It’s no secret that the Chiefs are riding high as we head into the 2020 season. Following a Super Bowl victory in Miami and a tremendous offseason, Kansas City appears primed for another fantastic year. The team will return an astonishing 22 of 24 starters and according to oddsshark.com, the Chiefs have the best odds (+650) of winning Super Bowl LV.
5 reasons the Chiefs will win Super Bowl LV
- The quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is coming off of a Super Bowl MVP and a fat new $500 million dollar deal that will keep him in KC until 2032. In just two years as a starter, Mahomes has put the rest of the NFL on notice that he is the current gold standard among NFL quarterbacks. His versatility, competitive spirit, arm strength and overall awareness has made him a nightmare for opposing defenses to defend. He’s proven he can win at the highest level and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue indefinitely.
- Weapons of mass destruction. There is a current arms race taking place in the AFC West and the rest of the NFL. Teams are loading up on skilled position players to pair with their QB in hopes of out scoring teams. The Chiefs return one of the league’s best tight ends in Travis Kelce, one of the top receiving corps in Hardman, Hill and Watkins and added running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the draft. A perfect mixture of youth and experience could see this offense return to 2018 form after injuries derailed the offense statistically a bit in 2019.
- Coaching. Andy Reid certainly punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame with his first Super Bowl win back in February. He’s established himself as one of the top head coaches in NFL history at this point and even managed to retain up-and-coming offensive mind Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. These two have keyed Patrick Mahomes’ development and Reid has helped establish a winning culture in KC not seen since the Marty Schottenheimer days. Add to the mix second-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who transformed an abysmal defense into a more-than-serviceable one and you can see that this franchise is in very capable hands with its coaching staff.
- No fans in the stands may actually be a benefit. Of course, you are taking away from the magic of Arrowhead Stadium this year due to the fact there will be limited or no fans in the stands. However, the Chiefs were only 5-3 at home a year ago and went an impressive 7-1 on the road. Going to places like Denver, Baltimore or Tampa will certainly be less of a challenge and this team is built to win on the road.
- Defensive leadership. 2019 brought about both tangible and intangible changes to this defensive unit. Where as the 2018 defense lacked toughness, discipline and leadership, the 2019 group exemplified all three. Led by veterans like Tyrann Mathieu, Frank Clark and Chris Jones, the Chiefs defense went from the outhouse to the penthouse in a two-month span last season. Against all odds, the team was able to sign Jones to a long-term deal and with a healthy Clark in place, it’s very possible the defense becomes top 10 in the league which should be a very scary thought.
