per game. However in its Week 6 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the team lost its top two receiving options to injury. A second quarter hamstring injury took out Mike Evans, while Chris Godwin dislocated his left ankle in the fourth. Evans and Godwin combined for 911 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. 

The Buccaneers will most likely turn to Cade Otton, Bucky Irving and Rachaad White as weapons for quarterback Baker Mayfield. The previous week against the Atlanta Falcons, Otton, Irving and White accounted for 65% of the offensive yards as well as all three touchdowns.

Otton could be primed for a big game, as the Chiefs have struggled to guard tight ends this season, allowing three to go for over 90 yards. It’s fair to expect Irving and White to be taken out of the equation, as the chiefs have only allowed more than 30 receiving yards to a running back once this season. Overall, the Chiefs lockdown defense is a less than ideal matchup for the injury-filled Buccaneers offense. 

Flipping to the offense, this needs to be a bounce back game for two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes. He is in the midst of, undeniably, his worst statistical season yet, only throwing eight passing touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. If the pace keeps up, it would be his first season with a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio, along with a career low in touchdowns, passing yards and nearly a career low in yards-per-attempt. 

Mahomes will have a chance to begin a turnaround for his poor statistical season against a Buccaneers secondary who have struggled defending the pass. They’ve allowed 3.3 passing touchdowns per game in its last three outings, the most in the NFL. With a bruting Buccaneers front seven, the Chiefs may have no choice but to return to its old ways – through the air. 

A vintage Mahomes performance would surely change the narrative on his performance level this season. But so far, the Chiefs have flipped the script and proven that it’s not necessary for Mahomes to dominate statistically for team success. 

The high stakes contest will kick off at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4. 

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com 

Copyedited by Alana Sheba and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com