The Kansas City Chiefs might win it all this year. They could also end up last in the AFC West. Now, I doubt that finishing last in the West is going to happen for a number of reasons but, there are also reasons the Chiefs may not come out smelling like roses in as many games as they did last season. It’s not easy to win at a .750 pace. So, let’s explore the reasons the Chiefs will win big, 3 they will and 3 they won’t.
Reason #1 For Winning Big:
The Defense
If you had the chance to read David Bell’s piece called, “No Stone Left Unturned: The Defensive Front Three” on Saturday right here at ArrowheadOne, then he does a great job of dispelling any qualms you might have about the defensive line play spelling out how they will be able to stop the run much better in 2017.
It’s not only the defensive line play that should be improved this coming season. Inside linebacker supreme Derrick Johnson is not only returning from a cruise in which he asked this lovely lady to marry him…
… but he’s also returning from his second go with a ruptured Achilles tendon (I just hope the ring is bigger than his own ear ring… I think he can afford it). Josh Mauga was re-signed last week and while some are already penciling him in next to DJ, we’ll have to wait and see if Ramik Wilson, last year’s default starter, has anything to say about that. A little extra competition is good for the soul.
The starters at Safety are back in All-Everything Mr. Eric Berry and the every solid Ron Parker. Backup Safety Daniel Sorensen was handed a new four-year, $16M deal in early May, before GM Mr. John “Gone-In-60-Seconds” Dorsey was… gone in 60 seconds. Second-year man Eric Murray looks like a solid and developing Safety too.
Marcus Peters will hold down one starting cornerback position quite admirably while Terrance Mitchell deserves a shot at the other side and no one will be sad to see him win it. He played like a Pro Bowler the last quarter of 2016 in that role. The other candidates to fill in the secondary coverage team include: Phillip “Untapped Potential” Gaines, Steven “I’ll Take All Your Snaps” Nelson, D.J. “I’m Coming On Strong” White, Steven “I’m Fast But Not Skilled Yet” Terrell, Kenneth “I’m Actually Pretty Good” Acker, DeVante “I’m 6-foot-2 and Played at Pittsburg St.” Bausby, and Leon “Hey, I’m 6-foot-2 Too” McQuay who is a rookie trying to win a spot on this roster… so the Chiefs will be loaded at corner.
Reason #1 For Not Winning Big:
The Schedule
Only the Denver Broncos have a tougher schedule than the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. While there are those who might site this as a big reason that the Chiefs will lose this year, it’s doesn’t help them in any way… I get that, but the other teams in the AFC West have basically the same schedule so it all evens out in the end. Win the West… and all is forgiven… even if you only go 9-and-7. At least you’re in the playoffs if you win the division.
Reason #2 For Winning Big:
The Quarterback
With drafting of a quarterback of the future, someone (we don’t know if it was Dorsey or Reid or Dorsey and Reid… who drafted Patrick Mahomes II) may well have lit a candle under incumbent QB Alex Smith’s britches. One aspect of Mahomes game that could rub off on Alex Smith is the “taking chances” portion of his game. If that happens, Smith could end up excelling like we’ve never seen him excel before. Aside from new tight end Gavin Escobar and rookie wide out Jehu Chesson, Alex Smith has been working with all of his receiving teams for years. That familiarity could also pay dividends.
Reason #2 For Not Winning Big:
The Quarterback
While I would like nothing more than to see Alex Smith lead the Chiefs to a championship, after four years in this offense, you would think he’d look more comfortable than he’s looked. It was pointed out recently that Alex Smith could be seen zipping the ball into tight windows while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. My response was that Andy Reid tries to “set-Alex-straight” while Jim Harbaugh tried to “set-Alex-free.” I’m not disputing that Andy Reid has worked miracles with many a quarterback over the years but as a classroom instructor for 39 years I can tell you that sometimes the job of a teacher is not so much to guide as it is to set-free. There is a thing such as “over-coaching” and it’s possible that’s what has happened here.
Reason #3 For Winning Big:
No “Mike McGlynns”
It may be a bit disingenuous to say that one of the big reason’s the Chiefs will win this season is that they won’t have any Mike McGlynn-types along the offensive line this season. However, consider who we have suffered through in the first four years of the Andy Reid era and it is significant that there will not be any of the following types of players playing on the offensive line this season: Donald Stephenson, Jeff Linkenbach, Ryan Harris, Rokevious Watkins, Rishaw Johnson or Ben Grubbs for that matter. While I don’t think that this year’s OL will ever get confused with the best in the league, they will be as cohesive, stable, strong and consistent an offensive line as we have seen in ten years.
Reason #3 For Not Winning Big:
No Breakout Running Attack
While I expect the Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack to be improved in 2017, they may not be ready to dominate in post-season play. I like Spencer Ware a lot and think he is a very good back in Andy Reid’s offense, but he alone can not be a “difference maker” when it comes to crunch time in the playoffs. Could he be THAT guy? Sure, but he hasn’t shown it yet. Could the introduction of another RB like Kareem Hunt help Ware, or even be THAT guy who dominate teams when the regular season is finished? While I think Kareem Hunt will be a good back in the NFL, there’s no way to tell that right now. I certainly don’t think that Charcandrick West will the man so that only leaves question mark until the playoffs arrive.
Without Jamaal Charles, this edition of the Chiefs won’t have a breakaway threat. I doubt that C.J. Spiller is in the plans to provide the kind of consistent shock-and-awe which J.C. potentially provided every time broke the huddle and I certainly wouldn’t count Tyreek Hill’s 1.5 rushing touches per game as that consistent consistent threat either. Now, the best that Andy Reid can hope for is accurate passes in the flat to one of his running backs to put them in space to juke and dance their way to a sizeable gain. However, I doubt we’ll see one of those types of plays go the distance this season. In the meantime, in Denver….
BONUS Reason For Winning Big:
Intangibles and Special Teams
The Kansas City Chiefs look to continue to win the field position battle because their special team unit, and coach, Dave Toub, are at the top of the league for four years running now. Don’t expect that to change! While the front office chemistry may evolve a bit you shouldn’t expect that to have much impact on the Chiefs locker room. The team is filled with leaders like Eric Berry, Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Marcus Peters, and more. Also, the balance of young and veteran players is a plus. There’s also no measurement tool that can weigh the importance of having a guy like Chris Jones, with his sense of humor, in the club house. He should help to keep everyone up and positive.
What are your reasons the Chiefs will win big… or not… in 2017?
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