Chiefs 2018 Preview, Part II

Okay okay, here's a Part II of the Beginning of the Mahomes Era Preview Extravaganza. (Part I is here.) It really isn't going to be much, however, because I'm exhausted and I'm back to 12-hour workdays tomorrow. Today was also a work day for me, catching up on loose ends -- they don't call it Labor Day for nothing.

But since the opener is this Sunday in Los Angeles I probably should just pound out a bit more of my take on the Chiefs this year. Really, I might as well cut to the chase. I'm really looking ahead for any real shot at a Super Bowl in 2020, 2021. That's okay, really, nothing wrong with that.

Yes I am expecting Pat Mahomes to light it up. Yes I am expecting Sammy Watkins to show us much more than his piddle amount of playing time allowed us to see in the preseason. I think Andy Reid showed us nothing in the preseason very deliberately -- and I think most know it. Everyone is still salivating over the potential of this offense.

I have concerns about our O-line, but we still have solid players at four positions there, and Reid is keeping five offensive linemen on the bench just in case any get injured or Cam Erving at left guard doesn't work out. Pretty sure they all won't be there after Demetrius Harris serves his one-game suspension, but we'll see.

As for the defense, we do have solid players up front and, yes, we have the guys to get decent defensive backfield play. It's just will we be able to hold teams to under 30 points so we come out ahead if our offense predictably excels? That is the big question. We do have capable defensive players, but will weak links and new players unfamiliar with the system be our undoing?

Thing is, Brett Veach knows this and isn't taking any chances. In April he went bananas drafting for defense and if those guys come through it'll truly be down the road a bit before they can contribute on a dominant playoff contending team -- the Breeland Speakses and the Dorian O'Danielses and the Derrick Nnadis and the Armani Wattses. It usually takes a couple years to see how your draft picks really work out. Maybe they'll surprise right now! I'd like that! Trust me I want to win a Super Bowl this year!

The key D-guys from the draft two and three years ago? Just for comparison? Chris Jones, Eric Murray, and Steven Nelson. That's them, that's it, and really, they're not bad.

But it still seems a bit thin, and Brett has been workin' it, workin' it, workin' it to shore things up.

In some very profound ways it is all new out there. What a season this will be. Can we make the playoffs? Can we win a playoff game without some ding-dong stupid thing happening to kill us for once?!  Again, it's all new and it is clear Brett has shown that youthful vigor in taking care of business.

Let's hope that the very best of Hunt emerges for the first time in a long time, and I'm great with that happening at any point over the next several years, that'd be awesome. And yeah, that does mean nothing less than hoisting a Lamar Hunt (of course!) trophy followed by the one with Vince Lombardi's name on it.

And for those who don't know what I'm talking about with this Hunt thing, back in February I just ruminated intensely on some historical Chiefs items in a series of posts starting with this one.
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