photo credit: kcchiefs.com
2012 Record: 2-14 (4th in AFC West)
2012 Season Review: There was really nothing positive that came out of 2012 season in Kansas City. Things looked promising for the Chiefs going in as some had them challenging the Broncos for the division title, but a barrage of injuries, terrible quarterback play, and lackluster coaching stopped that train right in its tracks. None of this mattered in comparison to the terrible murder-suicide that occurred at the team’s practice facilities on December 1st. Going into 2013 the Chiefs needed to revamp both their mindsets and their personnel. That was accomplished when they traded for quarterback Alex Smith and signed Andy Reid to become their new head coach.
Offseason Review: Key Additions: QB Alex Smith, CB Sean Smith, CB Daunta Robinson, TE Anthony Fasano. OL Eric Fisher (draft), TE Travis Kelce (draft)….Departures- DT Glenn Dorsey, DE Ropati Pitoitua, QB Matt Cassel, QB Brady Quinn….Final Analysis- The Chiefs definitely picked a bad offseason to desperately need a quarterback. Their situation last year was grim, with neither Matt Cassel nor Brady Quinn being able to even play average football under center. As a result both of them no longer are with the team, leaving the Chiefs in need of a replacement. Now in any other offseason this wouldn’t have been much of a problem, Kansas City had the first overall pick in the draft and with it they could select the best overall quarterback. Except this year’s class included unimposing guys like Geno Smith, EJ Manuel, and Mike Glennon at the top of the list. So that wasn’t an option. OK, plan B then, they could trade for a decent quarterback, surely some team will be looking to unload a signal-caller for cheap they thought. Well this year their best options were Alex Smith and Nick Foles. They went with the former and will be heading into 2013 with Smith under center. Now Smith is not a terrible quarterback, in fact the last two season’s he’s actually been pretty decent in San Francisco. But when you consider that if the Chiefs had the first pick in the draft a year earlier or later they’d be looking at Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Teddy Bridgewater, or Johnny Manziel as their quarterback of the future that really has to bum some people in Kansas City out. I can’t necessarily penalize them for this as they really had no other options and at least addressed the need. What I can penalize them for though is selecting offensive tackle Eric Fisher over Luke Joeckel with the first overall pick. The Chiefs made it clear they’d be going with an offensive lineman at number one and in my opinion Joeckel was the better overall talent. Aside from that the Chiefs didn’t have that bad of an offseason, revamping their secondary with corners Sean Smith and Daunta Robinson while holding on to key free agents like receiver Dwayne Bowe, offensive lineman Branden Albert, Dustin Coquitt. Despite missing out on a franchise-altering quarterback this offseason could’ve been a lot worse in Kansas City. Grade: C-
Strengths: The strong-suit of this Kansas City offense in 2013 will undoubtedly be their potent rushing attack. Their lead back will be the lightning-quick Jamaal Charles, who was able to rush for over 1,500 yards and five touchdowns last season despite coming off a season-ending ACL tear that required surgery the year before. Charles is a playmaker that thrives in the open field and can burst out a long, game-breaking run at any moment. He is coming off a foot injury that has hampered him through most of training camp and the preseason, but assuming he’s recovered from that by week 1 he should be one of the league’s better and more explosive backs this year. Making things easier for Charles to come back and produce after his injury will be this stellar offensive line, which after the addition of Eric Fisher in the draft now includes four first and second rounds picks. Fisher will soon spend his time as the blind-side protector for years to come, but for this season he’ll be on the right side while fellow first round selection Brandon Albert anchors the left. The line looks even stouter when you see Rodney Hudson and Jon Asamoah on the interior as center and right guard, respectively. If the injury-prone Albert can stay healthy then the only question mark on this line will be the left guard position. Charles should feel very confident running behind them in 2013. As for the defense, I’m really impressed with both of their outside linebackers, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, who combined for 19 sacks last season and only figure to get better as this defense improves overall as well. That should make things even easier for this already talented secondary which features big-name guys like Brandon Flowers, Sean Smith, and Eric Berry. Those three, along with fourth-year safety Kendrick Lewis, form a very talented secondary on paper that I am looking forward to watching play this season.
Weaknesses: Similar to most teams in the NFL today, the Chiefs offense just can’t have it both ways. They’ve got an electrifying-when-healthy running back behind a solid offensive line, giving them a very potent rushing attack. But they’ve got a very weak passing game to compliment it. Their quarterback, the newly-acquired Alex Smith, has really never been more than a serviceable NFL talent for the 49ers since being the first overall pick in the 2005 draft. He’s never thrown for more than 3,144 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a completion percentage over 61% in a full-season, yet he also hasn’t thrown more than 10 interceptions in a season since 2009. Smith is mediocre to say it in short. Some may call him a bust, some may say they saw it coming, but all can agree that he’s not really anything that special. Maybe that’s all Kansas City needs from him this season, nothing special, just to be smart with the ball, make the easy throws, and manage a game, who knows? But from looking at Smith’s talents and the receivers that he’ll be throwing the ball to this season, nothing special is really all the Chiefs are going to get. This crop of receivers is pretty pedestrian to say the least, with their lead-man Dwyane Bowe not even playing all that impressive last season. Nonetheless, Bowe got a new contract in the offseason and it’s up to him to anchor this group. Jonathan Baldwin was traded in the offseason, so there’s a spot open for grabs behind Bowe at the number two. It’ll probably go to Donnie Avery, who had a very nice season last year and can probably be counted on for steady production. Although the versatile Dexter McCluster definitely could break into the role if he plays well enough. McCluster is probably one of the best all-around athletes on this team and even though his numbers aren’t great, he’s still an important member of this offense. The Chiefs don’t have a terrible group of top three guys, in fact couple them with tight end Anthony Fasano and this group isn’t half bad. But how effective Smith can be getting them the ball is the main thing that concerns me.
Fantasy Breakout Player: The explosive Jamaal Charles should have a career year in Kansas City behind a rock-solid offensive line this season. When healthy, Charles is one of the more explosive and versatile backs in the league, capable of breaking off a 50-plus yard run at almost any moment. Now, his carries should go down this season under pass-happy head coach Andy Reid, but he should make up for that with a great season catching passes out of the backfield. Look for him to approach 50-60 receptions and upwards of five receiving touchdowns this year if he plays a full 16 games. He’s a top 10 fantasy running back and should be a first or second round pick in pretty much draft this season.
Best Case/Worst Case: Best Case- Smith proves to be an effective game-manager in his first season in Kansas City, as the Chiefs offense plays well throughout the year. The defense, which had four Pro Bowlers last season, comes together as a unit to be among the league’s best. The Chiefs steal an AFC wild card spot and make the playoffs just a year after their 2-14 debacle. Worst Case- Smith struggles mightily in a new situation as the Kansas City passing attack is among the league’s worst. Jamaal Charles battles injuries for most of the season, rendering him basically ineffective and unimportant. The defense plays well but it can’t make up for the struggles of the offense, and the Chiefs are again picking in the top five of next year’s draft.
One Word to Describe This Preview for the Lazy: Surprise. With the additions of Smith and head coach Andy Reid it’s not crazy to think that the Chiefs could make a surprise playoff appearance this season. For that to happen, a bevy of things will have to go their way. It’s a long-shot, but who knows?
Prediction: 7-9
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