The Kansas City Chiefs do have a homefield advantage. I know some people say Arrowhead isn’t the way it used to be back in the day and I can agree with you there. I don’t think we’re going back to that point though because of various factors (mostly that the TV presentation is so good so it’s easier to decide to stay home and that there are just more entertainment options in general these days).
The Chiefs do have an advantage at home and it comes on the defensive side. Evan Silva of Rotoworld had this stat which I hadn’t realized:
#Chiefs have now held 13 straight opponents to 20 points or fewer at Arrowhead, despite not having an actually-good DEF for most. Their HFA is special.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) December 17, 2017
The last opponent to come into Arrowhead and score 20-plus was October 23, 2016 when Drew Brees and the Saints put up ... 21.
The Chiefs defense hasn’t been great all year. They haven’t been as consistent as we’ve seen in years past. They aren’t getting the turnovers or the sacks at the same rate they were in years past. The run defense was a problem earlier this year. A lot has been going on.
Despite all that, the Chiefs defense when at home has been good at what you need to be good at and that’s not giving up points. It’s why some of the Chiefs losses — like the Steelers, Titans and Bucs last year — have been so frustrating. You only allow 20 points these days and you should win. The Chiefs defense when at home has been doing their part and overall they’ve been a lot better in the second half of the season (Jets game not included).