Chiefs: Brewed New, Improved, and Tough to Keep Up With – These past few weeks I have been sitting and thinking about what I really think about this upcoming season. On Wednesday, “Air Elaire” — Clyde! was brought to our attention an article by Ladner Morse, which stole my thunder about the improvement on offense because Clyde was the major thrust of what I was planning. For me? CEH is a perfect match of skills and talents to re-create the threat the Chiefs enjoyed when Kareem Hunt burst on the scene, plus CEH has high character, leadership skills and will be part of the Chiefs — ‘on the field High Jingo’ — which other teams will have to face, with fear in their hearts. Clyde will come to the fore quickly in 2020. You don’t leave a first round pick on the bench. I am not slighting Damien Williams or other RB’s in stating this view about CEH. I will tip my hat to Laddie’s piece on Clyde Edwards-Helaire(CEH) and you can read it here.
Consider also that in this lockdown season, that the Chiefs enjoy some big advantages beyond Clyde. Ransom Hawthorne published an article where he is Quartering the 16 game season. If the advantage on Defense is going to come to fruition, I am highlighting why I think the Chiefs offense is new and improved and tougher as well. If what Ransom provides us is “Four Easy Pieces” then the 5th piece is a Beethoven work in the making — the Chiefs upcoming 2020 postseason!
Big Factors, Crucial Bearing
It has been written about frequently enough, Brett Veach has been able to retain the essential starting lineup of starters for 2020. In the “year of the virus,” this may end up as one of the most crucial factors that aid the Chiefs in working toward their combined goal of a repeat. Every team will face the same obstacle but you can tell from what is written and what has been said by players and coaches alike, that the Chiefs team remains very focused on the #Runitback Theme!
Add my CEH observations to those I am making about the offensive prowess of the Chiefs below. What happens in the offseason is very important to keep in perspective.
Pat Mahomes – The Chiefs signal caller suffered two injuries in the 2019 season — an ankle sprain and a dislocated knee. He is back to full health and his prowess cannot ever be discounted.
Travis Kelce – Kelce became the top cheerleader for the Chiefs in the playoffs. He really got it going as well as a player.
The point? After falling behind the Texans in the first quarter to a tune of 0-24 on the scoreboard, Kelce’s refrain became that of the team: ENERGY! The Chiefs rallied to take the lead and won going away. That was a miracle. It was also the emergence of Travis Kelce as a team leader and vocal Chiefs advocate which was made clear as the playoffs proceeded. Then after securing the Lombardi, Kelce became a leader by example. He stated that he did not want to play anywhere else but Kansas City. Agreed. One of my items for the next big signings is to get Mahomes and Kelce both secured with long-term contracts.
Adding Ricky Seals-Jones – It’s easy to overlook the TE role due to Kelce. Adding Seals-Jones appears to me to really strengthen the position. RSJ has the length and toughness to be a counter to what Kelce offers and he will be a target in the red zone. The Chiefs will be able to run two TE sets as a strength. RSJ is an improvement to the position group. Deon Yelder returns as the #3 TE (more on that for another article).
The Wide Receiver Group – Even before departing and waving goodbye to 2019 with a big celebration on the field and the Parade in KC that followed, the Chiefs had one of the top Wideout groups in the league, bar none. Brett Veach worked the miracle path and returned all 5 of the top starters: Ty Hill, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle. Not only this, but a young stable of potential WRs exists who could add the talent and speed of our top 5 receivers and, who knows who will get the nod to at least make the PS. CEH adds that added dimension as a tool for Pat Mahomes to target as well, adding his ability to skate in space and rock and roll after the catch.
The Offensive Line – Enough of fandom has worried the wart in regard to the play of the offensive line. I gave a lot of thought to this before the draft and finally drifted to the camp of thinking that the need to draft to the offensive line was less of a need than I started thinking when the offseason began.
OT’s are totally solid, then there appears, as if by “Veach magic,” Lucas Niang – Then Veach drafted LT Lucas Niang whom I see as a future fit for one of the OT positions. Niang would very likely have been a round 1 pick barring his suffering an injury which weighed heavily on appraisals of his fitness–especially due to the Virus Lock-down.
