What do you make of a team that finished 4-12 a year ago and often looked embarrassingly bad in doing so? Some believe this could be a slightly improved season for the Kansas City Chiefs and others believe that this team could be a sleeper for the playoffs. The reason for the high amount of variance between opinions is because of questions surrounding their most valuable players have yet to be answered.
The biggest question for this team is: What do they really have in Matt Cassel? A guy that has All-Pro talent that was stuck behind Hall of Fame talent in Tom Brady or a guy that was propped up in his time on the field in New England because of great talent around him? Nobody knows for sure what KC really has in Cassel, but he better show improvement from a sub-par first season in order for the Chiefs to make a step up.
The other big question is: How good can Jamaal Charles really be? In only 190 carries last season, he gained 1120 yards rushing. Even more impressive was his last four games as the starter as he rushed 94 times for 658 yards. This includes the final game of the year against Denver when he ran 25 times for 259. Is he the next big thing?
I like the depth of this offense. Dwayne Bowe has emerged as a credible number one threat at the wide receiver spot. Also, Cassel and Chris Chambers had instant chemistry at the end of the year when Chambers was brought in via trade with San Diego. Thomas Jones creates a good 1-2 in the backfield. However, for all of this to come together, the offensive line has to be much better than a year ago. With Brian Waters and Ryan Lilja as the guards, they provide veteran experience, but the youngsters on that line have to elevate their game.
The defence of the Chiefs really did themselves no favours as they were near the bottom in most major categories last year. The only aspect they were decent at was stopping the run. The biggest problem is that it looks good on paper, especially with as many as five first round picks on the field at the same time. But 4 out of the 5 first round picks (Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson) are closer to being busts than superstars. For the Chiefs’ sake, let’s hope this year’s first-rounder, Eric Berry, doesn’t follow the same path.
Two players I’ll be looking for in camp will be Glenn Dorsey and Javier Arenas. It’s put up or shut up time for Dorsey. Being a first-rounder and only have 2 sacks in 2 years isn’t going to cut it. Arenas is a guy that has a lot to prove after he felt undervalued at being picked in the second round instead of the first. Considering how weak the corners are on this team, the Alabama standout may be a starter sooner rather than later.
2010 Prediction: 6-10