[Sylvanfan]

Well here goes my assessment on the Chiefs. They're still 1 year away from being able to threaten for the playoffs, and I think they still need 2 in order to legtimately challenge the Chargers as well as the other teams for the AFC West.

Offence:
Last year the Chiefs started the season dreadfully poor on the offensive side of the ball. Likely due to the fact that Todd Haley gassed Chan Gailey just prior to the end of training camp and tried to be OC and HC. The Chiefs offence was actually respectable in the second half as their sacks allowed were half of what it was in the first 8 games (15 in the final 8 vs 30 in the first 8). They had at least 220 yards in every game and went over 318 in 4 of the final 8 after being held to less than 220 total yards 4 times and only going over 305 once in the first 8 games.

For this year I look for the Cheifs to be one of the better running teams in the NFL. Their line seems to be a pretty good run blocking unit, and the tandem of Charles and Jones along with a few runs by Dexter McCluster should net them at least 2200 yards on the ground. The one thing that will impact their running is the fact that they'll likely be playing from behind a fair bit which will force them to throw the ball more than they'll like. If they are a team who run the ball a lot, I think that will mean they've won a lot more than anyone expected them to.

In terms of passing they're still a pretty weak unit. The line still isnt' great at pass protection, and the noodle armed Matt Cassel doesn't really scare NFL defences with the threat of the deep ball. Dwayne Bowe needs to get his head on straight and get back in the form he showed his first two years in the league. If he plays better, and if McCluster can be a shifty slot receiver and Charles can break a few out of the backfield the Chiefs may be able to put up 3500 yards through the air. Charlie Weiss despite his shortfalls at Notre Dame can still design a pretty good offence, and he'll know how to make use of what he has to work with.

Defence:
Again the Chiefs have gone to the vault of New England co-ordinators past to solve another woeful unit with Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs have spent a few early draft picks in the past 3 drafts in the secondary. The group of Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Javier Arenas, and Kenny Williams have all come from those drafts. With a bit more experience I think this could develop into a real strength for the Chiefs. Certainly they'd benefit from having a beast like Jared Allen terrorizing QB's, but thanks to Carl Peterson they don't.

Which brings me to the front 7 which is the big questionmark. Glen Dorsey and Tyson Jackson were both high draft picks. Ends in a 3-4 defence don't usually put up much for stats, but they need to clog up the line and let the guys behind them make plays. So this is a make or break year for them as Dorsey is a 3rd year guy and Jackson is a second year guy, and both were outplayed by Wallace Gilberry last year. At linebacker, Tamba Hali is the only thing they have resembling a pass rush and he should still be the bookend of Jared Allen in a 4-3 if you ask me. Simply put without a great nose tackle, and playmaking Linebackers who are suited to be 3-4 backers this unit is a big time weakness.

Special Teams:

I think the Chiefs may be able to do quite well here and likely stick around a few games due to this. Dustin Colquitt is a very good punter (he gets a lot of chances to kick the ball), and Ryan Succop had a very good rookie season although his pre-season was pretty dicey. The additions of Javier Arenas and Dexter McCluster should give the Chiefs a return game again which has been lacking for the most part since 2004 when Dante Hall was still somewhat effective.

Overall:
The Chiefs have an easy schedule and play in a bad Division. But even with those benefits I can't see them being any better than 8-8 and 6-10 is my official prediction. They need to improve their front 7, and if Cassel doesn't get it done this year, they'll need to axe him and find a real QB.

In