Alex Smith cautiously optimistic about Chiefs’ chances in coming season
Alex Smith and the Chiefs finally put an end to the Joe Montana references last December.
No longer is Montana the answer to the trivia question: Who was under center the last time the Chiefs won a playoff game?
After terminating the franchise’s 23-year stretch without winning a playoff game with a 30-0 thumping of the Houston Texas and nearly upsetting the New England Patriots, the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ 2015 successful season says it’s presumptuous to expect an ever better season in 2016.
“We have a good opportunity, but camp hasn’t even started and there are so many things that are going to happen throughout training camp and over the course of the season,” said fourth-year Chiefs quarterback Smith, who is participating in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament this weekend near Lake Tahoe. “Last year was a great example for us, to be able to take care of that kind of stuff early and put yourself in a good situation come postseason. For us, it’s tough to (win in the playoffs) on the road, and we kind of learned that last year.”
To avoid difficult road matchups in December, the Chiefs realize that winning the AFC West and playing home games at Arrowhead Stadium in December are keys to an extended playoff run.
Even though reigning Super Bowl champion Denver is the trendy pick to claim its sixth straight West title, some NFL analysts are picking the Chiefs to win the division for the second time since the 2003 season.
“They have a great chance to win their division,” said Jerome Bettis, a Hall of Fame running back who now serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN. “When you look at the defending Super Bowl champs, the Denver Broncos, they are nowhere as good as they were last year, so you can expect that they are going to come back down to earth. Oakland is the one team that I think is going to compete well against Kansas City for the division. I think Kansas City definitely is the favorite.”
Supporting the Chiefs’ cause to win the division are the experienced and talented pieces they return on offense. Smith passed for 20 touchdowns and a career-high 3,486 yards while throwing just seven picks. The Chiefs outrushed their opponents by nearly 500 yards even though running back Jamaal Charles missed the final 13 games because of a torn ACL in his right knee. Receiver Jeremy Maclin caught 87 passes for 1,088 yards and eight TDs, and tight end Travis Kelce grabbed 72 passes for 875 yards and five TDs.
“I think all of the pieces are there, and because of Alex’s background and his understanding of what (coach) Andy (Reid) is trying to get done offensively, I think it sets up very well for him to do that,” said Trent Green, an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.
For Smith, the depth of the running game, fueled by a maturing offensive line, gives the Chiefs even more reason for optimism in the coming season.
“Jamaal is an elite, elite player, and I’m glad, as are a lot of other guys, to get him back,” Smith said. “Certainly the one positive of the injury was that a couple of other running backs had to step up last year — Charcandrick West, Spencer Ware and Knile Davis — and now having Jamaal Charles back in the mix and having all of those guys is a big advantage.”
The increased production of players other than Smith indicates that the Chiefs are becoming more of a complete offensive team.
“Alex has done a very, very good job of being the quarterback that Andy wants,” said NFL analyst Joe Theismann. ,“He manages games well, he gets the ball out of his hands, he’s smart and he protects the football, then it’s up to guys to make plays around you.
“I’ve always believed that the quarterback position is the single-most dependent position on the field. When you stop and think about it, if you don’t have a running game, if you don’t have an offensive line or a wide receiver, lots of different things can happen. The thing in Kansas City was that they had a lot of injuries a year ago yet they still made it to the playoffs.”
Green and former Chiefs coach Herm Edwards also weighed in on Kansas City’s chances of unseating the Peyton Manning-less Broncos atop the AFC West.
“I do think it’s a division that is going to go down to Denver, Kansas City and Oakland,” Edwards said. “And I think Oakland has a chance of squeezing out a wild card this year.”
Green, who played six of his 15 NFL seasons in Kansas City, believes the West has the makings of one of the league’s toughest divisions from top to bottom.
“It’s hard (to see the Chiefs as the favorite) because if you look at the division, I think it is as competitive, if not the toughest out there right now,” Green said. “Obviously, Denver is the Super Bowl champs until you knock them off. If you look at the Raiders and how much they have improved and then Kansas City is much better as well. San Diego still has some question marks.
“It’s gonna be a dogfight to see who wins that division, but Kansas City has put themselves in position where they can win it.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2016 at 12:17 AM with the headline "Alex Smith cautiously optimistic about Chiefs’ chances in coming season."