With an Iris Beyond the Virus – If Willie Gay, Jr. was a steal in the 2nd round, then the same is true for drafting Lucas Niang. On any other team, Lucas Niang would be earmarked as a starter. The advantage for the Chiefs is that he won’t be thrust into the limelight too quickly and with the aforesaid Virus Lockdown, that is ‘goodness.’ Niang will be able to master the playbook and familiarize himself with fellow players and how the team operates. I think he’ll be the 6th OL and take on the role of Swing Tackle. If that happens and he masters the job as the season rolls along, the Tackle position will be far stronger and in 2021 and it would then be feasible for him to take on a starting role seamlessly. It’s true, he could probably take on the starter role as the LOG but more likely that he’s slotted as an OT of the future and makes his bones as the SW/T in the meantime.
Interior Offensive Weak Point in 2019 – Things are far stronger than I believe most fans, observers and pundits realize right now. In the 2019 season, the Chiefs suffered injury after injury along the offensive line. Keep this next remark as the exclamation point of the Guards (OG’s and the Center (OC).
At ROG, LDT suffered a broken bone in his leg – In late 2018 LDT broke his leg and this very likely had a greater effect on his play in 2019 — then he suffered a severe ankle sprain – and he was not himself. Fisher was out for 8 games and LDT missed several starts while LOG Andrew Wylie also had a bad ankle sprain missing games as well. All of this combined with two newcomers to the starting job (Wylie and Reiter), had to have a very negative effect on the newcomers but also the OL as a whole.
Focus Upon the Successes Realized – In 2019, Brett Veach traded for Texan outcast, Martinas Rankin. Rankin who substituted at ROG for LDT and performed at a solid level of play. Unfortunately, Rankin also suffered an injury which removed him from play the rest of the season. The fortunate part is, LDT was out and it proved that Rankin could be a solid NFL Starter.
At Center, Nick Allegretti is poised to take on the starting job if Austin Reiter can not hold him off. This is what I expect to see happen. With Darrell Williams among the 10 offensive linemen (which seems likely) on the active roster, it is possible that Austin Reiter is released (cap casualty). However, this I don’t think is necessary, otherwise. At any rate, I think Yasir Durant makes at least the PS, and so will Darrell Williams depending on the competition in camp.
The OL in 2020 and Beyond
Looking at 2020, the offensive line is far stronger with the addition of Niang but also consider that the Chiefs brought aboard two offensive linemen when they signed UDFA’s Darrell Williams and Yasir Durant. These two players were expected to be drafted but were probably the first two players in rating the UDFA’s that were selected and both are now with the Chiefs.
Whatever emerges as the Chiefs get to Preseason games, it will basically be sorted out. One characteristic of Andy Reid as a head coach is that he wants to depart training camp with the offensive line inked to the book. With all the players that are present and accounted for as the virtual OTA’s go on, returning all of the offensive linemen — sans Stephen Wisniewski and Cam Erving — the strength of the group is improved over the 2019 circumstance, at least on paper (pray that the injury plague does not infect the Chiefs in 2020).
Improved Offense Overall
The factors demonstrate that the Chiefs offense will be a stronger force than the offense of 2019. Injuries to Mahomes and players on the OL played a big role as it turned out. Having the wideout group remain a strength has got to be a leg up for the signal and play callers. Add “Air-Helaire” and the opposing defenses can’t cheat with early reads and assumptions because Clyde is a superior receiver as a RB and the cover 3 type defenses cannot be the cheat code for opposing defensive coordinators.
All is swell and up to date in Kansas City! I am however, taking all prognostications with the proverbial grain of salt necessary. The Chiefs will have a target on their collective back all season long. I think the team gelled in a way that only the 2019 season could have accomplished. The Chiefs players have it nailed down as near as I am able to discern. It is my view that they will win 14 games, achieving another consecutive AFC West title, positioning at the same time for the 2020 postseason and find themselves in possession of the only “AFC Bye” that is awarded as they march toward another Super Bowl berth and hopefully their second sequential Lamar Hunt Trophy followed by the Lombardi.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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