[duncan_idaho]

Pros for KC

Determined/extra motivated Mahomes
Second year for OL together
Deeper WR corps with much better threats at spots 2-4
Significant increase in defense team speed
Replacing Ben Niemann (Bolton/Gay), Anthony Hitchens (Bolton/Gay) and Sorenson (Cook/Bush) snaps on D

Cons for KC
Thin/young CB group
DT/DL depth

Questions for KC
Does someone on the DL outperform current expectations?

if one of Clark or Saunders is improved from last year, that goes a long way to answering this one. It’s reasonable to expect more from Dunlap/Karlaftis than Danna/Ingram/Okafor, but without one more step up from someone it doesn’t move the needle as much as you’d like.

Does KC continue to adjust to 2-deep coverages?
the Chiefs made good adjustments in the second half of 2021 and have much better WR personnel at the 2-4 spots, which bodes well. Can they get consistent, dangerous production from the run game, though? That’s the real key.

How does the general youth movement on D perform in a complicated scheme?

on paper, the Chiefs D is a lot faster, more athletic, and has upgrades at a bunch of spots. But how well do these guys plug in when it’s for real?

All in all, I’m optimistic but certainly see how that optimism could turn out to be too high.