NFL: 5 teams most likely to underachieve
By Bryce Olin
5. Kansas City Chiefs: 8 wins
This is another obvious team to underachieve this season. After blowing a huge lead in the playoffs against the Colts last season, the Chiefs offseason only went from bad to worse. They lost three starters along the offensive line, including left tackle Brandon Albert. They released former pro-bowl cornerback Brandon Flowers. Dexter McCluster signed with the Tennessee Titans. Dwayne Bowe got suspended for a game for an incident with marijuana way back in Nov. 2013 when a passenger in Bowe’s vehicle claimed marijuana found in the car was his, not Bowe’s, which set off an Office-style search to find out who the marijuana truly belonged to.
Okay, so The Office part didn’t actually happen, but who wants some munchies?
I trust Andy Reid will do all he can to help this team be successful, but the job appears to be too daunting. The Chiefs simply don’t have the weapons to compete with Denver and, probably, San Diego. On top of that, the AFC West squares off against the NFC West, which includes some of the toughest defenses in the league.
To me, this season comes down to Alex Smith. Is he ready to show the world he can throw the ball down the field? If the Chiefs’ offensive line can give Smith time and the receivers can get free, the Chiefs have a chance to repeat their success from last season. If not, defenses are going to stack the box with eight or nine defenders, eliminating Jamaal Charles from getting into space and stopping all of Smith’s 4-yard check downs.
Of the two options, we all know what’s going to happen, and it’s not the one that ends with Smith throwing the ball down the field. Without that part of their offense, I don’t see how the Chiefs win more than six games.