The Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason points to a highly explosive offense taking shape in 2018, but can the defense give them the help they need?
There wasn’t much of a gray area in terms of what the Kansas City Chiefs wanted to accomplish in regards to their offense in the 2018 offseason. Starting with the Alex Smith trade, a move that gave the reins of the offense to second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs made it clear that they wanted to get more explosive when they had the ball. Mahomes, the big-armed gunslinger they traded up for in the 2017 draft, accomplishes that.
Of course, the Chiefs weren’t done there in regards to their offense. They also made a big splash in free agency when they paid handsomely to land former Rams and Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Pairing Watkins with fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill in addition to tight end Travis Kelce and running back Kareem Hunt gives Kansas City one of the most potent groups of weapons to go with Mahomes.
If all goes well, this Chiefs offense could be one of the most thrilling in the league, full of big plays game after game. However, that doesn’t always translate to immediate success in terms of wins and losses. And that may be the case for Kansas City in 2018 as a result of their defense.
There are certainly names that you will recognize when going through the Chiefs defensive roster. They landed Kendall Fuller in the Smith trade with Washington. What’s more, they’ll be getting safety Eric Berry back this season while Justin Houston and Dee Ford also return.
However, Berry is coming off an Achilles tear, which is one of the most notoriously difficult injuries for players to return from. Meanwhile, Houston’s injury history has been troubled as of late and he’s another year older. And if that weren’t enough, the Chiefs also traded away their best cornerback, Marcus Peters this offseason, leaving the bulk of their defensive back room outside of Berry and Fuller with massive question marks.
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Perhaps this all comes together for the Chiefs defense. There’s no question that they have talent that is capable of — and even has proven to be able to — play at a high level in the NFL. However, there are also glaring holes on that side of the ball for this team. If things don’t go perfectly, there’s a good chance that the Kansas City defense could hold back an explosive and fun offense.