The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 12 of the NFL season looking to rebound from their first loss of the season. After falling 30-21 to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the Chiefs (9-1) remain the top seed in the AFC and still have firm hold of their division.
This Sunday, November 24 at 1 p.m. EDT Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will visit the Carolina Panthers (3-7) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. This will be Mahomes’ first time playing at this stadium in his career.
As for the Panthers, they are coming off a bye, and are riding a two-game win streak for the first time in two years. Despite their 1-7 start to the season, rookie Quarterback Bryce Young has a renewed level of confidence and joy in his game, providing Carolina with a slimmer of life once again as they enter this week in hopes of pulling up possibly the biggest upset of the season.
Game/Team Matchup Info
The Chiefs and Panthers enter this game, with completely different stakes on the line. In the case of the Kansas City Chiefs, they are looking to extend their leads over the other AFC West teams, while also looking to lock up the top seed in the AFC and improve their playoff seeding. On the other side of the aisle, Carolina seeks to take the next step in their rebuilding.
The Chiefs have won the last three meetings against Carolina, with their most recent victory coming in 2020. Statistically, the teams are worlds apart. Kansas City enters this game with their offense ranking 16th overall, but their passing and scoring offenses are both 11th in the NFL. Meanwhile, their defense which has been their strength this season, ranks fifth in the league and has been dominant in stopping the run. Carolina’s offense, on the other hand, ranks dead last in the NFL, with their defense not faring much better at 29th overall.
The Chiefs enter this contest as 11.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 41.5 according to ESPN. A dominant performance could help reassure the Chiefs that last week’s game was an anomaly in their otherwise flawless season. Carolina is looking to build off their recent success this week and achieve a franchise-defining win.
Kansas City Chiefs Keys To Victory
For the Chiefs, they have had the most success this season when they can establish a consistent running game. This week playing against the NFL’s worst rush defense, this will be an area they will want to lean on. With their No. 1 back still out, in Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt has stepped in and stepped up in a big way in his absence. He has ever dependable since his midseason arrival and has produced in a meaningful way whoever his number has been called.
Through seven starts, Hunt has accumulated 507 rushing yards and five touchdowns and he will be called upon once again, likely being the Chiefs’ focal point offensively in this game given the fact he has proven he can still carry the load.
This one is a no-brainer, but Patrick Mahomes also needs to have a clean game and avoid turnovers, which hurt them when they faced Buffalo. Mahomes has only had two games this season when he has not turned the ball over, and he along with the Chiefs team as a whole has struggled to play turnover-free football this season.
However, this week they are not going up against the most elite defense in the league, although they do have some players on that side of the ball that can cause any team problems, but this Panthers secondary is currently allowing a 69% completion rate and 18 touchdown passes, certainly something Mahomes and the Chiefs offense can take advantage of.
Defensively, Chris Jones remains the cornerstone of this team. The Chiefs’ defensive tackle leads the NFL in both pressure rates and double team rates while also anchoring one of the league’s top run defenses. Even if Jones is unable to produce gaudy stats in this game, simply doing what he’s done throughout the season and giving Kansas City the edge on the line of scrimmage. This will create more chances to disrupt Bryce Young and the Panthers’ offense and allow his teammates to be the ones to stop their offense from getting going.
Carolina Panthers’ Keys To Upset
Now looking at things from the Panthers point of view, their chance at pulling off their upset will lie in their effectiveness in controlling the clock. Throughout this season, the Chiefs have been able to control the time of possession, except in their game against the Bills last week. The Panthers are going to have to mimic a similar game plan to Buffalo, and of course, the personnel is vastly different they do have one player that can help in this department.
That is their Running Back Chuba Hubbard, who is coming off a career-high 153-yard performance against the Giants. Hubbard has been the Panthers’ go-to player ever since the departure of Dionate Johnson to the Ravens. He’s currently averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has six rushing touchdowns this season.
Bryce Young will also need to take advantage of short-yardage opportunities. While his stats this season have not been very impressive, what has stood out about him has been his increased confidence in the last few weeks. This is something he’s going to need an abundance of heading into this game against the Chiefs. Young’s main focus in this game will be to continue doing what has gotten him and the Panthers back-to-back victories heading into his game.
Continue being a game manager who relies on his playmakers and then avoids turning the ball over. Especially against an opportunistic Kansas City defense, but similar to their defense has a secondary that can be exploited.
Kansas City Chiefs Players To Watch
On offense, the player to watch in this game is going to be Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs are facing the NFL’s worst run defense, which makes this the perfect game for Hunt to continue his strong season. His ability to set the tone early could open up opportunities for Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing attack which for the majority of this season has been up-and-down.
Defensively, Chris Jones is the player to watch. A season ago, Jones led the Chiefs defense with 10.5 sacks, and heading into 12 weeks he only has three. However, his impact this season has not gone without notice, given how much attention opposing teams give him. It has allowed his teammates to be the ones to fill up the stat sheet, however coming off the disappointing showing from a week ago, this game presents as the perfect opportunity for Jones to add to disrupt the Panthers’ offense which will be essential for Kansas City’s success.
Carolina Panthers Players To Watch
Then for the Panthers their offensive player to watch in this game is no other than Chuba Hubbard. The Chiefs enter into this game with the league’s third-best run defense, which means Hubbard who has had 72 and 153 yards rushing on their current two-game win streak will have to rise to the challenge to help the Panthers sustain drives. However, Hubbard also has a dual-threat ability as a receiver which does open the door to allowing Carolina to have more ways of utilizing his exceptional skillset to attack the Chiefs defense.
Defensively, the player to watch is defensive end A’Shawn Robinson. With Kansas City’s offensive tackle situation remaining a point of concern, Robinson has an opportunity to make a significant impact in this game. Robinson, currently leads the Panthers with three sacks and four tackles for loss, his ability to not only apply pressure to Mahomes but also affect their running game, could be the game-changer the Carolina needs to pull off this win.
Final Thoughts
The Chiefs enter Sunday’s game as double-digit favorites, but they understand that any given Sunday any team can come out on top. Kansas City’s focus in this game will have to be on cleaning up mistakes that cost them a week ago, particularly turnovers, and regaining their offensive rhythm. A dominant performance in this game could be exactly what they need to set the tone for the remainder of their season.
For Carolina, the stakes may not be as high, but it’s still as important for them. As they look to continue building on their recent momentum and testing themselves against one of the NFL’s elite teams. A win this week could be the building block that keeps their franchise moving forward on this upward trajectory.
