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Kansas City Chiefs: Chiefs Considered Super Bowl Sleepers

By Leigh Oleszczak

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With the preseason just a few weeks away and an impressive off season under their belts, the Kansas City Chiefs are ready to compete in 2015. This will be the third season under head coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey and you know what they say… Third time’s a charm.

Staying on that note, Erik Lambert of Fansided.com and NFL Mocks recently wrote an article about the top ten sleeper teams who could make it to and potentially win the Super Bowl. Obviously if the Chiefs weren’t on that list, then I wouldn’t be writing this article, so spoiler alert: The Chiefs came in at number two on Lambert’s list.

He feels that the Chiefs are sleepers due to Alex Smith‘s limitations, the Andy Reid curse, and the fact that they haven’t won a playoff game since the early 90s (I was three years old…). While all of these are somewhat true, the Chiefs still have the potential to be a good football team this upcoming season.

Here is what else Lambert had to say:

"A dark cloud has hung over the Chiefs for a long time. They make the playoffs but just can’t win when they get there, and it always seems to be the Colts who send them packing. Yet it doesn’t erase how good this team looks. Defensively they stand among the strongest in the league, led by pass rush savant Justin Houston (22 sacks in 2014).The big boost to their spot in these rankings is the arrival of Jeremy Maclin. A Pro Bowler last season, he represents the explosive outside option the team has been sorely lacking to ease pressure on Jamaal Charles and the running game. Maybe it won’t turn Alex Smith into an elite passer, but it should open up more options to score, thus resulting in more wins.Defense. Rushing attack. Efficient quarterback and now a go-to receiver. All the ingredients are there."

It’s hard to disagree with Lambert there.

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    • The Chiefs became a better team as soon as Maclin signed, and he will easily help out Smith on the field. Charles is one of the best running backs in the league, and Travis Kelce is a young and rising star in the tight end position.

    The defense is also top notch with Justin Houston signing a long-term deal to his liking alongside Tamba Hali. Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito will also be returning this year to help stop the run, something that Kansas City struggled with when these two went down for the season.

    Kansas City’s toughest task will be the beginning of their schedule where they’ll face four teams who had winning records in their first four games. The Chiefs also will go over a month without a game at Arrowhead Stadium in the middle of the season due to giving up a home game to play in London.

    You always hear about “championship windows” in sports, and this sure seems to be the Chiefs’ window to do some damage. It’ll be a lot easier to do damage down the road with an AFC West division title, but that’ll be tough considering the Denver Broncos have owned the division since 2011.

    Here was Lambert’s top ten Super Bowl sleepers along with their record in 2014:

    1. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
    2. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
    3. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
    4. Houston Texans (9-7)
    5. New Orleans Saints (7-9)
    6. New York Jets (4-12)
    7. Chicago Bears (5-11)
    8. New York Giants (6-10)
    9. St. Louis Rams (6-10)
    10. Buffalo Bills (9-7)

    Obviously it’s difficult imaging most of these teams in the Super Bowl, hence why they’re considered “sleepers”. Lambert did a pretty good job with this list for the most part, but I would have put the Saints higher and had the Jets and Bears lower.

    As always, it should be a fun and interesting season in the NFL in 2015.

    Next: Three Chiefs Considered Best at Their Position in Madden

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