Will Chiefs or Rams go 16-0?
Yes +700
No -1500
If for no other reason than to put a damper on the smug celebrations perpetrated
every year by the annoying 1972 Miami Dolphins after the last unbeaten falls, it
would be super terrific if either the Chiefs or Rams ran the table, and in turn
staged a serious threat to the Fish’s 17-0 championship season.
Will it happen? Highly unlikely. The Dolphins had it easier, only having to go 14-0
to complete their “perfect” regular season. Finishing 16-0 is an entirely different
beast. Of course, the 2007 Patriots are the only modern era team to pull off the
16-0 sweep, before ultimately suffering a shocking Super Bowl defeat at the
hands of derpface Eli Manning and the rest of the New York Giants.
The road to unblemished glory is filled with cracks and potholes like injuries to
key players, challenging schedules, and the “resting starters” debate that rages
every December for teams that wrap up division titles and top seeds earlier than
anticipated.
For the Chiefs, a pair of significant obstacles stand in their way. First, if they
survive the Week 6 Sunday night showdown in Foxboro against Brady and
Belichick, and don’t trip up against lesser foes, they still have to beat the team
they’re directly competing against for undefeated status in Week 11 when they
travel to Tinseltown to play the Rams. Second, there is the Andy Reid factor,
which should not go overlooked.
Splitting time between the Eagles and Chiefs, Reid has constructed a stellar
coaching legacy over the last 20 years. He is a proven winner and talented
offensive innovator. He’s also a pass-happy curmudgeon who regularly commits
catastrophic clock management blunders. Reid infamously loses at least one game
per season due to laughable ineptitude. At some point, he is going to faceplant
hard.
As for the high-flying Rams, all wonder boy coaching savant Sean McVay has to do
is beat the Packers, Saints, Chiefs, Bears, and Eagles to reach the mountaintop.
Now, Green Bay and Philly don’t presently appear to be as imposing as they did in
August, but Aaron Rodgers and Carson Wentz are both capable of single-handedly
notching wins. LA boasts an electric offense, but like the Chiefs, their defense is
very suspect; especially without cornerback Aqib Talib. If the defense bricks and
either Jared Goff or Todd Gurley has an off day, this Jenga tower will topple.
Smart money says neither the Chiefs nor Rams will go undefeated.
