All right, let’s talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. They’re basically the top dogs in the NFL right now. They’ve dominated the AFC West for nine consecutive seasons, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. While most NFL teams are sweating it out in mandatory minicamps, the Chiefs, along with the Rams and Ravens, are taking it easy for a bit longer. All three won their divisions last year and are looking like the teams to beat again.
The Rams nearly defeated the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. They will begin training camp on Monday, June 16. What about the Ravens? They were one Mark Andrews catch away from facing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship again. They start on Tuesday, the 17th, which is the same day as Kansas City. The Chiefs, though? They’re still the team everyone’s gunning for, even after missing out on a historic three-peat in last season’s Super Bowl.
Who Could Shake Things Up in the AFC West?
Within their own division, the Chiefs have a couple of teams that could challenge them. The Chargers, led by Jim Harbaugh, had a solid season last year, earning 11 wins and a wild card spot. They have potential, but beating Kansas City is a whole different ballgame. Then there are the Broncos, led by Sean Payton. They’re hoping to step up their game, but the odds still favor the Chiefs repeating as champs. And the Raiders? I wouldn’t hold my breath. They have Pete Carroll now, and defense is his specialty, which could help, since defense is their Achilles’ heel.
Still, Patrick Mahomes has an impressive 35-5 record against the division-that’s an 87.5% win rate! The Chargers and Broncos may have to settle for wildcard spots again, competing with teams like the Bengals, Dolphins, Jaguars, Patriots, and Steelers, all of which have young QBs.
Any AFC Teams Ready to Step Up?
Taking a step back and looking at the entire AFC, who has a real shot at stopping the Chiefs? The Bills are always in the mix, but they’re 0-4 against Mahomes when Josh Allen is on the field-tough luck. The Ravens are another heavy hitter, but they have an annoying habit of faltering in the playoffs when it counts.
Teams like the Bengals with Joe Burrow and his sparking offense, or the Texans with also great offense a better defense could be contenders, but neither has shown that they can consistently outperform Kansas City in crucial moments.
The Chiefs are chasing some wild records next season, too-like becoming the second team to reach four consecutive Super Bowls (the Bills did it from 1990-1993) and the second team to play in eight straight conference championship games (the Patriots did it from 2011-2018). In fact, they could be the first team to reach six Super Bowls in seven years. That would be insane.
The Chiefs’ offense is a monster, especially if they stay injury-free. Mahomes could easily throw for 5,000 yards and 35+ touchdowns again-after all, last year was their best regular season ever. I don’t see anyone in the AFC West knocking them off, and even across the AFC, it’s a stretch. Maybe the Bills could work a miracle, but I’m not counting on it. The Chiefs are still the kings, and everyone else is just trying to keep up.
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