2018 NFL predictions: ESPN picks Chiefs to go 9-7
By Matt Conner
The Kansas City Chiefs are predicted to go 9-7 in Patrick Mahomes first year as the starting quarterback, per ESPN’s early predictions.
The National Football League released the full regular season schedule for 2018 on Thursday night in a primetime unveiling, and ESPN followed suit with full season predictions for each team soon thereafter. If you buy into their view of the AFC West, it’s not a good look for the Chiefs.
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Chiefs Kingdom will tell you this is nothing new. Every year, another team in the division is supposed to be better than the Chiefs, if not several teams. The Denver Broncos were understandably the favorites for years with Peyton Manning at the helm and their Super Bowl quality defense, but even in recent years when the Donkeys have faded, other teams receive more acclaim.
That’s the same thing for this year as well, as the Chiefs are predicted to go 9-7 on the season by ESPN analyst Adam Teicher.
"The trick for the Chiefs will be to keep their heads above water over the season’s first six games. During that stretch, they’ll play four road games, with the Chargers, Steelers and Patriots among those opponents. If the Chiefs survive that stretch, things get easier and they could win at least 10 games for the fourth consecutive season."
A look at the AFC West, per ESPN, reveals a predicted division title by the Los Angeles Chargers followed by the Chiefs and Oakland Raiders tied for second. The Denver Broncos are right in the thick of things at 8-8. If the basement team in the division has a .500 record, we’ll be back to talking about the West as the NFL’s best overall division top to bottom.
Of course the Chargers are predicted to be great. They said the same thing last year. Oh yeah, let’s not forget about the “next great elite AFC team in the Raiders. Those guys should be the next Patriots.” The Chiefs hear these same predictions every year before mowing over the rest of the division for each of the last two years.
If Patrick Mahomes is not as ready as Chiefs coaches think he is, then they might be in trouble. But given their confidence level (and the Chiefs record against the division for the last few years), it’s silly to think the division doesn’t roll through K.C. until proven otherwise.