The Chiefs, undoubtedly, have been the class of the AFC for the last two years. The franchise won its first Super Bowl in 50 years back in 2020 and returned in 2021 before falling to Tom Brady and the Bucs.
With the NFL Draft and a large portion of the offseason in the rearview, the Chiefs remain the favorites to win Super Bowl LVI in L.A. With Patrick Mahomes entering his fourth year as a starter coupled a revamped offensive line, the team should still be a major threat to win another title despite the disappointing loss to Tampa Bay in February.
There are, however, several factors that could stand in the way of the Chiefs’ vision of “taking it back” in 2022.
5 reasons the Chiefs could fail to reach Super Bowl LVI
1. The pass-catching conundrum. The Chiefs have long been the gold standard in the NFL with regards to offensive execution. Have they done enough this offseason to stock the cupboard with viable weapons? Gone is Sammy Watkins, the team’s #2 receiver from the last three seasons and the team did little to replace his production in free agency. Travis Kelce, while still elite, is turning 32 this fall. Noah Gray, the rookie from Duke could be very promising but Nick Keizer? Blake Bell? Yikes.
We know Tyreek Hill is amongst the best receivers in the league but can Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson step up and keep this offense humming? Hardman has showed flashes but Pringle and Robinson have yet to contribute at a high rate during their respective careers. We see other teams drafting skilled position players relentlessly to try to keep up with the Chiefs. Could this be the year some teams finally catch them?
2. The AFC West is getting better. The Chiefs have won their division five consecutive times and Andy Reid’s stronghold on AFC west foes is bordering legendary. The division is definitely improving as seen by Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert’s quick rise in 2020 and the Raiders ability to beat the Chiefs in KC. With rumors swirling about Aaron Rodgers potentially landing in Denver, the Chiefs’ road to a sixth straight division title could become a little more murky.
3. Three straight Super Bowl appearances is rarified air. Only three teams in NFL history have ever gone to three straight (the ’71-’73 Dolphins, ’90-93 Bills and ’16-18 Patriots). While the Chiefs’ Vegas odds are still very strong (+525) it would still remain and incredible feat for this franchise to attain. The argument can be made that the Chiefs should have and could easily have played in three already but that plan was vanquished by the Patriots in the 2019 AFC Championship game.
4. Where’s the pass rush? The Chiefs ranked 19th in the league last year in sacks per game. This is not a completely incriminating stat in and of itself but the team has invested a vast amount of resources on its defensive line. Defensive tackle Chris Jones let the team with seven sacks a year ago but 100 million dollar man DE Frank Clark added just six. We are going to need to see more high-end production from this group going forward and perhaps that will come from unsung talent like Mike Danna, Tershawn Wharton or rookie Joshua Kaindoh.
5. Schedule. We know that the Chiefs are pretty adept at handling first place NFL schedules. Could this be the year that it finally catches up? In a new 17-game schedule, Kansas City will play seven playoff teams from a year ago including both opponents they faced during the 2020 AFC playoffs. There will be an extra home game added but that will be against Green Bay (who may or not have the services of Aaron Rodgers).
Reasons to hope
Despite these concerns, the Chiefs should be (and are) the odds on favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Obviously, Kansas City has represented the pinnacle of National Football League success since Patrick Mahomes’ arrival and as long as he is upright and healthy, this team is going to be a major factor. Until someone emerges and unseats the Chiefs, it’s quite futile to pick against them (perennial Chargers predictions not withstanding).
Did GM Brett Veach panic a little bit after witnessing his offensive line obliterated by Tampa’s front four? I’ll listen to that all day. The truth is, in short order, a position that was a huge weakness on February 7th is now a major strength and that will play a big role this season. A cleaner Patrick Mahomes could make all the difference in 2021, not to mention more success in the running game behind this state-of-the-art line.
