KC Chiefs: Can Chiefs Win AFC West In 2015

The KC Chiefs might be the team to beat in the AFC West this year. At least that’s what Gil Brandt of NFL.com said in his recent post about the 2014 division champs who are the most vulnerable at being dethroned this season.

Here is what Gil Brandt said about Denver being one of the most vulnerable at losing their division crown in 2015.

"Biggest threat in the AFC West: Kansas City ChiefsPeyton Manning says he’s healthy — but he’s also 39, and no one can play forever. Historically, when quarterbacks hit the wall, their completion percentages go down and the interceptions go up. Might Manning forestall the inevitable for another year? Sure, but the odds are starting to stack up against him. I also wouldn’t dismiss the loss of Julius Thomas; he’s a very good tight end. What was once a supercharged receiving corps has lost a fair amount of firepower over the years, with the departures of Thomas and Eric Decker and the decline of Wes Welker (who remains unsigned). I’m interested to see how No. 1 receiver Demaryius Thomas responds this season. It’ll help if Emmanuel Sanders can repeat his off-the-charts performance from 2014."

The Broncos ran away with the division last year, but started declining towards the end of the season. Manning didn’t look like the same player at all and their playoff performance was not impressive in the least bit. The Colts ran all over the Broncos in Denver, and it was so bad that the fans began to boo towards the end.

Yes, Manning was injured during the back half of the season, but people need to realize he’s nearing the end of his career in the NFL. I’m not saying Manning isn’t a good player, but in the past, he’s played through tough injuries. Last year, he didn’t play too well during them and it showed. The Broncos’ weaknesses were shown in that playoff game for the whole league to watch and observe.

Brandt then had this to say about why he thinks the Chiefs are the top option to take over the division in 2015.

"The Kansas City Chiefs have shown they can win, and they made a great addition over the offseason in Jeremy Maclin, who really brings a lot to the table. Plus, quarterback Alex Smith plays better than most people think. The Chiefs have a good shot to unseat the Broncos."

Last year, the KC Chiefs went 9-7 and barely missed out on the playoffs. They were able to knock the San Diego Chargers out of contention, but that’s not what’s important here. The point is that the Chiefs looked like a team very much on the rise in 2015, but a few slip ups early on in the season (weeks 1 and 5 against Tennessee and San Francisco) hurt them in the end.

The Broncos have owned the AFC West ever since Peyton Manning joined the division as a member of the Broncos back in 2012. The Broncos even won the division back when Tim Tebow was their quarterback (though to be fair, it was anybody’s division that year – the Raiders were even in contention then). It’d be nice to see the Chiefs finally take the crown from the Broncos, and this very well could be the year for them to do just that.

Like Brandt said, adding Maclin was great for the KC Chiefs, who didn’t have one wide receiver touchdown in 2014. Also, I agree that Alex Smith is better than people give him credit for. Now that he has a legitimate wide receiver to throw to, Travis Kelce, Jamaal Charles, and an offensive line to protect him, this is the year that Smith will prove the haters wrong.

This will also hopefully be the year that the Kansas City Chiefs win the AFC West for the first time since 2010.

Next: Is Alex Smith A Top 10 Quarterback In The NFL?

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