The Chiefs’ embarrassment of the Raiders was complete and total on Sunday afternoon.
Pick a stat. Kansas City outgained Las Vegas 436 to 93. The Chiefs had 30 first downs, holding the Raiders to three—the lowest total any team in the league has had since 2008. They had seven pass catchers total at least 28 yards, while rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes also threw for 286 yards on 8.2 yards per attempt with three touchdowns. Rashee Rice caught two touchdowns in his return from a six-game suspension, while Travis Kelce had another quality game with 54 yards.
Oh, and Kansas City pulled almost all its starters in the third quarter. And began kneeling on the ball even before the two-minute warning.
At 4–3, the Chiefs are still not in the AFC playoff picture at the completion of their game. They remain on the outside looking in. And yet, it’s clear they’re once again the team to beat in the AFC as they attempt to reach their sixth Super Bowl in seven years.
While the defense is playing very well, as evidenced by holding the Ravens and Lions under 20 points over the past month before shutting out the Raiders, the offense is the major storyline. Over the past two years, the Chiefs have won a Super Bowl and reached another, primarily because of the occasional Mahomes magic and an inspired defense.
This season, the offense is more than doing its part. Over the past four games, the Chiefs have averaged 411.7 yards and 31.5 points per game. Entering Week 7, the Cowboys led the league with 387.5 yards per game, while only the Colts and Lions would be outscoring them on a per-game basis.
The biggest difference has been the offensive line, anchored by All-Pro center Creed Humphrey and Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith. A year ago, the Chiefs played four starters at left tackle. This season, the duo of first-round pick Josh Simmons and free-agent signing Jaylon Moore has been terrific. The same is true of second-year guard Kingsley Suamataia, who replaced another All-Pro in Joe Thuney and surrendered a single pressure over the past three weeks.
It all adds up to an offense that, after allowing sacks on 6.5% of dropbacks and 41 sacks in 2024, is at 4.5% (entering Week 7) and 11 sacks through seven games.
As a result, Mahomes is on an MVP trajectory, something he’s favored to earn by the Vegas oddsmakers. So far, the three-time champion has thrown for 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. He’s on pace for 4,371 yards and 34 touchdown passes, and those numbers have been increasing by the week.
Looking around the AFC, the question is who can score 30 points against Steve Spagnuolo’s defense come January, or shut down Kansas City’s offensive attack?
The Bills are the obvious pick, but Buffalo has issues. The Bills have lost four playoff games over the past five years to Mahomes and the Chiefs, surrendering 34.7 points per contest. Buffalo is also struggling defensively, ranking 25th in yards per play against (5.7), 32nd in yards per rush (5.8) and 21st on third down (40.8%) going into Sunday.
In the division, the Chargers and Broncos are both intriguing. Denver has the league’s top defense with 30 sacks, a 27.2% third-down conversion rate and a 28.6% red zone number. But can Bo Nix beat Mahomes and Spagnuolo when everything is on the line? Unknown.
Then there’s the Colts, who are 5–1 and getting a league-best performance from Jonathan Taylor, who is pacing the NFL with 603 rushing yards and seven touchdowns entering his Week 7 game. But can Daniel Jones and an unheralded defense do it against the Chiefs? Again, unknown.
What is known? The Chiefs have won four of their past five, Mahomes is playing MVP-level football and the defense is coming off a game in which Las Vegas mustered only 95 yards and three first downs, giving Andy Reid his first shutout win as a head coach in 27 seasons.
Kansas City embarrassed the Raiders on Sunday. If the Chiefs continue ascending, the AFC at large might be next.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why the Rest of the AFC Should Fear the Ascending Chiefs.