The Kansas City Chiefs were the kings of the AFC West last season, and have the talent to do it all over again in a very tough division in 2017.
Prior to the 2013 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs made a head coaching move that has certainly paid off ever since. Andy Reid was announced as the new head coach in Kansas City, and since his arrival, the Chiefs have missed the playoffs only once. In fact, he has led the team to double-digit wins in three of his first four seasons, and has his current roster in place to make a run towards the Super Bowl this season.
In his three seasons with the Chiefs, the team has not finished lower than second in the division. The only year they missed the playoffs, back in 2014, the team actually finished with a 9-7 record. Last season, the Chiefs ran through the competition, en-route to a 12-4 record, but they cannot be happy with how the season ended.
There were two 12-4 teams in the AFC West in 2016, the Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs ended up winning the division in the final week of the season, as their two wins against the Raiders proved to be the tiebreaker. They headed into the AFC Playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the AFC, behind only the New England Patriots, and would earn a by in the Wildcard Round.
In their Divisional Round matchup, the Chiefs would take on the Pittsburgh Steelers inside of Arrowhead Stadium. Arrowhead is usually a place that away teams go to die, but the Steelers did enough to pull off a huge upset victory. The loss brought to light what Chiefs fans have suspected of their starting quarterback, that he struggles to win the big games.
As they headed into the offseason, the Chiefs knew they had to do something about the quarterback position for the long-term. Alex Smith is a very good regular season quarterback, and is one of the more consistent regular season signal-callers in the game. However, the Chiefs are thinking past Smith’s tenure with the team, and traded up in the NFL Draft to get a new franchise quarterback.
Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes II is an incredibly talented quarterback prospect, and he showed this Summer that he is something special. The team is definitely going to roll with Smith for this season, and that is actually a great thing for Mahomes. Smith is the consummate professional, and will be able to teach Mahomes how to prepare to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Heading into this season, the Chiefs will no longer have one of their top wide receivers. Jeremy Maclin was released by the team in the offseason, clearing the way for Tyreek Hill to take over as the WR1 on the roster. Hill was a dynamic player as a rookie last season, racking up 12 total touchdowns on the ground, through the air, and in the return game.
A focus was going to be put on running the ball, as the Chiefs went into the Summer with some incredible depth at the running back position. However, starter Spencer Ware tore up his knee in Week 3 of the preseason, leaving the starting duties to Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs do have C.J. Spiller and Charcanderick West at running back as well, so luckily for them, they have enough talent to weather the blow of losing Ware.
At tight end, the Chiefs have one of the best in the game in Travis Kelce. He is the kind of playmaking tight end teams need to be a playoff team, and he does a nice job of stretching the defense. Kansas City also has a stellar offensive line, so this offense is going to put up points in 2017.
On defense, the Chiefs may have the best unit in the division. In the secondary, stars Eric Berry and Marcus Peters lead the way, and both are some of the best players in the NFL at their respective positions. The Chiefs are going to go up against some incredible quarterbacks this season, so their success will play a huge role in the team repeating in the AFC West.
Up front, the defense did lose Dontari Poe this offseason, but he was replaced by Bennie Logan at nose tackle. The linebacking group that includes Derrick Johnson, Justin Houston, and Tamba Hali is back for another season, giving the Chiefs solid veteran leadership at the second level of their elite defense.
With incredible talent on both sides of the ball, there is no reason not to expect the Chiefs to put together another double-digit win season. Head coach Andy Reid is one of the best in the business, and their cast of veterans have been through some big battles in their careers. They are going to have to earn another AFC West title, but they certainly have the players to do just that in 2017.
Kansas City has a tough schedule this season, as they will have to play not only the AFC West, NFC and AFC West, but also division winners in the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. That is the price you pay for winning your division, and the Chiefs have a serious battle right out of the gate. In a matchup of the top two seeds in the AFC Playoffs last season, Kansas City will battle it out against the New England Patriots when the NFL season kicks off on September 7.
X-Factor
Last season, Tyreek Hill exploded onto the scene as a rookie, helping the team get through the fact that Jeremy Maclin was less than spectacular. Hill was drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, so there was not much expectation when the season began.
However, Hill took advantage of his opportunities, scoring touchdowns from all over the field. He scored three touchdowns on the ground, six through the air, and also returned another three. He was named to the NFL’s All-Rookie Team, and finished the year as a Pro Bowler.
With Ware done for the season, expect the Chiefs to continue to feature Hill in the running game. He is going to impact the game no matter where he lines up, and if he is collecting ten-plus touchdowns once again, this Chiefs team should once again find themselves in line for a division title.
Best Case
The best case scenario for this Chiefs team is that they can weather the blow of losing Spencer Ware this Summer. With Alex Smith a very solid player at the quarterback position, he is always going to have his team in the right situations. If he can win some big games during a tough regular season, the Chiefs may be in for a second consecutive AFC West title.
If everything falls into place, the Chiefs should be in for another double-digit win seasons. The AFC West is loaded in 2017, but the Chiefs do have the best all-around roster. While their offense is not as good as the Raiders, their defense is a lot better than Oakland’s, so that gives them the advantage going into the season.
When the smoke clears, Kansas City should be able to find at least 11 wins on their schedule. For the organization, the best case would be Smith starting all 16 games, before giving way to Mahomes to take over the franchise starting in the 2018 NFL season.
Worst Case
With one of the hardest schedules in the NFL, the Chiefs are going to be in a lot of dogfights this season. The slate begins with a matchup against the New England Patriots on the road, so they could find themselves at 0-1 before the rest of the division even takes the field in Week 1.
If Smith falters, and the lack of Ware proves to be bigger than expected, this team could be a nine-win team. That amount of wins is not going to win the division, and it won’t even be enough to secure a Wildcard in the AFC this season. The team got a lot out of Tyreek Hill last season, so they better hope he does not suffer through a Sophomore slump.
The worst case is that the Chiefs never get it going, and the Raiders and Broncos past them in the standings. Kansas City has been dominant against both teams as of late, and their defense is tremendous, but the road could wind up being too rough for this Andy Reid-led ballclub.
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Final Word
The Chiefs will once again be one of the best teams in the NFL, and should be able to claw their way to another division title. Arrowhead Stadium is one of the hardest places to play, and they will use that to their advantage again this season. The team is hoping to get another solid season out of Alex Smith, and with the job likely going to Mahomes next season, he will be playing for another job.
Look for the Chiefs to win either 11 or 12 games, and beating some very good teams along the way. If they are able to lock up another bye, do not count on them losing another playoff game at home. It is going to be an interesting year in Kansas City, but one thing is for sure, Andy Reid will have his team ready to play week in, and week out.