ArrowheadOne Writers Chiefs Season Predictions
It’s time to get down to business. The new season is now 24 hours away and excitement for Kansas City Chiefs fans is at an all-time high. I have polled ArrowheadOne writers and they have their opinions about how the team will do this year so here’s what each of them believes.
Merlin’s Guide to the Kingdom
Prediction: 10-6
The Chiefs should clean up at home, but it’s the tough road schedule that has me worried. The Chiefs have the Broncos, Raiders, Steelers, Texans, Panthers, and Colts on the road. The Chiefs need to go 3-3 against these playoff contenders to beat my prediction.
The Direct Snap: Jason Seibel
Prediction: 13-3
In looking at the Chiefs’ schedule, it’s difficult to find a week in which they’re the overwhelming underdog. It’s not until Week 10 until the Chiefs face last year’s NFC Champion Carolina Panthers can I say they may lose a game. I suppose the Pittsburgh Steelers could give them a run for their money when the Chiefs travel to the Steel City in Week Four. This seems much more likely since the guy who smokes more weed than Josh Gordon and loses more cell phones than Tom Brady will actually be playing when they meet. Of course, of I’m talking about all-pro rusher Le’Veon Bell, who will sit out the first three weeks of the season because of his drug habit. The only other loss I can possibly see on the Chiefs schedule is a possible trap game in Week Eight when KC travels to Indianapolis to face the Colts. While I don’t think the ponies come close to matching the Chiefs in talent, the boys in red and gold always struggle with Indy no matter where the game is played.
In the end, the Chiefs match their franchise-best season win total and get 13 en route to an AFC West division title and an appearance in the AFC Championship game, which be played in the BBQ City, courtesy of a No. 1 seed.
Rodela’s Read with Frank Rodela
Prediction: 11-5
I am very optimistic about the coming season; the Chiefs have a chance to make a deep run into the playoffs. I think 11 games will be needed to win the AFC West and the Chiefs will be the ones to hit that mark to edge out the Oakland Raiders. I predict 4-2 in division play, losing on the road to both the Raiders and to the Denver Broncos. Outside of the division, the Panthers and the Steelers will not be easy games with teams like the Texans, Jets, Jags and Bucs being potentially dangerous. As long as this team can stay relatively healthy they should be able to not only win the AFC West, but should be contenders for the Lombardi Trophy. The keys to being this successful, in my opinion, are the offensive line and corners. If the offensive line can gel quickly and the corners can learn early from what mistakes they will make, 11 games and a deep playoff win should be easily obtainable… well, as easy as it can be in the NFL.
Sizzling Takes with Chiefly Bacon: Ransom Hawthorne
Frank’s Feeling the Future: Frank Leggio
Prediction: 12-4
Taking a look at the schedule for this year, and trying very hard to not be too much of a homer, I came up with a record of 12-4, with 2 games that could be games we give away. I have us going 7-1 at home this year. Two reasons being we are strong at home and we have some weak teams coming in this year. I think we could drop the home game to Oakland. They are on the rise and played us tough in recent years.
This obviously leaves us with a 5-3 road record. I see us giving up games to Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Indianapolis. These teams are solid, throw in being on the road and I give them the edge. If these were played at home, I’d say we take 2 of the 3. The two games we could drop are Oakland and San Diego away. Again, Oakland has been playing tough recently. The San Diego game could be another of those final games of the season where we sit the starters. Couple that with it being away and this one is risky.
The Chop with Paul Heitman
Prediction: 11-5
The Chiefs will have to go 4-2 in the division if they’re going to steal the AFC West crown from Denver. Oakland is on the rise (supposedly), the Broncos proved last year that they can win with sub-par Quarterback play (don’t sleep on Denver), and San Diego should be improved (though how improved remains to be seen). If the Chiefs can sweep the Chargers and split with Denver and Oakland, they should be in a good spot. With brutal road tests in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Atlanta, 10-6 looks reasonable. That said, I think the Chiefs take at least one of those road games (Indy, maybe Atlanta) and finish 11-5.
