Calm Before the Season: Chiefs Have Unfinished Business
Training camp is over and the preseason is in the books. The 53-man roster is set. It’s almost time for real football games to begin. The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Detroit Lions this Thursday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and will get to hang their newest Super Bowl banner in the process. It’s going to be a joyous occasion for players, coaches and fans alike, but then it's on to the next challenge.
It’s not just Chiefs fans that are excited for this moment. Whenever Harrison Butker (or Riley Patterson/whoever the Lions bring in this week) kicks the ball off the tee at 7:25 p.m. on Thursday, the entire nation will be watching. The NFL always boasts the highest-rated shows year in and year out, and opening night of the season is one of their top events.
Some questioned why the NFL would pick the Lions to take on the Chiefs in the opener with the loaded schedule Kansas City has this season. They could have given the world a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles on opening night, maybe an AFC Championship Game rematch with the Bengals or even another potential instant classic between the Chiefs and Bills. However, the Lions are a team on the rise in the NFC and it makes sense for the league to want to showcase them while understanding the defending champs and reigning league MVP, Patrick Mahomes, will draw plenty of viewers on their own.
There has been an increased excitement for the Chiefs' offense as the offseason has come to a close. Kansas City added Rashee Rice in the second round of the NFL Draft and while he struggled with drops throughout the preseason, he led the league in yards after catch as well. Justyn Ross, an undrafted wideout who sat out all of last season on injured reserve, has impressed with his play throughout camp and the preseason. Richie James is a new free agent acquisition that has played well early in his tenure with the Chiefs.
No one needs to say anything more than their names to get excited about the Mahomes-Travis Kelce connection. There’s even some optimism around receiver Kadarius Toney coming back from a camp injury for Week 1. The three-headed running back room of Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire will continue to roll right along. The offense will be just fine.
There are more questions about the defense as the season opener approaches. Chris Jones still has yet to report and has stated on social media that he’s willing to hold out for eight weeks. No one really knows how things went so sideways with that negotiation for sure, but it has left a sour taste in the mouths of folks in Chiefs Kingdom. L’Jarius Sneed, one of the best players on the defense, was sidelined all preseason with an injury. Charles Omenihu, a free agent acquisition in the offseason, is suspended for the first six games of the season. The Chiefs will need a lot of younger players to step up.
The good news for the defense is that this may be the best linebacker group from top-to-bottom in team history. Nick Bolton, Willie Gay Jr., Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal are all capable of starting, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will have plenty of options when it comes to the usage of these players. The team also kept Cam Jones and Jack Cochrane when making final cuts to the roster. This will be a strength.
A young, but now experienced, secondary filled with second-year players will be tested by Lions quarterback Jared Goff, especially if the Chiefs can’t generate a great pass rush up front in the absence of Jones. Look for Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Bryan Cook to step up again this year.
Another good sign for the Chiefs: Harrison Butker looks like he’s 100% healthy and ready to get back to form as one of the best kickers in the NFL. Kansas City seems to always rely on Butker in big moments, whether it’s hitting a game-tying field goal in the “13 seconds” game or hitting game-winning field goals in both the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl last season. When you have a kicker that can be automatic, that’s one less thing to worry about.
With the exception of Jones and his future, there has been a bit of calm before the start of the season. The team is ramping up to try and win back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time in franchise history. It’s another run-it-back campaign, but this time there is unfinished business. In 2019 and 2020, the Chiefs couldn’t get the job done. If they want to be considered a dynasty with Andy Reid, Mahomes and Kelce, they need to win another ring together. There’s no better time than the present to get it done.
