Laddie Morse
No one knows for sure how the 2024 season will turn out, but one thing is for sure, the Kansas City Chiefs will make it interesting. Interesting because they’ve undergone quite a few changes since they last won their back-to-back Lombardi Trophies this past February. That may be the best reason of all to make the Chiefs the odds-on favorites to win a third in a row… they just did win back-to-back championships and have the know how. However, this is the NFL we’re talking about well over 1,696 (32 team times the 53 on the 53-man roster) skilled grown men trying their best to make it happen for their own team. So, let’s take a look at what will be needed to bring home a third Lombardi Trophy in a row.
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Patrick Mahomes
It all begins with the Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. If Mahomes is consistent enough this season to lead the team to another highly successful seasonal record, there’s no reason to doubt that K.C. will be in the mix. Here are the passing yards leaders for the 2023 Playoffs provided by StatMuse.com:
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Photo by StatMuse.com – Credit
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Mahomes averaged just 7.0 Yards Per Catch in 2023 during the regular season. The return of the long ball is important for Mahomes because other than last season, over his seven year career, he’s only had one season without averaging at least 8.1 Yards Average Per Catch. If Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy can help stretch the field enough this year for Mahomes to get his average up over 8.0 once again… the Chiefs should bring home another Lombardi.
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Andy Reid Must Call Timely Creative Plays
For the Chiefs last play, Andy Reid called, “Corn Dog” to win each of the last two Super Bowls. In a piece for TheElementsof Wwriting.com by Charlie Euchner he not only says, “Behold the Genius of Andy Reid,” but also wrote an article called, “Andy Reid’s Approach to Creativity” he quotes Rodger Sherman of the Ringer who says:
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“Reid will invent strange new football ideas unlike
anything that has been seen before—or at least not
in the past few decades—and run them in the biggest
moments of a season. And while his trick plays
may appear like cockamamie inventions of a football
mad scientist, they often take advantage of the unique
strengths and talents of his superstar players.”
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Reid — uh, Nagy — calls creative plays all season long and I hope that doesn’t stop.
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We will need to see Reid employing new and creative plays for K.C. to come home with another ring. BTW, the Ring Ceremony for last year’s Super Bowl victory will be this Thursday for the players.
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Late Season Surge
The Chiefs must put their best foot forward late in the year and especially when the Playoffs roll around to become the next Super Bowl Champion. The “New York Post” has an article called, “Breaking down how Chiefs turned it on late to reach another Super Bowl” written by Andrew Crane in which he points out what it took for K.C. to win it all:
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Resurgence of Travis Kelce
Kelce nearly had his eighth season in a row with at least 1,000 receiving yards. If Kelce can get 1,000+ in the 2024 season it means the Chiefs offense is humming and it increases the odds that K.C. will be playing in the last game of the year (8:47).
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Newly drafted TE Jared Wiley may help elongate Kelce’s career. Anyway, that is the hope. If he balls out this season — as some have predicted — that will go a long way to not only helping our Mr. New Heights Kelce, but a longer ways towards winning it all.
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Winning Defensive Moments
Chris Jones had a timely rush on the 49ers QB Brock Purdy in overtime to help preserve the opportunity for the Offense to drive down the field and win a second championship in a row (0:09).
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L’Jarius Sneed punched the ball out of Zay Jones Hands as he was reaching out to cross the goal line. Sneed saved he day (0:21)!
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Deon Bush had an INT late in the AFC Championship Game (0:24).
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Those three plays are exactly the kinds of plays the Chiefs defense will needs to produce this season. Would it be easier with L’Jarius Sneed? Of course. However, since he’s been traded away to the Titans, I have faith in DB Coach Dave Merritt and DC Steve Spagnuolo and believe they can get it done in 2024.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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