BY TRISTAN SASSE
With the 2017 season right around the corner, many Kansas City Chiefs fans are still hanging their heads about the end result in 2016. The 2016 Chiefs finished the regular season tied with the Oakland Raiders for the third-best record in the NFL at 12-4. After a 6-0 division record in the regular season, the Chiefs even had a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the postseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Chiefs, 18-16, due in large part to Chris Boswell’s NFL postseason record of six made fields goals. With the 2017 season beginning on Thursday, the Chiefs will be optimistic for the long road ahead.
The Chiefs made many moves in the offseason, including the departure of well-known players. The Chiefs lost defensive tackle Dontari Poe in free agency to the reigning NFC champion Atlanta Falcons. To replace Poe, the Chiefs signed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Bennie Logan.
Kansas City also released Jamaal Charles and Jeremy Maclin. The Chiefs’ all-time leading rusher, Charles, has fought injuries throughout his career, and hasn’t rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season since 2014. Charles has failed to appear in more than five games the past two seasons. The Chiefs will now be able to see Charles twice a year, as he signed with division rival, Denver. Shortly after the Chiefs released Maclin, he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens. In 2016, Maclin had career lows in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Recently, the Chiefs also traded special teams Pro Bowler D.J. Alexander to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Chiefs will also be without Spencer Ware for the entire 2017 season, after tearing his MCL and PCL in a preseason game against the Seahawks. Last season, Ware led Kansas City with over 900 rushing yards. Kareem Hunt, who was drafted in the third round in 2017, is scheduled to be the starter for week one. Charcandrick West and newly signed veteran C.J. Spiller will also share time in the backfield.
Outside linebacker Tamba Hali will also be out for an extended period to begin the season. Hali, who is 33, did not play in the preseason due to aching knees and is expected to miss the first six weeks. A season ago, Hali had a career-low 34 tackles. Justin Houston and Dee Ford will start at outside linebacker in Kansas City’s 3-4 defense.
On a lighter note, the Chiefs were able to re-sign many key assets. In March, Eric Berry, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, and Daniel Sorensen were signed to contract extensions. Kansas City also drafted a solid backup in Patrick Mahomes II, who has excelled during the preseason. If Alex Smith struggles early on, don’t be surprised if Mahomes sees significant playing time.
Although the Chiefs lost many valuable players, they also have many returners. Receivers Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill both had breakout seasons in 2016. Kelce, who will be entering his fifth season, has improved his receiving yard total every year of his career. The all-pro tight end had 85 receptions and over 1,100 receiving yards a season ago. Tyreek Hill also joined Kelce as a serious threat offensively. Known as the fastest man in football, Hill led the Chiefs with 12 touchdowns (6 receiving, 3 rushing, 3 returning) in his rookie season. Although the NFL is now well aware who Tyreek Hill is, his speed will still make a major difference.
Even with rising stars returning on offense, the Chiefs failed to make noticeable improvements. The Chiefs offensive line will look similar in 2017, with the only difference being at left guard. Bryan Witzmann is scheduled to make his first career start on Thursday against New England. Witzmann was with Kansas City last year, and beat out Zach Fulton for the starting job after signing a contract extension in July. Aside from the loss of Maclin, the rest of the Chiefs offense will look similar. Rookies Kareem Hunt and Jehu Chesson will see playing time after having successful preseason appearances.
Defensively, aside from the loss of Poe in free agency, the Chiefs will have a familiar look. Defensive end Allen Bailey will be coming back from an injury that sidelined him for the majority of last season. He’ll join newcomer Bennie Logan and Chris Jones on the defensive line. The starting linebackers are also a similar group. Justin Houston, Dee Ford, Derrick Johnson, and Ramik Wilson make for a nightmare quartet if they can stay healthy.
Lastly, the secondary also features many talented, well-known faces. Eric Berry led the Chiefs in defensive touchdowns last season, and all-pro cornerback Marcus Peters totaled six interceptions. Steven Nelson and Ron Parker round out the secondary. Each of them totaled over 60 tackles in 2016. While the Chiefs didn’t make many improvements on either side of the ball in the 2017 offseason, they will be returning a solid group.
In 2017, it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs can return to the postseason. They definitely have the talent to do so, but have one of the toughest schedules in the league. Not only will Kansas City have a hard time in the division against the Broncos, Chargers, and Raiders, but they’ll have many difficult non-division games. The Chiefs open the season against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Their schedule also features matches against the playoff hopeful Cowboys, Dolphins, Giants, Steelers, and Texans. In one of the toughest schedules in recent memory, Kansas City will be lucky to make the playoffs.