We all know where this team was last year at this time, 2-14 with the number 1 selection in their back pocket. There was hope, however. The Kansas City Chiefs had just hired a new coach. One year later, Kansas City finished 11-5, made the playoffs, and looked poised to advance past the wildcard round before suffering a heart breaking loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Rarely has there been a better testament to how quickly things can turn around in the NFL.
The Chiefs’ transformation started with the hiring of Andy Reid, easily the best fit among all the coaching moves last season. The Chiefs traded a second-round pick for quarterback Alex Smith, who was the perfect fit for what Kansas City wanted to do as far as offensive philosophy. When you have one of the league’s best running backs in Jamaal Charles, you feed him the ball consistently, work play action passes in the mid- range game, and take your shots downfield when the opportunity presents itself. That philosophy worked as well, or possibly even better, than expected as Kansas City actually finished first overall in the NFL in yardage per game.
Smith handled his role well and the stout Chiefs defense did not disappoint. Kansas City raced to a 9-0 start until suffering their first loss at Denver. The second half of the season was not quite as rosy for Kansas City. They lost five of their last seven regular-season games including both games to Denver and a shellacking at home by the Colts prior to their playoff meeting. In fairness, their loss in the regular season finale should be taken with a grain of salt as they rested starters and played a significant number of backups, falling to San Diego in an overtime game the Chiefs still should have won.
More troubling than the late season results was the decline of the defense. Certainly, some of this was due to a schedule that was back loaded with some of the higher power offenses that Kansas City faced. Additionally, they got a good offensive team like Philadelphia early in the year before the Eagles had found their sea legs. Still, it is hard to overstate the stellar play of the defensive unit in 2013. Justin Houston and Tamba Hali each had 11 sacks; Eric Berry and Derrick Johnson also had fantastic seasons as well for unit that finished sixth in the league most at 19.1 points per game, the most important defensive statistic.
Given the hot start, however, there has to be some disappointment in the last seven games of the regular season as well as blowing a huge lead in the playoff game at Indianapolis. As well as the Chiefs played this season, when you lose twice each to two division rivals (Denver, Kansas City) it is extremely difficult to win the division, which was undoubtedly the goal of Kansas City after their torrid start.
That bad feeling is exacerbated greatly by the collapse in Indianapolis. In fairness, the Chiefs did play most of the game without Charles, who had left after suffering an injury early in the contest. On the other hand, they also built the 20+ point lead without Charles so this is a weak excuse at best. The play calling and Andy Reid’s clock management earned some deserved criticism in the wake of the Indianapolis debacle.
Usually, when a team goes from 2-14 one season to 11-5 the next, it’s a no-brainer that they’re off the charts in terms of grade. It needs to be said that most knowledgeable NFL fans knew that Kansas City wasn’t really a poor team in 2012 in terms of talent. It was a season that just got away from the Chiefs and then coach Romeo Crennell, due in large part to the fact that it is impossible to win in the NFL when your quarterback is your worst player. Additionally, tension within the front office and the horrible tragedy that befell the organization played a factor as well. Indicative of the fact that the Chiefs were much better than their record in 2012 is that they sent multiple players the Pro Bowl.
Even so, Kansas City’s ascension should not be diminished in any way. It’s just recognized that this organization wasn’t completely devoid of talent like most 2-14 teams. The road to redemption started, of course, with the shrewd hiring of Reid to right the ship. Kansas City’s commitment to its strength in the running game, as well as protecting its quarterback, was exemplified by the team selecting Eric Fisher with the number one overall pick.
This season showed that Kansas City is right on the cusp of being a Super Bowl contender. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the 2013 campaign was a fluke. The 2012 season is the one that was a fluke. The Chiefs could certainly use a significant downfield threat in the passing game as Charles was also their leading receiver. Furthermore, for such a good defense, the Chiefs were fairly liberal in giving up passing yardage, ranking 25th overall. Like most teams, they could use another good cover corner. Make no mistake, Kansas City has a legitimate shot at representing the AFC in next year’s Super Bowl. Not calling them one of the favorites in the way-too-early-predictions, but they should definitely be in the mix. Considering where they were 365 days ago, that’s pretty good isn’t it?
FINAL GRADE: A-