After a busy trade deadline week, the Atlanta Falcons are focused on their Week 10 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs at home. While the Falcons essentially acted as sellers at the deadline, the Chiefs are on the other end of the NFL spectrum.
At 6-2, Kansas City appears to be headed for another deep playoff run and possibly one more trip to the Super Bowl. With former Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker leading a revamped rushing attack and a sneaky good defense, the Chiefs will present more than a few challenges for the Falcons on Sunday.
To find out more about this week's opponent, we've gone behind enemy lines with Chiefs Wire editor John Dillon for the inside scoop.
How has Kenneth Walker helped open up the Chiefs offense this season?
Having a legitimate running game has been a boon for Kansas City’s offense,
though the Chiefs’ air attack hasn’t necessarily been the same world-beating juggernaut fans got used to seeing in recent years. Walker’s incredible ability to break tackles and stay on his feet helps Kansas City extend drives and buy time for Patrick Mahomes, who has been dealing with some inconsistent protection from his tackles throughout the season.
Atlanta just traded Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates. Which Chiefs wide receivers should the Falcons be worried about on Sunday?
This game would have been a perfect opportunity for wide receiver Tyquan Thornton to get involved in the passing game, but the veteran speedster is still on injured reserve. I don’t expect the Chiefs to threaten Atlanta too much downfield, so the loss of a safety won’t necessarily be disastrous for the Falcons. Rather, it seems more likely to me that Patrick Mahomes will look to target newly acquired wideout Josh Downs, who was dealt to Kansas City by the Indianapolis Colts in a last-minute move at the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
What is the Chiefs’ biggest defensive weakness?
The Chiefs’ pass rush has been atrocious this season — or at least it was before Kansas City’s Week 9 win over the New York Jets. Star defensive lineman Chris Jones put together a two-sack performance against New York, but had been limited to just half a sack through the Chiefs’ first seven games.
Is Patrick Mahomes back to playing like he was pre-injury?
I think Mahomes has looked good but not great so far this year, though the adversity he has faced has come in the form of poor protection, rather than his being hamstrung by injury recovery. When Mahomes has time in the pocket and his pass-catchers actually manage to hang onto the ball, Kansas City’s offense can still stuff the stat sheet in a hurry.
What is your prediction and final score for Sunday’s game?
I think the Chiefs will win this game but, as always, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will be more interested in playing with his food than giving Kansas City’s fans a low-stress Sunday afternoon. Josh Downs is likely to get a bunch of targets in his first game with the Chiefs, and Kenneth Walker III should easily be able to rush for 100 or more yards and at least one touchdown, if Kansas City isn’t playing from behind in all four quarters. Final score: Chiefs 27, Falcons 18
Make sure to tune in on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET for the Falcons-Chiefs matchup.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons Wire Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Week 10 with Chiefs Wire
