Chiefs-Rams game is preview of Super Bowl matchup
I’m siding with the Kansas City Chiefs plus 3½ on Monday night, and if this showdown is a sneak preview of the Super Bowl, let’s play two.
The game was moved to the Los Angeles Coliseum because of the bad field conditions in Mexico City. But because the Rams were already training at altitude in Colorado when the change was made Tuesday, they stayed there to complete preparations. They return Saturday to Southern California, where many in the Rams’ organization have been dealing with the deadly wildfires.
The two key offensive players in this showdown are Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Rams running back Todd Gurley. Mahomes already has one jersey in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 10 touchdowns in his team’s first two games of a season.
Mahomes also has major weapons on his side, including Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce. I think the Chiefs have more playmakers than the Rams.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff suffered a blow this week when talented wide receiver Cooper Kupp was lost for the season to a torn ACL. But everything the Rams do starts with Gurley. He’s 12 rushing yards shy of 1,000 and has caught 40 passes for 402 yards.
In the Rams’ 36-31 win a week ago over Seattle, Gurley totaled 160 rushing and receiving yards. So how does Kansas City stop him? The Chiefs’ defense welcomed back star linebacker Justin Houston last week, and he’s a key factor in containing Gurley.
The Rams’ defense features the NFL’s best rusher in Aaron Donald, but the question is whether he can get to Mahomes. The Chiefs’ offensive line had allowed only 12 sacks all season before last week, when the Cardinals sacked Mahomes five times.
Which brings us to the Rams’ secondary. Cornerback Marcus Peters was the scapegoat when Los Angeles lost to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 45-35 two weeks ago. Saints receiver Michael Thomas caught 12 passes for 211 yards, with most of the catches against Peters.
The Rams still are without injured cornerback Aqib Talib, and Peters will be lining up against the team that dumped him last season. He clearly isn’t comfortable in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ man-to-man defense — another advantage for the Chiefs.
Let’s make it Chiefs 33-28. And let’s look forward to the rematch Feb. 3 in Atlanta.
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Brent Musburger’s betting column appears Saturday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His show on the Vegas Stats & Information Network can be heard on SiriusXM 204 and livestreamed at reviewjournal.com/vegas-stats-information-network.
