12 NFL teams who will be playoff contenders in 2015-16
By Will Osgood
2) Kansas City Chiefs
If you’ve read this far, you may be thinking, “There really aren’t any huge surprises so far.” Well, starting with the Chiefs getting the No. 2 overall seed, I’m about to blow that statement out of the water.
But why Kansas City at No. 2 in the AFC? In some ways it has as much to do with the expected dip from the Denver Broncos and annual struggle of the San Diego Chargers to get more than their heads above water, as it does the Chiefs themselves.
But if it were only for the expected ineptitude of their AFC West rivals, the Chiefs wouldn’t take the No. 2 overall slot in the conference. Some of this projection is based on the Chiefs too.
To start, Andy Reid is probably the most underrated head coach in the NFL. Sure he can’t manage the clock to save his bacon, so it’s probably a good thing he doesn’t work in Greenwich. But his teams are always better prepared than the opposition. He is one of the finest strategists in football.
Then there’s the simple fact he has one of the best pass rushes in football with Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford (who expected to make a leap in 2015).
The secondary should be more than solid after drafting Marcus Peters in the first-round. He instantly comes in with the ability to shut down Demaryius Thomas and whomever qualifies as the Chargers’ No. 1 receiver. Scoring on the Chiefs will be quite tough.
And with Jeremy Maclin and Chris Conley (2015 third-round pick, No. 76 overall), the Chiefs will not lack for speed in their receiving corps. De’Anthony Thomas adds even more speed to the mix, as well as an ability to create with the ball in his hands. Putting those three and Jamaal Charles on the field at the same time would simply be unfair to any defense. Watch out for the quadruple-reverse!
All of that to say, the Chiefs should be good, very good, in 2015. They should be the best in the west.
Next: One of those consistent teams