Kansas City Chiefs: AFC West is a toss-up in 2018

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 10: Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis (57) and defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches (99) celebrate holding Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) to a 1-yard gain in the second quarter of an AFC West showdown between the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs on December 10, 2017 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

8 of 9

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

WHY THEY WON’T WIN THE AFC WEST

This answer is pretty easy. The defense is why the Kansas City Chiefs won’t win the AFC West. They traded Marcus Peters, an All-Pro cornerback, this offseason and did nothing to replace him.

Had Peters and Kendall Fuller been the two starting corners, Chiefs fans would have been PSYCHED for the upcoming season, but that is not the case when it comes to the defense.

Instead, we’ll be looking to anoint the next Phillip Gaines between David Amerson and Orlando Scandrick. Those were the two replacements the Chiefs thought would suffice for losing Peters.

In order for the Chiefs to win games this year, the offense is going to have put up 40+ points every week. Their offense is capable of doing that, but it is very concerning how little juice the defense has shown during the preseason.

Maybe the defense will surprise us, but I don’t have strong expectations for it. This could be what costs the Chiefs their third straight division title.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs