The Kansas City Chiefs have had their ups and downs, but many fans and observers understand that the Kingdom is truly powerful, and it will again rear its princely challenge for the crown. know the team as the truly powerful Kingdom it is. The true supporters know deep down that the Kingdom bleeds red until time stops, and never less, and many non-supporters know that too, but is that true? Is the team too new to do anything consistently, or is the team too old, and new management/coordination is necessary?
We Are Taking a Peek!
One thing needs to be settled straight from the start: the unfortunate news is that the Chiefs are not yet a dynasty. It is definitely a little upsetting to have to see that, hear that, and type that, but the facts of the matter are that the Chiefs are not “won and done” yet. The team is strong and has a ton of Super Bowl Dynasty potential, but it is not currently there. The team has Patrick Mahomes at the helm. With Patrick, anything is possible. Even as a Wild Card Entrant to the playoffs, with Mahomes under center, I would not count the Chiefs down and out. Go from that frame of reference for the remainder of my observations.
As Criss Partee of the Deadspin site wrote:
After the 2022 AFC Championship loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
I think it’s time we come to realize that these Kansas City Chiefs are a great team, but they are not a dynasty. Not currently, anyway. Dynasties usually include multiple Super Bowl victories, not just getting there and taking second place or missing the big game altogether.”
You can see his full remarks here: https://deadspin.com/it-s-time-to-put-the-lid-back-on-all-the-chiefs-dynasty-1848455570
As harsh as that sounds, it is definitely true that if the Chiefs had won the 2022 AFC Championship against the Bengals and made it to the Super Bowl, the dynasty talk could have at least started to develop partially. With that loss, the outlook is a little bleaker. Consider the loss of the AFC Championship Game in 2018: It was a tragic error by one single player that cost the Chiefs that Super Bowl Appearance. Enough said.
Looking at the team currently, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are still there, and, arguably, if they departed, the team would disassemble. Clark Hunt and Co. would have to rebuild from scratch. The main glue is there that holds together the important leadership and keeps the team running well-oiled. With new players coming in like Juju Smith-Schuster, the question arises, “Is the team starting over?”.
Some have expressed that they feel the team is almost resetting somehow, with a new roster that’s wildly different from what it has been for the last few years.
I don’t think that’s the truth. Look at the Kansas City Chiefs in last year’s (2021-2022) season. On-field, not a lot of heavily-repeated names were seen. We saw more from Gore, Mckinnon, and Grey and more from players that were used out of necessity on the field like Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon. Although the team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, with the wild season they had in 2021, they did make it to the AFC Championship game and were only one small step away from the Super Bowl.
Would a brand new, unfiltered, and untested team get to the AFC Championship game? most likely not. Would a brand new and unfiltered team put up record-breaking stats individually from certain players and on a team? No.
Coaching and Management
Some of the coaching and management of the team could be improved. I do not think it is correct to say that the team is starting over. The Chiefs have taken advantage of their 2nd and 3rd string players with zest. Many of those depth players are making big plays without starters periodically. The team clearly knows how to handle personnel issues with new players coming and going. The Chief’s GM, Brett Veach, has supplied the personnel.
The coaches have managed game play time coming and going with the starters’ health, especially play calling. Maybe part of the lack of a second Super Bowl Win lies with the staff. That is a subject for further investigation but one that needs considerable pondering.
All Things Considered
With all this considered, I do not think it is fair to say that the Kansas City Chiefs are in rebuild mode. Reset, or Retool, is a far more applicable adjective or adverb. The Chiefs have been a WIP since 2013. 2013 was the year after tragedy unfolded at One Arrowheadway. The team’s record of 2-14 was so abysmal that cameras even panned the crowd, and yes, there were fans who donned paper bags. A good team that required fine-tuning. From 2018 onward, the team has been on the cusp of getting to, being in, and/or winning the Super Bowl.
Interspersed through a decade were periods of needing to adjust–those are years that the GMs, John Dorsey or Brett Veach, have had to work through the roster to be competitive. The constant hash has occurred. Each succeeding year, the Chiefs have had their imperfections. Each year, they have had to work out their kinks and figure out their players and management. Save the one year with a winning record but no playoff appearance, the Chiefs are a highly successful franchise. How can a team with a winning record be considered a loser in the NFL? Not only that! In the NFL, which creates “Parity” by scheduling, the strength of the schedule, and the draft structure, to level the playing field, how is it that the Chiefs have had the string of successes that they have achieved?
Example – Strength of Schedule for 2022 is a superb example:
How tough does that make the upcoming season?
With the main glue being set in the team, I think the Chiefs are going to start this next season with an upwards outlook. There’s no way that they need to rebuild or restart in any way. Retool? Yeah, I think that is a far more appropriate term.
Looking at the opposite end, the team being too old, there is no way that that is remotely true. With the immense amount of changes the team has undergone during this off-season, the team has plenty of new players and ideas to circulate that could drastically change the team’s function.
New power players and new play considerations must be part and parcel of each season. Adjustments must be made to accommodate all these new arrivals that might need some more specialized attention, such as acquiring WR Juju Smith-Schuster or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. I do not see how the Chiefs are outgrowing their breeches. They are not an old team unable to maneuver the ins and outs of each succeeding year.
The fact is, the Chiefs are not brand spanking new, fresh off the presses. At the same time, this is not a rebuild. Reset, or Retool is far more appropriate. Simply put, the team has its main base with a few new sprinkles on it. Granted, the sprinkles that have changed this time around are huge, but I do not think that’s an issue for the base. That being said, the team is not stale either. It is just simply not true that the team needs to start from scratch, fire off management, or make any other drastic changes because they are not moving anywhere.
On The Cusp?
Though the team is young but not seasoned, it, by proxy, is not a dynasty, and that simply will not be the case either until further championships are put in the book. At the same time, with all the effort to level the playing field among teams, defining a “dynasty” is likely going to be quite different than it was even a decade ago. One thing that I think is important to take into account. The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be part and parcel of how that ‘redefining’ takes shape. Despite all the prognosticators, pundits and analysts, I would wager that the Chiefs will be in the hunt in the post-season. With our QB Patrick Mahomes? The Chiefs will once again have a shot at all the marbles.
In Today’s world, being on the edge is a great place. The Chiefs will figure into the hunt, no matter what. Vahe Gregorian had a great piece on this. We can all envision Patrick Mahomes getting sacked to end the last real chance for 2021. Read his article here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/vahe-gregorian-kc-chiefs-collapse-not-end-of-era-but-it-reminds-us-the-window-won-t-be-open-forever/ar-AATjhTq
What’s interesting to observe, though, is the Cusp. 2018, 2020, 2021, and now we arrive at the 2022 season. Oh yeah. Let’s not leave out 2019 and the Superbowl Win that followed.
Go Chiefs!
Chief Dennis – ArrowheadOne