Why Stephen A. Smith Believes Chiefs Still AFC Favorites Despite Patriots Loss

After the New England Patriots handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season Sunday night, many would expect Tom Brady and Co. to be the prohibitive favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

But Stephen A. Smith doesn’t see it that way.

The ESPN “First Take” commentator went on Monday’s episode and laid out why Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offensive performance at Gillette Stadium made him believe the road to the Super Bowl will go through Arrowhead Stadium, and KC ultimately will be playing for the Lombardi Trophy come February.

While Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense was electric in Foxboro, let’s remember a few things. First of all, the Patriots’ defense is an absolute travesty, so it’s of no surprise they were ripped apart at the seams in the second half. It would have been a surprise if Kansas City didn’t put up points, as New England’s defense lacks the speed to contend with the likes of Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Secondly, Andy Reid and the Chiefs are known for going south when the weather gets cold, while the Patriots are notoriously slow starters who only get better as the season progress.

Are the Chiefs a legitimate AFC contender? No doubt. And, of course, asking Brady and the Patriots to win an AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium would be a monumental task, especially with the current state of the defense. But Brady has pulled off crazier things than beating Reid and a second-year quarterback in his career, so Week 6 might be a little early for Super Bowl predictions.