Before the NFL Divisional Round kicked off, I gave a shot at naming some unsung heroes to look out for during the playoff festivities. For the AFC-hosting Kansas City Chiefs, I named George Karlaftis. He’s played well this January, including a sack of Joe Burrow, but I was wrong.
The unsung hero of the Chiefs’ playoff run has been their entire rookie class.
How good is Kansas City’s 2022 draft class?
People often speak out against paying big name quarterbacks in favor of rookie quarterbacks positioned to make significantly less money and, thus, opening up space for elite mercenaries. The Chiefs did it with Patrick Mahomes a few years ago. The Seahawks won one with a young Russell Wilson. When Sean McVay reached his first Super Bowl as a head coach with Jared Goff, NFL circles came to the same conclusion. Winning is easier with a good quarterback with no monetary burden.
Make no mistake. The easiest way to win a Super Bowl is with an elite quarterback making no money. The second easiest is with an elite quarterback making a boatload of money.
This Sunday, we’ll get to see Kansas City’s big-money quarterback face off against Jalen Hurts and an incredibly talented Philadelphia Eagles roster; only possible thanks to Hurts’ rookie contract. It will be a clash of talent and philosophy, but it may be roster construction that settles Super Bowl LVII.
Kansas City’s success is Mahomes’ success through and through. However, you don’t get to the Super Bowl with a contract like his without finding surplus value elsewhere. Every dollar spent on Mahomes is a dollar that isn’t spent on a high-profile pass rusher, a shutdown corner, or Tyreek Hill.
These guys aren’t necessarily stars. They may not all return next year! But for now, they are fueling a Super Bowl run, integral cogs to the Chiefs machine, no matter how nameless.
Currently, Kansas City is a 1.5-point underdog to Philadelphia. At virtually any book, you can find -110 odds on them to cover that spread. With that, a $110 bet could win $100. Caesars and BetMGM are both offering +105 odds on the Chiefs to simply win. If you’d prefer to bypass the spread, you can take the slightly more lucrative odds after using this promotion for Bet Basics readers: UP TO $1,500 IN BONUS BETS.
On offense, they’ll be aided by running back Isiah Pachecho. The former Rutgers standout ranks in the top half of starting running backs with his 3.13 Yards After Contact/Attempt. His hard running style and impressive explosiveness has propelled him to the front of a running back room he barely made this summer. Kansas City may not run the ball much, but being able to punish tacklers and take advantage of missed fits could loom large.
Skyy Moore started slow, but he’s making an impact, too. His punt return late in the AFC Conference Round had the 12th highest Win Percentage Added of any punt return this year. Special teams can win (read: lose) games. Moore may play a much bigger role than his receiving stats suggest.
Defensively, the aforementioned Karflaftis has been a late-season boon to Kansas City’s pass rush. Much of the pass defense, though, can thank rookies for their recent contributions. The three corners with the most snaps two Sundays ago, Jaylen Watson, Trent McDuffie, and Joshua Williams, are all rookies. Only McDuffie (first round) was taken within the draft’s first two days. Each performed admirably in the win, with Williams and Watson both recording interceptions. They’ll be tasked with stopping an equally talented Eagles receiving corps that has shredded man coverage all year long.
Behind them will be Bryan Cook, the second-round rookie that is one of the best third safeties in the league. Juan Thornhill and Justin Reid have performed well in their starting roles, but Cook’s strong tackling allows them to patrol over top when they opt for lighter looks. Watch for him to key in on Hurts when he escapes the pocket on Sunday.
If the Chiefs are going to win, they’ll be led by their stars. Against a team as complete as Philadelphia, though, it’ll take a team-wide effort to take home a Lombardi Trophy. That includes the neophytes that were so pivotal earlier in this playoff run.
BASIC TIPS
This article refers to a moneyline bet and an against the spread (ATS) bet. Moneylines are simply the odds on a particular team to win, like Kansas City at +105. This line would indicate that they are an underdog, but not by much. That is backed up by the spread, which is only 1.5 points. In order to cover, Kansas City must either lose by one or win it all.