Another AFC West prediction puts Chiefs behind Raiders
By Matt Conner
Will Leitch of Sports on Earth says that the Chiefs will finish with an 11-5 record, but that still won’t be enough for a divisional crown.
Despite sweeping the AFC West last season, winning every single game against the likes of the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos even on the road, the Kansas City Chiefs still can’t generate the sort of respect or buzz to earn a prediction to repeat. The latest column from Will Leitch from Sports on Earth has the Chiefs at a nice 11-5 final record, but somehow the Raiders are the divisional champions.
Leitch clearly respects the talent level and coaching of the Chiefs and has them in the playoffs once again. Most fans would likely be just fine with an 11-5 final record, but it’s hard to believe the Raiders can go from a complete inability to compete with the Chiefs to besting them for divisional supremacy. Leitch writes:
"The Chiefs should be efficient and smart and a winning team. You’ll underrate them all year. But they still won’t be better than the third or fourth best team in this conference, again."
As for the Denver Broncos, they’re predicted to take a step backward to 9-7 due to the quarterback situation and their choice between former first round pick Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian. Leitch writes:
"….the Broncos appear to have missed dramatically on Paxton Lynch, who is starting to make Jared Goff look like a solid, timely investment."
Well said.
Back to the Raiders. Leitch seems to like one part of the team that you never hear anyone really talk about—at least on this level. He writes:
"But now, now, the Raiders are good! They have a franchise quarterback. They have a terrifying defense."
The quarterback part is true. The defensive part… eh? I mean, every team in the NFL would be ecstatic to have a foundation piece like Khalil Mack. They have some nice young pieces in the secondary. But there’s a reason that the Raiders got carved up against superior competition, which includes the Chiefs. The Raiders have holes at linebacker, issues along the line and talent concerns in the secondary.
Perhaps another season of Chiefs dominance will be the ticket to national respect, especially if they burst the Raiders’ balloon in the same way they did last season.