It’s hard to believe Week 10 is here already, but time flies in the NFL! The Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) will play the Atlanta Falcons (3-6) on the road this week in an interconference duel. The game kicks off at noon Arrowhead time from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will be broadcast on CBS.
The Chiefs defeated the New York Jets last week 35-12 in a blowout at Arrowhead Stadium. During the week, the Chiefs traded for wide receiver Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts, who will likely make his
debut on Sunday.
The Atlanta Falcons were defeated 34-17 by the Cincinnati Bengals at home last week, falling to last place in the NFC South. During the week, the Falcons traded All-Pro safety Jessie Bates to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for draft picks.
These teams are on opposite ends of the competitiveness spectrum, but they still have to tee it up on Sunday.
Here are five things to watch:
1. Josh Downs’ Chiefs debut
A former third-round pick out of North Carolina, Downs has accumulated 2,494 yards and 12 touchdowns through his career.
At 5 feet 9 inches tall and 171 pounds, Downs relies on quick feet and good route running to win snaps against one-on-one coverage.
Since Tyquan Thornton’s ankle dislocation in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs haven’t found a player who can stretch the field deep and take the top off the defense. Downs has the speed and ball-tracking ability to fill this role.
It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs plan to use him this week, but I would expect them to get him involved early and often.
2. Who is the punt returner?
The corresponding move to the Downs trade was releasing return man Nikko Remigio. Many thought Remigio would make it back to the practice squad, but a day later the Houston Texans signed him, effectively ending his four-year tenure in Kansas City.
Beyond his ability to return punts and kicks, Remigio provided little value to the Chiefs’ offense, but special teams coordinator Dave Toub suggested the team could turn to its crop of young offensive talent to take over the return game during his press conference on Thursday.
Johnson and Allen have both had shots at returning kickoffs this season, while Worthy has yet to return a kickoff and has returned only one punt.
Among the players mentioned by Toub, Downs has the most experience returning punts, with 32 career returns through four seasons.
“He’s got 80 reps back there as a punt returner in his career since 2023,” Toub said. “So he’s lined up back there a lot. He’s a good catcher. I went through every one of them. He’s dynamic at times when he gets out.
While Remigio was often reliable and secure with the ball, his lack of involvement elsewhere on the team likely led to his release, as the Chiefs also needed to give younger players chances to get involved. Hopefully, this decision wasn’t made without careful consideration, because punt-return snafus can decide football games.
3. Stopping Bijan Robinson
This week, the Chiefs will face the task of stopping the league’s leading rusher, Bijan Robinson. With 880 rushing yards so far this season, five touchdowns, and an average of 5.2 yards per carry — fourth in the NFL — the Falcons’ running back is on pace for well over 1,000 yards for the third straight season.
Robinson could be a leading candidate for NFL Offensive Player of the Year — in competition with Kenneth Walker — so the front seven will need to bring their A-game this week.
As it stands, the Chiefs defense ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, with only 780 total and 3.6 yards per carry, tied for fifth in the league.
Last week, the Chiefs defense gave up some pops early to the Jets’ Braelon Allen and Breece Hall, but locked in in the second half.
This week, the focus will need to be there from the jump, because one wrong move or one slow read and Robinson could be off to the races.
4. Turnover differential
This week, the Chiefs will carry a +4 turnover differential, tied for 9th in the NFL. The Falcons are on the opposite end, sitting at a -8 margin, tied for 30th in the league.
The Falcons have forced only 9 takeaways so far this season, but have thrown a whopping 12 interceptions — most in the league by a team — and lost five fumbles. FOUR quarterbacks have thrown interceptions this season in Atlanta, with Michael Penix throwing six, with backups Cooper Rush(4), Jack Strand (1), and Tua Tagovailoa(1) contributing as well.
The turnover issues in Atlanta have fallen on their quarterbacks’ shoulders, and their defense hasn’t been able to make up for it. The Chiefs have forced five fumbles and intercepted six passes this year, but offensive efficiency with the ball has been the key. They lead the league in ball security and should be able to do so against the Falcons.
5. Harrison Butker (again)
Any other kicker in the NFL would be released by now and planning a post-football career. However, when you have made as many big kicks as Harrison Butker has in his career, leeway is due in the eyes of the Chiefs coaching staff, even if his performance and production aren’t.
The Chiefs’ long-time kicker missed back-to-back kicks last week, dropping to only 63% for the season, and was showered with jeers by the Arrowhead faithful.
This week, Andy Reid and Dave Toub once again stuck with the three-time Super Bowl winner.
“He’s going to come through it,” Toub said on Thursday. “I mean, we’re confident that he will. We’re just going to keep practicing him and keep working on little things, and he’s looked good in practice. There’s a reason why he’s still our kicker.”
Butker is an Atlanta native and will be kicking in his hometown this week. While he will likely have support in the stands and from the coaching staff, he must perform on the field, or it should be the end of an era in Kansas City.
