KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs (17-3)
Expectations
Super Bowl or bust. Really, that is the only expectation in Kansas City these days, especially after the Chiefs came up short in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat. And the Chiefs didn't just lose to the Eagles in the Super Bowl in February, they were dominated on both sides of the ball in a 40-22 defeat. The lopsided nature of the loss fueled Patrick Mahomes through one of his best offseasons, inspired Travis Kelce to get in better shape, and led general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid to aggressively plug their biggest problem areas through free agency and the draft. If rookie left tackle Josh Simmons can live up to expectations, and the Chiefs can avoid the injury issues that decimated their wide receiver corps a year ago, Kansas City could have its most electrifying offense since Tyreek Hill was making defenses look foolish years ago.
New faces
LT Josh Simmons, WR Tyquan Thornton, RB Elijah Mitchell, WR Jalen Royals, QB Gardner Minshew, CB Kristian Fulton, DT Omarr Norman-Lott, DL Jerry Tillery, DE Ashton Gillotte, CB Nohl Williams.
Key losses
LG Joe Thuney, SS Justin Reid, QB Carson Wentz, WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Mecole Hardman, RB Samaje Perine, WR Justin Watson.
Strengths
The Chiefs could have their best passing attack in years now that Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice are healthy and Xavier Worthy has a year of experience under him. Patrick Mahomes has made it clear that Kansas City wants to take more deep shots this seasons after defenses have forced him to constantly check down the past few years. For that to work, the Chiefs need a running back group led by Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to pick up consistent yardage on first and second down. And for that to work, the rebuilt offensive line with Josh Simmons at left tackle and Kingsley Suamataia at left guard needs to open holes, which that side of the line struggled to accomplish for most of last season.
Weaknesses
The Chiefs have an aggressively blitzing defense, and that has left them susceptible to giving up big yardage on the ground the last few years. They struggled so mightily to stop the run throughout the preseason that they made a trade to bring back defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, who had left in the offseason for the New York Jets. The Chiefs are solid at cornerback, where Trent McDuffie has emerged as one of the best in the game, but there are question marks on the back end. The Chiefs allowed veteran safety Justin Reid to depart in free agency and are hoping Bryan Cook and Chamarri Conner can take a step forward.
Camp development
Much of the attention in camp was on the left side of the offensive line, and Simmons has exceeded all expectations after he was picked No. 32 overall in the draft. Many thought he was the best left tackle available, and the Chiefs were fortunate that he slid that far because he was coming off a torn patellar tendon. They went through several options at left tackle last season and could never settle on a reliable starter, so the fast emergence of Simmons has been a bright spot of fall camp.
Fantasy player to watch
Rashee Rice. He has a disciplinary hearing set for Sept. 30 following his car crash on a Dallas highway that led to serious legal trouble, and the expectation is that he will serve a multi-game suspension. But he also plays a role in the Kansas City offense that could produce a lot of catches, making him a potential game-changer in PPR leagues. If you can survive without him for however long he is suspended, Rice could be back in time to make a big difference in the fantasy playoffs.
BetMGM Sportsbook
Win Super Bowl: 15-2.
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The Associated Press
