Downs Trade Is Key For Chiefs Playoff Positioning

The Kansas City Chiefs just made a big trade for receiver Josh Downs, and it could have a big impact on their playoff position. Austin Mock of The Athletic did a list of deadline deals and how they will impact this positioning, and he had the Chiefs at No. 6.

His explanation was the obvious one that we’ve heard and read multiple times at this point. The Chiefs offense can’t stretch the field without receiver Tyquan Thornton, and the depth of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ passes has fallen from 7.0 yards to  4.2 yards.

The Downs trade is designed to help Mahomes with a reliable target, and also to help unlock the next level of the offense. Per Mock,  Downs has been targeted deep at the 27th-highest rate this year, but he’s only caught 2-of-11 targets. The writer is skeptical about the receiver’s ability to do this, but he added that “maybe running deep for Mahomes will unlock a new level of Downs’ development.”

The problem with this assessment is that it short-changes the bigger picture in terms of the playoffs. The Chiefs are currently 6-2, and they’re a half-game behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West standings. 

The Chiefs are right in the middle of a soft spot in their schedule that gives them two more winnable games right away, this Sunday on the road against the Atlanta Falcons and back at home against the Arizona Cardinals. 

Wins in both games would position the Chiefs at 8-2, and it would set Kansas City up for a tough stretch run that includes the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Chiefs will need their offense to be more productive and powerful for that series of games, and if Kansas City can integrate Downs effectively and get that done, they’ll be in position to make a strong run and compete for the top seed in the AFC. 

If they can’t the goal changes, and so does the stretch run. The altered goal would be ten wins and a playoff spot, with the possibility of doing a little better given the limitations. 

Dobb is the key to this fork in the road. The Chiefs already have running back Kenneth Walker III in place as a foundational piece, and receiver Rashee Rice has been playing reasonably well. Tight end Travis Kelce is still contributing, but Kansas City needs this trade to work to get to the next level and make a deep playoff run.