Title contenders’ kryptonite: Trouble spots for Chiefs, Lions, Bills, Eagles, Ravens

With a month left in the regular season, a handful of favorites have emerged that can legitimately contend for the Super Bowl.

You know the teams — the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. According to oddsmakers, those are the five favorites heading into the back stretch of the regular season.

Any one of those teams is capable of taking home the Lombardi Trophy. But what about the soft underbelly of those teams that can prevent a deep postseason run? Here, we take a closer look at how the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, Lions and Ravens could stub their toes in the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs: Will Patrick Mahomes ' turnover bug cost them? 

Yes, the Chiefs have a habit of making games interesting each week. Ten of the team's 12 wins have been by seven points or fewer, including the latest — a 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on a 31-yard field goal that bounced off the left upright and through the goal post.

The Chiefs are set up to hold home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and chase an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. 

However, something that could keep Kansas City is actually the substandard play of Mahomes in one key area. He's had trouble taking care of the football, having already thrown 11 interceptions this season. He's also been sacked 35 times, tied for sixth-most in the league. So, keeping Mahomes upright, healthy and holding onto the football are key issues for Kansas City heading down the backstretch of the season. 

The Chiefs are tied for the NFL lead with a 12-1 record, but they have a minus-4 turnover margin, which is tied for No. 22 in the league. Kansas City has lost the turnover battle four times this season, but only lost one