Kansas City Chiefs could benefit from Tom Brady’s suspension

Unless you live under multiple rocks with your ears plugged, you are likely aware that Tom Brady was suspended four games for his involvement in DeFlateGate. Brady’s absence will force second-year quarterback Jimmy Garappolo into action for the New England Patriots, putting the defending champs in tough position.

While Brady is out, the Patriots will face the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. In all likelihood, New England will be 1-3 at best with Garappolo at the helm. Even though Brady will return at that point and likely take the Patriots to the playoffs, their record will be compromised.

Enter the Kansas City Chiefs. For the first time since Peyton Manning joined the Denver Broncos at the start of the 2012 season, Kansas City has a real chance to win the AFC West. Should the Chiefs be able to dethrone Denver, you start looking at which teams would compete for a first-round BYE week with Kansas City.

Looking at the schedule, it appears the Indianapolis Colts are a sure bet provided that Andrew Luck remains upright behind a leaky offensive line. The Colts play the AFC and NFC South divisions, giving them a ridiculously easy slate. The teams in the AFC North are on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will all beat each other up, then play the AFC and NFC West divisions. No teams have harder schedules.

It is reasonable to conclude that should the Chiefs win the AFC West, they will be fighting against the winner of the AFC East for a BYE. Even with Brady out for the first quarter of the season, consider me a believer that New England still wins the division. The New York Jets and Buffalo Bills have no quarterback, and the Miami Dolphins also underwhelm.

Kansas City needs to take advantage of this opportunity. With Brady on the sideline, the Chiefs could get a major head start on the Patriots. The schedule is rough on Andy Reid’s group early, but not impossible. Getting ahead of New England and nabbing a BYE would be amazing. Of course, all of this is premature and speculation, but that’s part of the fun with sports.

What do you think, Addicts?