For the Kansas City Chiefs, the goal and expectation has been a Super Bowl since the arrival of Andy Reid. Entering his fifth year, the obstacles remain in the AFC.
It should be a reasonable expectation around the team that, by now, the Kansas City Chiefs would have fielded a roster talented enough to make a Super Bowl run. Looking at the Chiefs today, an outsider could say they have done that at least. The roster is sound. The talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, is high level.
So why haven’t the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in nearly 50 years? Three things continue to stand in their way: the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Alex Smith. Let’s break down each individually to see where they stand, specifically in relation to KC.
New England Patriots
Those pesky Patriots; they just don’t know when to quit do they? The problem for Kansas City and the rest of the AFC is that they Patriots will continue marching until someone stops them. (Insert lame, cliched Energizer Bunny joke here.) Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are the best coach/quarterback duo of all time and, in spite of father time, they continue to consistently win.
This offseason, the Patriots continued to improve their roster. They always draft well and they also know how to get the most out of trades and free agents. On paper, it looks like with the additions of Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks that the Patriots have only gotten better. They also re-signed Dont’a Hightower and traded for underrated defensive lineman Kony Ealy. People want to play for championship teams, even if it might mean a pay cut.
When will this tyrannical reign end? Everyone believes in their heart that eventually Tom Brady will regress. In truth, he already has, but he adjusts so well to his own weaknesses that it looks like the exact same player from eight years ago. That makes him extremely difficult to beat, and also puts the Patriots squarely in the driver’s seat for AFC supremacy yet again.