As the Chiefs gear up for their game this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they will look forward to the challenge of facing off against a decorated Buccaneer defense that features talented players at every level and that is certainly capable of stopping even the best offenses.
"They are one of, if not the best, defenses in football," said quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "They are going to try to confuse you and give you different looks, but they are going to fly around and make plays. It's about us executing, getting the ball out of my hand, and letting these other guys make plays."
The Buccaneers lead the league this season in scoring defense, only allowing an average of nine points-per-game. They also rank highly in terms of takeaways (T-No. 1 with 8), sacks (No. 3 with 11) and yards allowed-per-game (No. 4, 289 yards).
The Buccaneers are led by Head Coach Todd Bowles, who was promoted to Head Coach this past offseason after previously serving as the Buccaneers' Defensive Coordinator. Bowles has had success leading the defense in the past, including against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
"Todd Bowles does an outstanding job," said Chiefs' Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy. "He has a great staff and they're doing a heck of a job on defense. So, when you turn on the tape, our guys know that you have to line up and play."
The Chiefs are going to need to play well in every phase offensively in order to put points on the board against this group. That means that every aspect of the offensive operation – from the wide receivers, running backs and the offensive line to Patrick Mahomes at quarterback – will need to play at their best to ensure a win.
"I think we have everything we need right now. It's just about going out there and executing it," Mahomes said. "You see it throughout practices, and you see it in games at certain points, but I think it's just about me continuing to build trust with those guys. [I need to] continue to have confidence to step up and make that throw. Those guys are getting open and they're making plays whenever their numbers are getting called. So, I have to continue to just get better and better each and every week."
Coming off of a loss, the Chiefs' offense is hungry and wants to win this football game. They are looking to remind the league that they are still a dominant offense that can find success against any defense, even the league's best.
"It's going to be one of those games," said Bieniemy. "It's going to be a 60-minute fight, and may the best team win."
