Takeaways from Chiefs-Dolphins: Kansas City rides stellar defense, imperfect offense to blowout win

The Kansas City Chiefs kept repeat hopes alive on Saturday, knocking off the Miami Dolphins in a 26-7 laugher to move onto the AFC Divisional Round.

Here are three takeaways from the Chiefs' huge wild-card win. 

1. The Chiefs offense looked okay, but mistakes need cleaning up 

The Chiefs didn't play poorly, but they looked nothing like the well-oiled Super Bowl machine of the past. During a season filled with inconsistency, the same issues crept up against the Dolphins, whether it be receivers' drops or penalties along the offensive line. They didn't kill Kansas City on Saturday, but it's not a recipe for success moving forward. 

The offense looked dangerous in spurts, and there were bright spots like rookie Rashee Rice's franchise record-setting 130 yards receiving. However, the Chiefs led by only nine after a dominant first half and following a dynamic 69-yard touchdown drive to open the game, settled for field goals on four possessions that stalled inside the Dolphins' 35-yard line, primarily due to self-inflicted wounds. 

Ultimately, they made plays when necessary against a short-handed Dolphins defense ranked 22nd in the NFL. However, the offense's inability to finish drives even late into the second half let Miami hang around for far too long. 

Again, it didn't factor into the decision, but it's certainly something they will need to tidy up if they hope to advance in the playoffs. 

2. Is a fearsome Chiefs defense now leading the way? 

In a startling swap of roles, it appears the Chiefs' best chance at returning to the Super Bowl will ride on the back of a shutdown defense. Ranked second in the NFL this season, it's not a total surprise they played so well against a Dolphins offense that, while struggling, has shown the ability to light up the scoreboard. 

However, the dominant fashion in which they did so shows that they may be the lead dog now, while Patrick Mahomes and company play a supporting role. 

They held the Dolphins to only 264 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, they didn't allow a third-down conversation until midway through the fourth quarter (1-of-12) and gave up only 13 first downs on 11 drives, with several coming after the game was well in hand. 

On a night where their counterparts on the offensive side weren't blow-away good, the Chiefs still won by an overwhelming margin, largely thanks to a smothering effort from the defense. 

If they continue to play at a high level and the offense can clean up fixable issues, Kansas City will be an extremely tough team to beat. 

3. Dolphins' season goes out with a whimper 

Backing into the postseason, the Dolphins' early exit isn't necessarily shocking. However, once a shoo-in for a deep playoff run and perhaps a run at the Lombardi Trophy, closing the year with a miserable effort in a blowout loss has to be concerning for the future.

As they have over the past few weeks, the Dolphins' offense, led by QB Tua Tagovailoa, looked out of sync and, barring a two-play stretch in the first half leading to Miami's only score, could get practically nothing going. Tagovailoa was a paltry 20-of-39 for 199 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. 

At the same time, the Chiefs defense limited running back Raheem Mostert (eight carries, 33 yards) and Tyreek Hill (five receptions, 62 yards, one touchdown) to pedestrian outings. 

It might be simple enough to blame late-season injuries and record-low temperatures in Kansas City on the Dolphins' collapse. However, If not for a gutsy effort from a beaten-up defense, the score would've been even more one-sided than it already was. 

Either way, the Dolphins have a long offseason to think about what went wrong and how to fix it.