The Kansas City Chiefs have to be considered a favourite to win the Super Bowl. Any team with Patrick Mahomes is a contender as a bare minimum. But the roster around the rest of the Chiefs is a near flawless collection of balance and experience.
They’re not in Kansas any more
Beyond Mahomes and maybe Travis Kelce, there is the argument that they lack star power. Having traded Tyreek Hill, last offseason, they have performed as a collective. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kadarius Toney, Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon have taken it in turns to be the star. But they have all stepped up to take their opportunities. Suddenly these bit-part players are on a team that have lost once since mid-October.
That being said, they have no weakness. The Chiefs had the most yards and points/game and were just outside the top 10 on defence. There is no spot to target or a skill position player you can cheat on in coverage. And it’s all built solid foundations, with a strong offensive line and a penetrative defensive line.
The draw works in their favour
Away from the depth chart, the Chiefs have by far the easiest playoff schedule in the AFC. Following a bye to rest up, and Head Coach Andy Reid is near unbeatable after a bye, the Chiefs have an easier Divisional Round matchup than the other side of the draw.
While the Bills or the Bengals are more than capable of going toe to toe with the Chiefs- – and have both beaten the Chiefs this season – they have both been struggling for form recently. What’s more, in a hypothetical title game tilt, it’ll either be at a neutral venue or at Arrowhead, a further advantage for Kansas City, against a beat-up team recovering from going 12 rounds this weekend.
No real weaknesses
As for the Super Bowl itself, the Chiefs are pound for pound as good as any team in the NFC, with no real weakness to worry about.
The Chiefs are a force to be reckoned with. As much as anything, it’s the stealth that they have gone through the year, playing solidly but not spectacularly, throughout the year. And before you know it, they have a 14-3 record, the #1 seed and a bye to the divisional round. With Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce leading the offence and Chris Jones and Nick Bolton sealing the defence, you have to back them to win each of their next three games, starting versus the Jaguars on Saturday.
The Chiefs will win the Super Bowl, but in case you want some alternatives; check out our Eagles, Jaguars, Bills, Cowboys, Bengals, 49ers and Giants articles for some added entertainment.
Image Credit: Jeff Robertson/Associated Press. Image from nytimes