Jason Whitlock is an unapologetic Chiefs fan and frequent doubter of the Patriots. As such, you probably can expect how the FOX Sports 1 personality believes the AFC playoffs will shake out this season, right?
Not so fast.
Whitlock, who picked against the Patriots in both the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl last season, doesn’t believe his beloved Kansas City squad currently has what it takes to jump over New England as the top team in the conference. Ironically enough, Whitlock seemed to become less confident in the Chiefs’ chances following their Week 3 shootout win over the Ravens.
“…The best player in football looks like Secretariat rounding the final turn at the 1973 Belmont Stakes. This distance between Mahomes and his peers is lengthening. Strangely, the Chiefs are gaining no ground on the reigning Super Bowl champs, the New England Patriots,” Whitlock said Monday on FS1’s “Speak For Yourself.” “Yesterday, Kansas City ran its record to 3-0 for the third consecutive season. The Chiefs knocked off the previously unbeaten Baltimore Ravens 33-28. I was not impressed.
“…Same as a year ago, Kansas City has the worst starting inside linebackers in football and I’m including all of Division I and a handful of high schools in that state. The Chiefs’ soft defense is going to once again nullify Mahomes’ brilliance. Football is still football, it’s a game of physicality. Defense still wins championships. The Chiefs aren’t good enough on defense to win a rematch with the Ravens, or beat the Patriots in the postseason.”
It’s tough to disagree with Whitlock. While Tom Brady and Co. likely will be able to go toe-to-toe with the Chiefs offensively, New England’s defense is light years better than Kansas City’s. The Patriots’ defense is off to a historic start to the season, and Bill Belichick-coached units typically grow stronger as the campaign progresses. New England would make life awfully difficult for Mahomes in January, especially if the two AFC powerhouses square off in Foxboro.
There might be a way for the Chiefs to narrow the defensive gap with the Patriots, though. Jalen Ramsey reportedly has not changed his stance on wanting a trade, and KC has been viewed as a possible landing spot for the star cornerback.
