**4\. The Jets are allowing more than 120 yards-per-game on the ground this year.**
New York has some playmakers on defense, notably edge-rusher David Bailey, who has 5.5 sacks this year after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft back in April.
The Jets are allowing an average of 123.6 yards-per-game on the ground this season though, which ranks 21st in the NFL, and despite consecutive games with less than 100 yards rushing for Kansas City, the Chiefs still rank fifth in the league with an average of 134.1 rushing yards-per-game.
Looking at some of New York's losses this year, the Jets allowed 232 rushing yards to the Bears in Week 4, 156 rushing yards to the Dolphins in Week 7 and 148 rushing yards to the Patriots in Week 6.
A big day on the ground – which was the hallmark of Kansas City's 5-0 start – could very well be the key to a Chiefs win on Sunday.
**5\. Kansas City will need to avoid the self-inflicted wounds that led to last week's loss.**
The primary reason behind the Chiefs' narrow loss last week to Denver was simple: penalties.
Kansas City was called for 11 penalties that totaled 105 yards last week, its most accepted penalties in a single game since Week 5 of last season at Jacksonville – which, not coincidentally, marked another game the Chiefs comfortably led until a relentless rally dealt Kansas City a loss in a game it likely should have won.
Specifically, _personal fouls –_ so, 15-yard penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct or a facemask – directly led to 18 points for Denver last week.
Those miscues allowed the Broncos to hang around in a game where Kansas City bested Denver in terms of first downs, third-down conversions, total yards, rushing yards, passing yards and time of possession before the Broncos erased the Chiefs' 11-point, fourth-quarter lead.
Still, despite all of that, Kansas City then had the ball at Denver's 1-yard line with three cracks at a game-winning touchdown, but – in somewhat of a cruel exclamation point on the night – a false start penalty wiped out a touchdown pass on fourth down.
So, the good news is that the vast majority of the mistakes that led to last week's loss were completely self-inflicted and controllable. It's just a matter of executing and playing disciplined football the way Kansas City demonstrated during its 5-0 start.
If the Chiefs can manage that on Sunday, it'll give them a great chance to halt the two-game skid and get the season right back on track.