Rams and Chiefs in ‘Super Bowl preview’
THE two most potent offences in the NFL go head-to-head on Monday when the Los Angeles Rams take on the Kansas City Chiefs in what could turn out to be a sneak preview of this season’s Super Bowl.
A late change of venue because of pitch conditions at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium means the game will be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, giving the Rams a crucial advantage as they attempt to lock down the highest-scoring team in the league.
The Chiefs have been in scintillating form this season thanks to the dazzling displays of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, averaging more than 35 points a match on their way to nine wins from 10 games.
In his first full season as a starter, Mahomes has exploited the array of attacking weapons at his disposal which includes receiver Tyreek Hill, tight-end Travis Kelce and running back Kareem Hunt.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid however admits that he will have his hands full attempting to contain the Rams offence, which has blossomed this year under the rapidly maturing eye of quarterback Jared Goff.
Goff, 24, is rapidly delivering on the promise that prompted the Rams to make a blockbuster move for him as the top pick in the 2016 draft.
Like Mahomes, Goff is thriving in a multi-faceted offence, formidable in the air and on the ground, where running back Todd Gurley is averaging nearly 100 yards per game with a league best 988 yards in 10 games.
“He’s a heck of a player isn’t he? Oh God he is good,” Reid said of Gurley this week. “We have to make sure that you better take care of all the gaps and stay disciplined. You can expect just about anything.”
‘A great player’
Rams coach Sean McVay, meanwhile, acknowledges that Chiefs quarterback Mahomes has been close to unplayable at times this year.
“I think what you’re seeing is a great player,” McVay said. “He’s made some plays that you just sit back and you can’t help but just say, ‘Wow, what a great play.’”
After a stellar season to date, some observers have wondered whether Mahomes-Goff is poised to be the next great quarterback rivalry of the NFL, the heirs apparent to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
“I’m terrible at predicting the future, but it would look that way, right?” said Chiefs coach Reid. “They’re not only two good players, but two good guys.