Look for my Sunday morning posts this Fall during the season. See you then! -Paul Heitman.
P.A.S.S. Fantasy Football with John Cooney
Prediction: 11-5
Kansas City will be right in the thick of things in the AFC West, but it will not be easy. For one, the NFL Champion Denver Broncos reside in the division. Second, the dreaded Oakland Raiders are much improved. San Diego… well, they’re the Chargers. I’m a tad concerned about the first four games, and I anticipate a 1-3 start. Week 1 is a clear win, but the next 3 contests pose serious challenges. The Texans are tough at home and I see KC losing a hard-fought battle there. The Jets come to Arrowhead and again the Chiefs find themselves in a tussle and coming out on the short end. Alex Smith will be forced to throw more than Coach Reid would like against Gang Green, and that isn’t this offense’s strength. Week four KC travels to Pittsburgh and that’s another loss. So heading into the bye the Chiefs are 1-3. Coach Reid has always been great at rebounding his clubs coming out of the schedule sabbatical, and he does it again this year. The Chiefs will be rested and ready to go into Oakland and knock off those nasty Raiders in the black hole. Again, it will be a roadhouse rumble, but K.C. finds a way to get out of the ‘hole’ with a “W”. Back home for week 7, New Orleans brings their shabby, sieve-like defense to Arrowhead and the Chiefs finally notch a pretty easy victory. The team follows that gimme with another as the Chiefs roll into Indy and defeat the Colts. Now on a roll and sitting at 4-3, exciting young Jacksonville comes to Kansas City. Coach Sutton dials up a couple of defensive turnovers and the Chiefs eek out an exciting home W. Now at 5-3, Coach Reid has to figure a way to stop the rugged Carolina defense, but the Panthers get the better of it and knock off the Chiefs in Carolina. K.C. rebounds at home week 11, swashbuckling the Buccaneers and upping the record to 6-4. Off we go to Denver for a week 12 rivalry, but the Broncos stampede the Chiefs there; 6-5. In Atlanta, Coach Reid has his offense run over the Falcons under the dome, then comes home to sweep the Raiders and head into week 15 at 8-5. The Chiefs take on the Exotic Smash-mouth scheme of the Titans at home, and edge the ground-pounding Titans. Now at 9-5, Denver comes to town in what may well be a battle for AFC West first place. Score a big home win for the Chiefs here, forcing QB Trevor Siemian into mistakes and capitalizing on them. At 10-5, the Chiefs invade San Diego and sweep the short-circuited Chargers, closing the 2016 regular season at 11-5 and possible sealing an AFC West title. Wishful thinking? Sure! But isn’t that what the preseason fun is all about? Come to think of it, this 17-week scenario isn’t really much of a stretch. The key, as is always the case, is overall team health.
Lateral Pass with Laddie Morse
Prediction: 12-4
The 2016 season will likely be one of the best the Kansas City Chiefs have ever had. At least, there’s the potential for that and so I am predicting their final record will be 12-4. In the first three seasons of the Andy Reid/John Dorsey era, the team has a Home record of 5-3, 6-2 and 6-2 consecutively. Also during that span the Chiefs have gone on winning streaks each season of 9, then 5, then a giant 10 game winning streak in 2015 which means they are ripe and capable of piling up win after win. There is a core group of players who’ve been in the system going on four years now and that consistency and schema should help produce a record number of wins while the team continues to maintain one of the youngest rosters in the league. Savvy veteran play, at key positions, new additions on the offensive line and defensive backfield plus overall improved team speed should get this team to the top of the mountain. If the cards fall right and the football Gods keep the injury bug away these Chiefs can win it all.
Alright Chiefs fans, as you can see, things are pretty giddy around here in happy-Chiefs-land. How do you think the season will turn out? Anyone want to go 14-2? Or is that just unthinkable?