2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were another perennial powerhouse that underwent some significant changes in the offseason. The biggest move was the trade of Tyreek Hill to Miami, creating a unicorn-sized hole in the Kansas City offense that will take time to fill.
Veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Juju Smith-Schuster were imported to help fill some of Hill’s roles while rookie Skyy Moore should also rotate into the offense. Andy Reid is an offensive wizard that does have a superstar quarterback in Patrick Mahomes so the long-term shouldn’t be an issue in Kansas City, but a big change like that may take some adjustments during the season.
The Chiefs are on the road in Week 1 with a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, who made the playoffs last year and are eager to rebound after a disappointing second-half slump. Oddsmakers have set the Chiefs as 4.5-point favorites but the Cardinals are more than capable of scoring enough points to keep pace with Kansas City.
If the offense flows smoothly right away this is a game that the Chiefs should find a way to win. That element of uncertainty, however, does open the door for an upset if Kansas City is out of sync from the jump.