The Kansas City Chiefs finished with a 9-7 record last season but that wasn’t quite enough for them to get a ticket to the playoffs. With the Denver Broncos still the favorites to win the AFC West, do the Chiefs have enough weapons in their arsenal this time around to replace Peyton Manning and crew atop the division?
Read on for an overview of Kansas City’s key player this coming season along with the team’s key game, best/worst scenarios and a complete list of the Chiefs’ 2015 schedule.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Jamaal Charles recently referred to himself as the LeBron James of football. One can take that comparison as Charles’ way of saying that he did not get enough help on offense in the same way James lacked the sidekicks the Cavs needed to win the NBA title last June.
Of course, that stems from the fact that the Chiefs finished last season without a wide receiver catching even a single touchdown. Charles, on the other hand, had a total of nine rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns, tied for team lead with tight end Travis Kelce. Help, however, is on the way this coming season for Alex Smith, Charles, and Kelce, as the trio is set to team up with some new skill position players. Last season, the Chiefs ranked 28th in the passing game with only 198.9 yards per game.
The improvement of the Chiefs’ air attack and the continuation of their solid running game (119.9 rushing yards per game in 2014) largely depends on how well the team’s offensive line will hold up against opposing defenses. In 2014, Smith passed for 3,265 yards and 18 touchdowns but he could’ve done more if it weren’t for the team’s weak O-line that allowed 3.1 sacks per game and 49 on the season. On defense, the Chiefs have to fix their faulty run prevention unit that gave up 127.9 rushing yards per game last season.
A possible return of safety Eric Berry should help, but it would take more than that for the Chiefs to stop the run effectively. They’re already likely to play majority of their games without nose tackle Dontari Poe (herniated disk) this season. The Chiefs are priced +400 to win the AFC West, +1,800 to snag the AFC Championship, and +3,500 to reign supreme in Super Bowl 50.
Offseason Review
As mentioned, Kansas City’s chief problems last season were their receiving game, offensive line, and run defense. The team clearly addressed the first issue by signing former Eagles wideout, Jeremy Maclin. Maclin, who had 1,318 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season, is an absolute upgrade over Dwayne Bowe (now with the Browns).
The Chiefs also injected youth to their receiving corps when they drafted Chris Conley, who can be an interesting option for Smith when throwing deep passes. In his last season for the University of Georgia, Conley finished third in the SEC in average yards per catch (18.25).
The offensive line problems, on the other hand, are far from being solved. For one, Rodney Hudson, the team’s best blocker last season, is now with the Raiders. Jeff Allen, meanwhile, has yet to prove if he’s good to play at an elite level again after missing most of last season due to an elbow injury. Optimism for the O-line, however, comes from former No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher, who finally looks to be healhty this offseason. The offensive line added another body via the draft, too, by selecting lineman Mitch Morse from Missouri in the second round.
The run defense that was a big liability for the Chiefs last season also got a boost when they drafted a couple of inside linebackers in Ramik Wilson and D.J. Alexander. While it’s not certain whether the two rookies will get to start early next season, it’s not a stretch to think that they would, given how bad Josh Mauga and James-Michael Johnson played back in 2014.
There’s no denying how valuable Charles was to the team last season. In fact, the running back had 27.8 percent of Kansas City’s yards in the 15 games he suited up for the team in 2014. And that’s despite a relatively down year, when he “only” had 1,033 rushing yards to go along with nine rushing scores.
Even with the addition of Maclin and a couple of rookie wideouts, Charles should remain as the team’s top option on offense. Charles commands attention from opposing defenses like no other in the Chiefs’ lineup, which should help open up opportunities for the team’s passing game.
Key Game – @ Cincinnati (October 4)
By the time the Chiefs make their way to Paul Brown Stadium for a Week 4 encounter with Cincinnati, they will have already met Houston, Denver, and Green Bay. The Chiefs need a strong start to their season and assuming that they go 0-3 against those three teams (who finished .500 or better in 2014), they will be hard pressed to win the matchup with the Bengals or they face falling into a 0-4 hole.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Maclin proves to be the perfect complement for Alex Smith, who enjoys having the former Eagle as a deep field target. Charles recovers from a slightly disappointing season, rushes for at least 1,400 yards, and scores at least 12 TDs on the ground. All these improvements become possible because of an offensive line that surpasses all expectations, thanks in large part to Eric Fisher finally fulfilling his promise after being the No. 1 overall pick. In the end, the Chiefs make the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
Worst Case Scenario
A brutal four-game stretch to start the season causes the Chiefs to go 0-4 early. They fail to recover from that ugly beginning and end up with a 7-9 record, the franchise’s worst since going 2-14 in 2012.
Complete Schedule
WEEK
DATE
OPPONENT
TIME (ET)
1
Sun, Sep 13
@Houston
1:00 PM
2
Thu, Sep 17
vs Denver
8:30 PM
3
Mon, Sep 28
@Green Bay
8:25 PM
4
Sun, Oct 4
@Cincinnati
8:30 PM
5
Sun, Oct 11
vs Chicago
1:00 PM
6
Sun, Oct 18
@Minnesota
1:00 PM
7
Sun, Oct 25
vs Pittsburgh
1:00 PM
8
Sun, Nov 1
vs Detroit
9:30 PM
9
Bye Week
10
Sun, Nov 15
@Denver
4:25 PM
11
Sun, Nov 22
@San Diego
8:30 PM
12
Sun, Nov 29
vs Buffalo
1:00 PM
13
Sun, Dec 6
@Oakland
4:05 PM
14
Sun, Dec 13
vs San Diego
1:00 PM
15
Sun, Dec 20
@Baltimore
1:00 PM
16
Sun, Dec 27
vs Cleveland
1:00 PM
17
Sun, Jan 3
vs Oakland
1:00 PM
Writer’s Prediction
Kansas City finishes the regular season with a 6-10 record.
