NFL experts are bullish on Chiefs’ chances this season
If the Chiefs were hoping to play the disrespect card this season, they’re out of luck.
Most national NFL writers/reporters believe the Chiefs will win the AFC West again this season, and they are the favorite by many to get to Super Bowl LIV.
And a decent amount believe the Chiefs will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is also favored to win a second NFL MVP award.
Here is a closer look at where the Chiefs land in preseason picks:
Sports Illustrated’s 13 writers all picked the Chiefs to be AFC West champions and seven have them in the Super Bowl. Two believe the Chiefs will be the Super Bowl champions. Three of the experts had quarterback Patrick Mahomes winning a second straight MVP award, while a pair of reporters had Andy Reid being the coach of the year.
Greg Bishop wrote: “They have the reigning NFL MVP at quarterback, a bevy of skill position stars, an innovative offensive coach, a new edge rusher and an improved defense, at least in theory. They almost upended the Patriots last season to reach the Super Bowl. I expect a rematch, and I don’t think they’ll find the Rams on the opposite sideline in the title game, and I like the Chiefs over any of the other NFC teams. So … the Chiefs win the title, starting a dominant run throughout Mahomes’ rookie contract, with 2019 the year that Reid and Mahomes and Kansas City make it happen, ending the tortured history once and for all.”
Twenty-two of the 29 experts at NFL.com think the Chiefs will win the West. Marc Sessler wrote: “The Chiefs return the entire offensive core, with added weapons in Mecole Hardman and Darwin Thompson. Football heads close to the team believe Patrick Mahomes has grown even more comfortable in the offense. EVEN MORE COMFORTABLE. Fill my belly with bath salts and I’ll pick someone else to win the West.”
Twelve of those pundits have the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and five think they will be the last team standing. Dan Parr wrote in his Super Bowl pick: “In a rematch of last season’s epic shootout, Patrick Mahomes gets his revenge in a similar point-scoring bonanza. Kansas City prevails, 55-45, to close out the NFL’s 100th season.”
The Chiefs are favored to win the West by five of USA Today’s seven writers. Jori Epstein and Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz went with the Chargers, but they both had the Chiefs being the top wild card. Two of these experts picked the Chiefs to get the Lombardi Trophy at the end of Super Bowl LIV.
All six writers at Pro Football Talk picked the Chiefs to win the AFC West and five had Kansas City back in the AFC Championship Game (Mike Florio was the lone exception). Four of the writers predicted the Chiefs would be in the Super Bowl and three had Kansas City being crowned champions.
The six writers at the Ringer picked the Chiefs to win the AFC West and advance to Super Bowl LIV. Three think the Chiefs will win the Super Bowl. Danny Kelly wrote: “Trying to defend this Chiefs offense is going to be an absolute nightmare. The top-scoring unit from last year could be even better in 2019 thanks to another offseason of development time for Patrick Mahomes and the infusion of even more speed in rookie receiver Mecole Hardman and running back Darwin Thompson. This team just looks like a juggernaut. I can’t see anyone keeping pace with the offense, and the defense should improve under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, too.”
Four of CBS Sports’ seven experts predicted the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl. Those four all picked Mahomes to be Super Bowl MVP. Ryan Wilson wrote: “Kansas City is somehow better on offense — Patrick Mahomes is a year wiser, Sammy Watkins is poised for a big year and the team added Mecole Hardman in the draft. The biggest question is the defense, but that unit should be improved over the 2018 squad.” Two of the seven believe Mahomes will again be the MVP.
FiveThirtyEighty’s outlook has the Chiefs favored to win the AFC West. Neil Paine wrote: “Although K.C. will probably regress some after last year’s breakout (we think the Chiefs’ point differential will fall from +144 to +79), and the defense is no better than average (it ranks 16th in ESPN’s preseason Football Power Index), we think this is the team most likely to dethrone New England.”
John Clayton of the Washington Post sees the Chiefs as the West champions, but doesn’t have them in Super Bowl LIV. Here is an excerpt of what he wrote: “Mahomes might not throw 40-plus touchdown passes this year, but he will keep this team in the Super Bowl hunt.”
The six writers at the Buffalo News are bullish on the Chiefs’ chances. They all picked the Chiefs to win the West, and five predicted the Chiefs would be in the Super Bowl. Just one, however, picked the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIV.
ESPN’s Seth Walder simulated the entire NFL season and has the Chiefs ... missing the playoffs. Here is what Walder wrote: “Andy Reid’s team finishes 9-7 with a cluster of other teams and ends up on the wrong end of the tiebreaker. It never truly felt like the Chiefs were going to miss the postseason, but after three straight losses to close the year, here we are.”
Rich Eisen of the NFL Network picked the Chiefs to win the AFC West:
The Sporting News picked the Chiefs to claim another West title and advance to the Super Bowl before losing to the Cowboys.
This story was originally published September 6, 2019 at 9:44 AM.