See if these words don’t spark a tune as you read them:
Working in a coal mine, going down, down, down. Working in a coal mine, going down, down, down. How long can this go on? Just working in a coal mine going …
The key phrase for me today, or should I say tonight, is, “How long can this go on.” That has to be the question the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs are stuck with as they get ready to battle the New York Giants tonight at MetLife Stadium.
The Chiefs are more often coming into third week action with a pair of victories; the last time the Chiefs opened a season with two losses before this one was 2014. One would need to go back three years earlier, to 2011, to find a season where the Chiefs opened with three straight losses.
Tonight, they need a win over the Giants to avoid an oh-and-three start.
Are they going to get it? Should we bet on it?
Probably, and no.
There is a major problem expecting the Chiefs to roll the Giants on New York’s home field tonight, despite two straight losses, the Chiefs aren’t worried that they will lose a third straight. Some people will argue that teams get motivated off a loss, that is only half the equation. For a team to catch a sail following a defeat they need to be challenged by their upcoming opponent. Nothing is more debilitating to a performance than losing and still expecting to win.
You can see why Andy Reid’s team is confident of a win tonight.
The Chiefs two losses this year have been against worthy competition and both games were competitive. The Chiefs opened their season in Brazil against the talented Los Angeles Chargers and got edged by a 27-21 score. Last week, in a nip-and-tuck contest against the team that ended their dreams of a third straight Super Bowl win last February, a huge play that went against Patrick and Mahomes proved decisive for the visiting winners. A pass at the goal line with Kansas City trailing by a field goal hit off the hands of usually reliable receiver Travis Kelce and into the arms of an Eagles defender.
Instead of the Chiefs taking the fourth quarter lead if Kelce had caught that ball, Philadelphia scored off that turnover with a drive that extended their lead to ten points. The Chiefs came back with a touchdown late in the game to establish the final score, against them, 20-17.
By those results the Chiefs don’t need to hit the panic button just yet. They could have won either of their first two games but lost, which is just the opposite of their fate in 2024 when Kansas City got every imaginable break while winning 15 regular season games.
Yep, luck plays both sides of the aisle.
Tonight, the Chiefs expect a victory over a winless and struggling Giants team.
Expecting a win off multiple losses is a motivational trap.
Will the Chiefs win anyway?
Probably.
Want to bet on it and lay six points on the spread?
No way.