The 2013 season was good to the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing 11-5 with a playoff berth after a hot 9-0 start. Unfortunately for them, they blew a 38-10 lead to the Indianapolis Colts in the wild card matchup, and it’s all been downhill from there.
Football season is vastly approaching, and the Chiefs haven’t gotten better as a team, in fact they’ve gotten worse. Denver already had a stacked roster last year and have since improved, putting even more pressure on KC.
The Chiefs were losers of free agency losing Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah, Geoff Schwartz, Tyson Jackson, Dexter McCluster, Brandon Flowers, Quintin Demps, and Kendrick Lewis. Each playing a role in the 2013 Chiefs success, but due to salary cap issues, these eight players have moved on.
This offseason, KC lost the majority of their offensive line which won’t help quarterback Alex Smith when going up against big defenses such as the division rival Broncos.
With a tougher schedule and weaker roster, the Chiefs are set for regression in 2014. They go from having the easiest schedule last year to the seventh hardest in 2014.
Now, they’re offense still has some weapons and playmakers that give the Chiefs some hope. One of those guys is Jamaal Charles who ran for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Smith also has Dwayne Bowe to work with, and after a down season, 673 yards and five touchdowns, Bowe looks to regain old form this year.
Last season the Chiefs defense ranked fifth best in points allowed at 19.1, but considering they had the easiest schedule, that is bound to change this year. They will face some top offenses and divisions this year which will be a challenge for them.
When it comes to their secondary there isn't a lot of star power. With the release of Flowers, safety Eric Berry is the best player they have in the secondary.
They did add Vance Walker this offseason, who was a solid tackle for the Oakland Raiders, but not necessarily a key player.
It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs do this season. Their 2013 record wasn’t a true definition of their team as they later proved they struggle against good competition. Losing five of your last seven and blowing a 28-point lead in a playoff game is no way to end the year. Add the loss of key players in the offseason and that's a lot to take in.
They've also had some off field concerns when it comes to Smith and a contract extension. As he enters the final year of his contract, the two sides have yet to come to an agreement, which could potentially show on the field.
KC has to go up against the AFC favorite Denver Broncos if they have any hopes at winning the West, and the Peyton Manning led Broncos just seem to get better every year. They also are in a division that sent three teams to the playoffs in 2013. The Chiefs face one of the toughest schedules in the league this season, and with their roster, they will show serious regression in 2014.