The Chiefs need a reset, and the Jets are the kind of opponent that can hand them one if Kansas City plays it right.
After opening 5-0 and looking every bit like one of the league’s best teams, the Chiefs have hit a rough patch with back-to-back ugly losses to the Broncos and the Seahawks. That slide has knocked Kansas City off the top of the AFC, pushed it behind the leader in the AFC West, and left the team trying to protect its place in the playoff race.
Now comes a Jets team that has lost three straight and likely figures to be active at the deadline. For the Chiefs, this is the sort of game that has to get them moving in the right direction again. The path is pretty clear.
The first place Kansas City should attack is Brandon Stephens. The Jets’ secondary has been a problem for a while, and Stephens is the veteran of the group, serving as the top outside corner.
But the film has not been kind to him. On the opposite side, Azareye’h Thomas has played well over the last few weeks, which makes Stephens the more appealing target for Kansas City.
With the Chiefs’ wide receiver room struggling this season, finding favorable matchups matters, and Stephens looks like the one they should keep hunting.
Kansas City also can’t let itself drift away from the run. Kenneth Walker started the season on fire and looked like one of the best backs in football early on, but over the last two games he has managed just 105 yards on 35 carries.
Rookie Emmett Johnson has been effective, especially as a receiver, but he hasn’t gotten many chances as a runner. The Chiefs need their ground game working again, and with Kingsley Suamataia likely back in the lineup, there’s a chance to get it going.
On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs should force Geno Smith to carry the load. The Jets have used their fourth Week 1 starter in four years, and Smith’s 2026 season has been uneven.
New York is averaging 21 points per game, and the offense has tended to stall late when Smith has to drop back and throw. Kansas City’s pass rush has not been a strength this season, but the secondary has looked solid, and that should give the Chiefs the confidence to crowd the box and make Smith beat them through the air.
The last piece is discipline. Penalties burned Kansas City in Denver, and that kind of self-inflicted damage can’t happen again against a Jets offense that has struggled all season.
The Chiefs can’t give New York free chances, especially on defense, where flags can turn a manageable situation into a dangerous one. The message this week is simple: “Play clean and make them beat you.”
In Other News...
Chiefs Blowout Win Came With Two Injury Worries Fans Will Hate
The Chiefs turned a sluggish start into a 35-12 rout of the Jets, leaning on a second-half surge that featured multiple touchdowns and a pass rush that kept Geno Smith under constant pressure. Even with the offense finding its rhythm late, the win came with a couple of uneasy moments for Kansas City, the kind that can linger longer than the final score once a blowout is over.
Patrick Mahomes was seen dealing with an elbow issue after taking a hit while throwing, and the concern only grew as the game went on. Xavier Worthy also exited in the second half with what looked like a hamstring problem, leaving Kansas City to enjoy the result while wondering about two key players heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Former Patriots Star Takes New Shot In Travis Kelce Gronk Debate
The old tight end debate got another jolt during Rob Gronkowskis Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony, when former teammate Rob Ninkovich weighed in on the long-running comparison between Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. Ninkovich backed Gronkowski in the discussion, framing the case around more than just catches and yards and pointing to the broader way Gronkowski impacted a game.
What stood out in Ninkovichs argument was the emphasis on what Gronkowski brought as a blocker, a part of the position that often gets overshadowed when the conversation centers on receiving production. Kelce has built his own Hall of Fame case as one of the NFLs most productive pass catchers, and he has publicly praised Gronkowski before, but this latest round adds another voice to a debate that still has plenty of life left in it. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Return Home With Pressure Mounting In A Game They Need
After opening the season looking like the Chiefs were back on familiar footing, the last two weeks have changed the mood around Kansas City in a hurry. Now they return to Arrowhead needing a response against the Jets, and the matchup comes with the kind of urgency that tends to follow a brief skid for a team that is used to setting the tone rather than chasing it.
The conversation around this one has centered on whether the Chiefs can use home field to steady themselves and get the offense back into rhythm after back-to-back losses. Around the league, several writers are leaning toward a bounce-back performance, but the bigger question for Kansas City is whether the defense can help set that tone early and make this feel less like a reset and more like the start of another run. [Read more 🡒]