Dolphins 2020 Opponent Breakdown: Week 14 - Kansas City Chiefs
As the Miami Dolphins continue to prepare for the 2020 regular season as best they can during this most unusual offseason, we will be dissecting their upcoming opponents.
The opponent for Week 14 will be the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who will come to Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 13.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
2019 Record: 12-4, first in AFC West (defeated Houston in AFC divisional playoffs; defeated Tennessee in AFC Championship Game; defeated San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV)
Last Dolphins-Chiefs Meeting: 2017 at Kansas City — Chiefs 29, Dolphins 13
In this Week 15 game at Arrowhead Stadium, the Dolphins were officially eliminated from playoff contention on the same day the Chiefs clinched the AFC West title. The Dolphins trailed only 17-13 late in the third quarter, but couldn't overcome two lost fumbles and an 0-for-8 performance in third-down conversions. Jakeem Grant had the first 100-yard receiving day of his career and scored the Dolphins' only touchdown on a 65-yard reception from Jay Cutler in the second quarter. Cutler finished the game 19-of-38 for 286 yards and Charles Harris had the Dolphins' only sack.
Season in Review:
Thanks to an assist from the Dolphins, the Chiefs rode a hot finish to the second Super Bowl title in franchise history. After losing four of six games, the Chiefs were 6-4 through 10 games before finishing the regular season with six consecutive victories. The Chiefs earned the second seed in the AFC playoffs when the Dolphins shocked the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in the season finale and then defeated the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans at home before winning Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium. The offense again led the way for the Chiefs, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill all earning Pro Bowl invitations. The defense got a big boost from safety Tyrann Mathieu, who earned All-Pro honors in his first season with the Chiefs, and linemen Frank Clark and Chris Jones both were selected to the Pro Bowl.
Key Veteran Additions: TE Ricky Seals-Jones, G Mike Remmers, DE Taco Charlton
No offense to any of the players mentioned above, but it's a far assessment to say the Chiefs didn't add a veteran of significance in the offseason. Seals-Jones had only 14 catches in 14 games for the Browns last season, though he did have 34 catches for the Cardinals in 2018. Remmers started 73 games at guard and both tackle spots over the past five seasons and he could push for a starting job with the Chiefs. And as for Charlton, Dolphins fans are familiar with him from his stint in Miami last year. Charlton had five sacks in the 10 games he played for the Dolphins, though his impact wasn't nearly as impressive as the numbers might suggest.
Key Departures: TE Blake Bell, LB Reggie Ragland, P Dustin Colquitt
Bell started seven games for the Chiefs last season, but he caught only eight passes. Ragland's role diminished greatly in 2019 after he started 15 games the previous year after coming over in a trade with Buffalo. For the first time since 2004, the Chiefs will have someone other than Colquitt do their punting after they decided to release him after 15 seasons. Colquitt ranked near the bottom of the AFC rankings in most punting categories last season.
Notable 2020 Draft Picks: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LB Willie Gay
As it the Chiefs offense weren't dangerous enough already, here comes Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the only running back selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. While it clearly was Joe Burrow who was the star of the show at LSU last year, CEH also played a huge role on offense, rushing for 1,414 yards and catching 55 passes. Gay may have been a bit of a surprise as a second-round pick considering he played only five games, all as a reserve, in 2019 after serving an eight-game NCAA suspension related to an academic tutor.
Prognosis:
The Chiefs have won 12 games three of the past four seasons and the way Patrick Mahomes finished last year has to make them the favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2020 — if Mahomes stays healthy, of course. This team is absolutely loaded on offense with Mahomes, Edwards-Helaire, former Dolphins running back Damien Williams, Kelce and Hill, and there are playmakers on defense, too, with Clark, Jones and Mathieu.
