How did the Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated midway through the season?

The Kansas City Chiefs hosts the Denver Broncos on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday at noon. Halftime of that game marks the precise midpoint of the season for the Chiefs, a team coming off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, hoping to make NFL history with a third straight title. What has this team done through the first nine weeks of the season, with a target on their back and a pile of injuries? All they’ve done is start 8-0 to remain the only undefeated team in the league. What have we learned about this team so far this season? What do they need to do to continue this winning streak?

The three biggest qualities of this team that keep the train rolling down the track are toughness, leadership and resilience. Patrick Mahomes is the face of it all, they played at a high level through an ankle injury and led the offense to their biggest performance of the season last week in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hopefully everyone in Chiefs Kingdom has taken the time to really appreciate what they have in Mahomes. It feels like something he was born with, along with his intense training, to be able to recover from injuries much faster than other athletes, let alone typical people. This guy is a freak, and what Mahomes does for this team cannot be understated.

The leadership in the organization was incredible. Of course, Mahomes plays a role in leading this team, along with other captains like Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and Harrison Butker. The locker room has been stable for years. Head coach Andy Reid takes into account the stability and weekly approach to each match. His leadership is unquestioned at this point in his career and he could ultimately go down as the greatest head coach in NFL history. by the time he retires.

General manager Brett Veach has helped take this team to another level – along with a willingness to expand and sign players – to keep this dynasty going. Not only have Veach and his staff achieved their goals in recent years, they have also taken steps to increase the depth of the team in case injuries pile up, as they have this season. Additionally, adding veterans like Kareem Hunt and trading for DeAndre Hopkins has been crucial in keeping the team afloat this season. Leadership has been such a bright spot in this organization and continues to be a shining light this season.

With all the injuries that have piled up this season, the team is more resilient than ever. The ‘next man up’ attitude is real and was necessary. The team’s depth has diminished, but the Chiefs continue to win. With the idea that the team will continue to win no matter who plays. The players show up week in, week out without exception.

They shouldn’t change anything. Just keep doing what they were doing. Of course, there are some adjustments that can be made on the field, but during the week the Chiefs have something special in that locker room. It all goes back to the leadership and responsibility that is exercised between players and coaches on a weekly basis throughout the season. That’s something that can’t be duplicated across the league, and it’s a big reason why no one can seem to be on the same level as the Chiefs.

Kansas City faces some tough games in the second half of the schedule. Playing at Buffalo in Week 11 and playing a three-game stretch between December 15 and 25 will test their physical and mental toughness. The Chiefs should bring back some injured players for the homestretch of the season and also for the playoffs. The scary thing for the rest of the league is that the Chiefs could actually get better as the postseason approaches when they add Isiah Pacheco, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Charles Ominehu and others back into the mix.

With the second half of the regular season underway, the Chiefs are in a great spot. They are undefeated and have a clear path to No. 1 in the AFC. They are the betting favorite to win their third straight Super Bowl. No matter what comes their way, the Chiefs are going to keep winning, and that’s all you can ask from this team for the rest of the season.

Read more: Chiefs vs. Broncos injury report: Good news for Kansas City, with one exception