The NFL is an arm’s race and everyone is chasing after the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. Over the last handful of years, it could be argued the Chiefs are the NFL’s most “feared” team. They are certainly the team everyone’s trying to keep up with.
The combination of Andy Reid as head coach and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback has been a deadly one. Even with the Chiefs trading Tyreek Hill last offseason, the KC offense didn’t miss a beat and was still the best in the NFL, all the way through winning Super Bowl LVII. So what teams are going to compete with the Chiefs this coming season?
Every week for the Chiefs seems like a huge matchup in 2023, and the usual suspects are on the Chiefs’ schedule like the Bengals and Bills. But what teams could actually derail this team’s hopes of repeating? What maybe “unexpected” opponents could come alongside the Bengals and Bills and give the Chiefs a true challenge, maybe even beat them?
3 NFL teams that could challenge the Chiefs’ repeat chances in 2023
1. Miami Dolphins
I doubt Andy Reid does this, but I think it’s funny to picture Andy Reid as the Wolverine “meme” where Wolverine is looking longingly at a framed photo, and the framed photo is revealed to be Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle with the Miami Dolphins. I’m sure Reid is just fine with having Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and whoever else offensively, but you can’t help but wonder if he could steal anyone’s receivers in the league, it might be the Miami Dolphins.
Tyreek Hill was obviously traded by Kansas City last offseason when KC drew a bit of a line in the sand when it came to contract negotiations, and obviously, that’s just the business side of the NFL. Hill can’t really take it personally, because he clearly wasn’t willing to take anything less than full price to stay with the team that made him a star, either.
At their best last season, the Miami Dolphins were really tough to outscore. They obviously have a number of really explosive playmakers offensively and can run a track meet with Kansas City. The Dolphins also added Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator in 2023, along with Jalen Ramsey at the cornerback position.
Fangio never was able to beat the Chiefs in his three seasons with the Denver Broncos, but it’s probably fair to say that Fangio’s defenses gave Mahomes and Andy Reid more fits than most. This game will be played in Germany in Week 9, and I think Miami has a chance to hand the Chiefs a loss in the NFL’s international series.