Tampa Bay @ Kansas City preview
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2022 ) Kansas City 41, Tampa Bay 31
The Kansas City Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the NFL, but they haven't displayed a dominant show of success.
And that's totally fine with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes and the Chiefs (7-0) will look to continue their winning ways Monday night when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Five of Kansas City's victories were by seven points or fewer, and the offense hasn't scored 30 yet this season.
And Mahomes, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, doesn't have dazzling statistics. He ranks 16th in passing yardage (1,651) and has more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes (eight).
"When we win, it doesn't as hurt as bad," Mahomes said of the statistics. "Obviously, I want to be perfect, I want to be great, I don't want to put our defense in bad positions like the other day. At the end of the day, I want to win.
"However we have to win the football game, I'm good with it."
The Kansas City defense certainly saved Mahomes on Oct. 27 during a 27-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chiefs were leading 17-13 midway through the third quarter when Mahomes threw an interception in his own end, setting the Raiders up with first-and-goal from the Kansas City 3-yard line. The defense stuffed three straight running plays, and Tershawn Wharton sacked Gardner Minshew on fourth down to avoid damage.
That sequence also displays why the Chiefs are unbeaten -- getting key contributions and making big plays at the right time.
"We've just got to keep getting better and better as we go," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "That's the important thing, and guys are working hard."
Kansas City experienced bumps last season as well before putting things together and winning its third Super Bowl during the Reid-Mahomes era. The Chiefs have won 13 consecutive games (counting playoffs) entering the game against the Buccaneers (4-4).
Tampa Bay, which has dropped its past two games, is averaging 34.2 points over the past five games but has just two victories during that stretch.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield isn't impressed with all the points his club has scored. He also is not boasting about leading the NFL with 21 touchdown passes and ranking second in yardage (2,189).
"The one stat we should be better in is wins," Mayfield said. "That's the one stat I'm focused on."
Mayfield is tied with Mahomes and Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers with nine interceptions, the most in the NFL.
Now that's a stat Mayfield isn't thrilled to hear about.
"I don't want to turn the ball over," Mayfield said. "To me, that's shooting our whole team in the foot. That's not what I want to do. It makes me angry. Obviously, it's something I can directly fix and that's what I'm going to do."
Tampa Bay will be without standout receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) for a second straight game. The Buccaneers also are without Chris Godwin for the long term after he dislocated his left ankle against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 21.
While Tampa Bay's offense has been potent, the defense has allowed 30 or more points in three of the past four games. That doesn't sit well with Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles.
"We can make 62 good plays and five bad plays and it goes haywire," Bowles said. "We've got to cut out the bad plays. We understand that. We're working on it daily. If we cut out the bad plays and play the rest of the game, we'll be OK."
The Bucs listed 11 players on their final injury report. In addition to Evans and Godwin, Tampa Bay will be without long snapper Evan Deckers (hamstring) and nose tackle Greg Gaines (calf).
Listed as questionable were running back Bucky Irving (toe), wide receivers Sterling Shepard (hamstring) and Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and safeties Tykee Smith (concussion) and Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot).
For the Chiefs, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) was ruled out along with defensive end Mike Danna (pectoral), cornerback Nazeeh Johnson (concussion) and tight end Jared Wiley (knee).
The Buccaneers have won six of the past eight meetings, including a 31-9 rout behind Tom Brady in the Super Bowl following the 2020 season.
--Field Level Media