The Kansas City Chiefs went 14-2 in the 2020 NFL regular season and finished first in the AFC, earning the coveted first-round bye. As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs are primed to repeat thanks to an explosive offense and a defense that deserves more credit than it gets. Below, I make the case for the Chiefs as my prediction to win the 2021 Super Bowl LV, along with other NFL playoff picks and best bets.
Kansas City Chiefs year in review
The Chiefs absolutely rolled through the regular season with their only real stumble coming in Week 5 against the Raiders – a shocking 40-32 loss at home. Their other loss came in Week 17 when QB Patrick Mahomes and most key starters got the week off to rest for the playoffs.
Despite resting their starters in the season finale, the Chiefs still finished sixth in scoring, first in yards, first in first downs, first in passing, third in touchdown passes and first in plays per drive. It was yet another season dominated by Mahomes and the offense, scoring at least 21 points in all but one game.
Defensively, the Chiefs deserve more credit than they’ve gotten, too. They allowed 38 points to the Chargers in Week 17 and finished 10th in points allowed and 16th in yards – both of which were lower than they should’ve been due to the backups playing on Sunday. Where Kansas City must be better is in the red zone, ranking only 14th offensively and 32nd on defense.
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Why the Kansas City Chiefs will win the 2021 Super Bowl
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It’s easy to like the Chiefs as a Super Bowl contender, even at the low +240 odds. They had the best record in the regular season, are the reigning champs and are mostly healthy heading into the playoffs. Few teams in the NFL can keep up with this offense when they really put the pedal down, which is a massive hurdle for opponents on its own.
The AFC isn’t exactly loaded this year, either. The Pittsburgh Steelers offense is underwhelming, the Tennessee Titans defense sorely lacks talent, the Baltimore Ravens can at times be one-dimensional, the Indianapolis Colts are inconsistent and the Cleveland Browns are once again dealing with COVID-19 complications. That leaves the Buffalo Bills as the biggest threat to Kansas City in the AFC.
Fortunately, the Chiefs won’t face the Bills in the divisional round, as Buffalo will have to win two games to potentially meet the Chiefs in the NFC Championship. The Chiefs will face the lowest remaining seed in the conference after this weekend, which in a worst-case scenario will be the fourth-seeded Titans, or in a best-case scenario will be the Colts (who face Buffalo this weekend).
The Chiefs have a better chance than any other team to win the Super Bowl, and it all starts with Mahomes. A quarterback who rarely has an off day, combined with two of the best pass-catchers in football (WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce) make Kansas City dangerous. It’ll just come down to whether an opponent catches them on a bad day.
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Chiefs Wire:
- 5 Chiefs assistants who could be promoted to offensive coordinator if Eric Bieniemy leaves
- Chiefs WR Byron Pringle made case to be postseason contributor in Week 17
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