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Predicting the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2015 success

By Dan Salem

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The Kansas City Chiefs are primed to improve next season, but can they finally top the Broncos? Predicting the Chiefs’ 2015 success gets heated. NFL debate. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

TODD:

No one gives the Kansas City Chiefs much credit. Everyone calls them a one-man team, that man being Jamaal Charles. The Broncos are too formidable; the Chargers are too talented.

Well you know what? I like the Chiefs’ chances in 2015 to win the AFC West title.

Last season, the offense was pretty heavily slanted towards Charles, but that has at least something to do with him being so good. KC needs to retool its entire wide receiving corps for sure, but the rest is already in place.

Everyone gets on Alex Smith because he’s a game manager and doesn’t throw the ball deep down the field. The fact is, Smith’s 7.0 yards per attempt in 2014 wasn’t so far removed from Tom Brady‘s 7.1 YPA average. And Smith actually completed a higher percentage of his passes than Brady!

I’m not saying they are interchangeable quarterbacks, but a team can win with Smith behind center as long as the supporting pieces are there.

Travis Kelce is a very promising tight end; Charles is a superior receiver in his own right. If Kansas City drafts and brings in two or three wide-outs to mix up this unit, there is no reason the team can’t improve dramatically on its 29th-place ranking in passing offense.

Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It helps that the defense is already near elite against the pass and top 10 overall (Full defensive statistics via ESPN).

Justin Houston was a large part of that and is a pending free agent, though the team will have the option to give him the franchise tag (Full list of KC free agents via ESPN). I like what defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has done turning this unit around since arriving with Andy Reid in 2013.

If Andy Reid works a little bit of his magic on the offensive end, first place is in this team’s sights.

DAN:

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Kansas City surprised the league with its success two seasons ago and then fell back to the pack more or less in 2014. I’m torn about their 2015 chances at an AFC West title. I see them firmly ahead of San Diego, but in a dead even heat with the Broncos as they fall back to Earth.

Travis Kelce deserves even more praise than you were willing to lump on the man. He is beyond promising at this point, practically carrying the receiving load last season once called upon to start. He put up over 800 yards and five touchdowns, giving Alex Smith a ‘Mr. Reliable’ if you will. Go double tight in 2015 with him and Anthony Fasano and look out. That combination could be more bullish than what New England put together a few years ago with Rob Gronkowski and Hernandez.

You may be surprised to find out that I too am an Alex Smith fan. There are two types of successful NFL quarterbacks; elite, game changing passers and game managers. Alex Smith is not elite, nor game changing, but he is an excellent game manager. Give him one or two receiving targets on the outside to compliment his tight ends and the Chiefs will move the ball with ease, considering Jamaal Charles can not be ignored by opposing defenses.

Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

The one area that concerns me about the Chiefs is stopping the run. Their defense ranked 28th in that area last season. That must improve for this team to ever win the AFC West.

There is a saving grace in respect to defensive run stopping. Most teams would rather throw the ball and do not have a reliable running back or one they love. The NFL continues to move more and more towards the aerial game. That being said, Denver has a tremendous running attack and will need to rely on it more if Peyton Manning returns.

I love Kansas City’s 2015 playoff chances, but I’m not ready to hand them the division just yet. Add a receiver and run stopper this offseason and I will be first in line for the bandwagon.

Next: Kevin White great receiving fit for Chiefs in latest NFL Mock Draft

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