NFL Power Rankings and the KC Chiefs schedule
Must Prove They’ve Overcome Their Achilles Heel
These five teams are the last four that I can realistically consider Super Bowl contenders, but they all have a major Achilles Heel (or two) that they have to prove they have overcome in order to make a run.
Kansas City at Baltimore: Week 2 – Sunday Night Football – 9/19/21
The Ravens have a Super Bowl-caliber roster but they shown they can win the big game. Whether you want to call this a separate issue or part of the same one, Lamar Jackson has proven to be a star in the regular season, but hasn’t shown himself to be able to do the same in the playoffs. They whimpered their way out of the playoffs last season with a pitiful three point outing against the Bills. Until they prove they can win when it counts, they can’t be considered one of the elite teams.
The Ravens’ big-game issues are a perfect segue to their Week 2 matchup with the Chiefs. The game is in Baltimore in primetime, and you know their fans will be juiced up like it’s their own personal Super Bowl. If the Chiefs win, the poor Ravens can go back to picking on the bad and middling teams in the regular season, but those big game doubts will only intensify. Much like the Bills, if the Ravens win, it may be a sign that they’re finally ready to run with the big boys. My money is still on the Chiefs in this one.
If the Seattle Seahawks can protect Russell Wilson, they have a chance to beat anyone. He’s that good. The problem is that year after year they have failed to do just that. Wilson has the offensive weapons to cook with, but if the line is a mess again this year, they don’t stand a chance. Their defense isn’t what it used to be, but it’s still enough for Wilson to work with if they protect him. There are only a few quarterbacks that I fear if they get hot at the right time, and Wilson is one of them. The Seahawks just need to not hold him back.
The 49ers have a top five NFL roster if you don’t count the quarterback position. Unfortunately, that position counts more than any other. They also have a bunch of guys who battled injuries last season. If they stay healthy and get just solid quarterback play this season, they will jump up this list right above the Los Angeles Rams as both the division favorite and the biggest threat to the Bucs in the NFC.
With how Jimmy Garoppolo has handled pressure in the past, I’m not expecting him to do well with Trey Lance breathing down his neck. Meanwhile, Lance is a total question mark if he takes over the offense. This team could be a Super Bowl threat or just miss the playoffs this season and neither would surprise me.
10. Tennessee Titans
Kansas City at Tennessee: Week 7 – 10/24/21
As I am writing this, there are breaking reports that the Titans have landed Julio Jones. If that’s the case, they will have a dynamic offense this season. The problem is their defense was awful last season. This deal just makes them the Dallas Cowboys of the AFC in my opinion.
The Titans are definitely a much bigger threat than they were before landing Jones, but I think their defense is too much of a mess at this point to move them much higher up this list. I already had the Titans as the favorite to win the division, because I don’t believe in Carson Wentz in Indianapolis, but landing Jones makes it a lock.
On paper, the Chiefs should still be the favorites in their Week 7 matchup. The Titans will be a more popular pick with Jones on the roster, but like I said, their defense is a problem. Still, this games scares me. I don’t know that the Chiefs will emotionally get up for this game as much as a few of the other early big games versus power teams in the AFC. With this game being in Tennessee, it could be a problem. With the Titans now having an offense that can better keep pace with the Chiefs, this is on the short list of potential losses for K.C.
Los Angeles at Kansas City: Week 3 – 9/26/21
Kansas City at Los Angeles: Week 15 – Thursday Night Football – 12/16/21
The Los Angeles Chargers have a talented enough roster to be an outside Super Bowl threat if they stay healthy and don’t get in their own way. The problem for them is that they have failed to do that for what feels like the last 20 seasons in a row. Will this year be different? Who knows.
Every year tons of “experts” pick them to break out, and every year they suffer major injuries and self destruct. They have a new head coach and what appears to be a great young quarterback in Justin Herbert. They made big strides in improving their offensive line this offseason, so maybe this is finally the year.
The Chiefs get the Chargers early in the season at home and then have to go on the road late in the season on Thursday Night Football. I feel good about the Week 3 game at home with the Chargers having a new coach and offensive coordinator. The Week 15 game on Thursday night does make me a little nervous. The Chiefs will be coming off a short week after facing the Las Vegas Raiders and the Chargers young team and new coaches could be clicking on all cylinders by that point of the season (if half their team isn’t on IR by then).
The next tier are playoff contenders that aren’t a real threat to win it all.