Hopefully this metaphor can stretch because the Chiefs just basically laid down on the doctor's couch and spilled their soul against the Bucs.
The Chiefs put on film all of their invincibilities and also their vulnerabilities in a 27-24 win over the Bucs on Sunday.
They can turn an opponent into extras for the highlight, as they did to Tom Brady and the Bucs' secondary for the first quarter. They can also stall on offense at times, and have 2018 flashbacks on defense.
In terms of both personnel and scheme, Steve Spagnuolo's defense is built entirely on pressuring the quarterback. When they do that, they are too much for opponents, especially with the added pressure of Patrick Mahomes and the offense pushing the pace.
When they don't, the coverage just can't keep up.
The Chiefs' A-game is the NFL's version of prime Shaq on the block, Mariano in the ninth, and the snack aisle when you're hungry: an unstoppable force when on. They are not unbeatable. But if you beat them, you're going to need them to make a few mistakes that have nothing to do with you.
But the Chiefs' lapses are enough to shrink the margins.
This was a great test for the Chiefs. The Bucs have one of the league's best collections of skill players and no worse than the third-best defense.
Tom Brady is 43, and he looks like it sometimes, but not all the time. Bruce Arians is one of the league's best offensive minds, and Todd Bowles among the most respected on defense.
This is a very good team, and a worthy representative for the NFC in the Super Bowl, if it comes to that.
The most disheartening part for opponents is that the Chiefs don't need to be great from kick to gun. They only need these bursts. The second quarter in Oakland last year. Down 24-0 to the Texans. Wasp.
That burst came early against the Bucs, perhaps best described by Tyreek Hill having 203 yards and a backflip into the end zone before the end of the first quarter. Those bursts change everything, pushing a level of desperation toward the opponent and pulling control to the Chiefs' side.
The Chiefs have no peer when they operate like this. Hill's numbers pushed historic scale, at least in part because the Bucs gave cornerback Carlton Davis neither help nor a break from covering Hill without help.
That is a fool's errand, but in the Bucs' defense the Chiefs don't offer good answers. Give Hill too much attention and the game's premier tight end has space underneath. Figure out the right balance in smothering Hill and Travis Kelce and we've seen Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins dominate. Drop too many in coverage and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is there.
The pressure gave the Chiefs 17-0 lead after the first quarter and the truest thing we can say is that the Chiefs scored 20 against one of the league's best defenses before halftime and were entirely underwhelming in the second quarter.
That's the curse of playing these guys. Football does not allow for perfection in more than bursts. But the Chiefs' bursts are often enough and heavy enough that they can be the difference.
Football is rarely as simple as shorthand analysis allows, and we know the Chiefs have flaws. Pressure Mahomes without blitzing, and the offense can be slowed. Protect the quarterback long enough, and the coverage will break down. Yardage can be had on the ground, and by targeting a group of linebackers that lack modern NFL speed.
Against the Bucs the Chiefs stalled in the red zone, including a lost fumble by Mahomes. The pass protection varied between shaky and terrible.
But if you can't exploit those specific weaknesses — and the Chiefs have sufficient talent and brainpower working in their favor — you are essentially helpless.
This group is a problem. They are young, accomplished, ambitious. They are fast and smart, strong and prepared. They are the Super Bowl champions and appear to be getting better.
And as important as any of that, they are a group that consistently rises to the moment.
The rest of the NFL provides interesting competition. The Steelers are undefeated with a Hall of Fame quarterback and game-changing defense. The Saints are an interesting combination of experience and talent.
The Rams, Bills, Titans, and Packers are dangerous. The Chiefs may have a Raiders problem. COVID-19 could blow up the season at any moment. We could go on.
It is also true that championships are not defended; they are chased. What happened last year means nothing now.
But we are working with a convincing stack of evidence that shows this Chiefs group to have an answer to the questions, a particular knack for the big moments, and subtle signs of improvement despite it all.
