As the Atlanta Falcons prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs, it doesn't come as a surprise that the AFC West contender is heavily favored. While the Falcons have two impressive wins this season, Atlanta has proven to be a roster capable of losing to anyone. While Kansas City might appear incredibly intimidating, there is a path to beating the Chiefs, one that doesn't require all that much creativity when you look at KC's season and what both of the team's losses have in common.
Star running back Kenneth Walker III has been in the discussion as the league's best back for much of the season, piling up 872 rushing yards and seven touchdowns already. Walker is the engine that makes the Chiefs' offense work; shut him down, and the Chiefs are an extremely limited offense capable of being beaten.
Both the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks discovered this, limiting Waker to under four yards per carry and keeping the longest play to ten yards. The Chiefs were unable to do anything offensively against Seattle and melted late against Denver, making it clear that there is a path to pulling off the upset that is viable even for the struggling roster of Atlanta.
But here's the thing though: they won't need to worry about slowing him down anymore. The reigning Super Bowl MVP was ruled out due to a groin injury he suffered in practice, which means fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson will be the feature back for the first time in his NFL career.
The Falcons have proven capable of surprising teams, beating both the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers for two of their three wins. Atlanta beating the Chiefs is very much on the table if the franchise is able to finally stop the run again if they follow the blueprint those teams helped show.
The Atlanta Falcons no longer have to worry about Kenneth Walker III
A win would put Atlanta right back in the NFC South discussion despite sitting well below .500, speaking to what a dumpster fire it has become. There is a legitimate reason to believe that 6-7 wins could prove to be enough to win the division and be able to host a playoff game. The Falcons still haven't had a winning season or made the playoffs for nearly a decade, dating back to 2017.
With this in mind, even after trading away Jessie Bates, the Falcons are still in contention due to a lack of talent in the South. Beating the Chiefs breathes life back into the season and gives fans reason to pay attention yet again after the last two weeks of misery.
There is the hope as well that perhaps the Chiefs will overlook the Falcons based on the historical precedent and Kansas City coming off a big win over the New York Jets. No question, if the Falcons can find a way to force KC to pass the ball and make an injured Patrick Mahomes uncomfortable, there is a potential path to pulling off what would be an impressive upset.
As elite as Kansas City's record appears, the franchise hasn't played many capable rosters, and the two that managed to shut down Walker dominated the end of both games. The blueprint that was in front of the Falcons it may not be as prevalent, but it does make the chances of a win much higher.
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