Kansas City Chiefs 2020 Season Preview
Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Posted on 9/7/2020.
Kansas City Chiefs Free Agency Recap
Kansas City signed left guard Kelechi Osmele in Free Agency as a late addition. Kansas City also got Mike Remmers as a backup right tackle for depth behind Mitchell Schwartz.
Kansas City Chiefs Draft Recap
The Chiefs got one immediate starter in this draft. Brett Veach, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes all wanted the same guy at 32. That was LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. With Damien Williams opting out of this season, the LSU rookie will take over Kansas City's backfield getting a majority of the carries.
Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Summary: Patrick Mahomes dominated just like I told people in the 2017 NFL Draft. He even exceeded my expectations, but my evaluation on Mr. Mahomes coming out of Texas Tech looks credible as fudge at this time. That's what I said about Mahomes in my 2019 Chiefs Season Preview. Now he's managed to defeat the Madden Curse, Super Bowl 54 MVP, the highest paid player in the NFL, has ownership stake in the Kansas City Royals, and he proposed to his High School girlfriend Brittney Matthews. His backup quarterback is Chad Henne.
Head coach Andy Reid specializes in developing quarterbacks despite being a former offensive lineman at BYU. Reid's decision to have Mahomes learn under Alex Smith paid off. I'm so happy to see Andy Reid finally win a Super Bowl.
Mike Kafka is the quarterbacks coach for Kansas City. This is Kafka's third year as quarterbacks coach with Mahomes. Kafka did so well as the quarterbacks coach in his first two years in Kansas City, that the Chiefs felt it would be appropriate to promote the former Northwestern quarterback Kafka, to passing game coordinator. Kafka appears to be the leading candidate to take over at offensive coordinator if offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy gets a head coaching job in 2021.
Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Summary: Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the new feature back with Williams opting out due to COVID-19. Eric Bieniemy got promoted from running backs coach to offensive coordinator in 2018 and led the Chiefs offense to historic playoff comebacks in the 2020 NFL Playoffs as he enters his third season as offensive coordiantor. Deland McCullough enters his third year as running backs coach and has his best running back to work with since Kareem Hunt.
Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Summary: Kansas City has Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins at wide receiver. Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman, another former Georgia receiver, that is coming in to replace former Georgia receiver Chris Conley is pushing Robinson to the limit for that slot receiver job. Greg Lewis enters his fourth season as the wide receivers coach.
Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Summary: Travis Kelce isthe NFL's best tight end. Tom Melvin remains the tight ends coach which means this offense is going to be loaded with weapons once again.
Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Line Summary: Eric Fisher is a great left tackle and Mitchell Schwartz compliments him well at right tackle. Left guard will see a new starter with Kelechi Osmele taking over. Andrew Wylie will start at right guard thanks to Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff choosing to take the year off to work in hospitals to help find a cure to COVID-19 since he has a doctors license. Austin Reiter is a quality center that can replace Mitch Morse. Andy Heck has a run blocking scheme that opens things up for the running game, and as long as Fisher and Schwartz remain in Kansas City, there will be no drop off in terms of the pass protection Mahomes gets.
I told people the Chiefs would improve under Mahomes. I was correct. Kansas City won Super Bowl 54 and upgraded at running back. They have all of their offensive coaches from last year back.
Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Line Summary: Kansas City has Frank Clark at 4-3 right end, Tanoh Kpassagnon at 4-3 left end, Chris Jones at 4-3 defensive tackle, and Derrick Nnadi at 4-3 defensive tackle. You also have Alex Okafor for depth at 4-3 defensive end and Khalen Saunders for depth at 4-3 defensive tackle.
Brendan Daily did so well in his first season as defensive line coach that he got promoted to defensive line coach/running game coordinator. Daily is probably the front runner to succeed Bob Sutton assuming Sutton gets offered a head coaching gig.
Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Summary: Kansas City Anthony Hitchens in a 4-2-5 outside linebacker role where he should thrive since he's a better fit. Damien Wilson is the starting 4-3 middle linebacker in the 4-2-5 that Kansas City operates.
Kansas City has two coaches that know how to develop linebackers. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and linebackers coach Matt House are both back after doing well in 2019.
Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Backs Summary: Charvarius Ward is the field cornerback. Rashad Fenton, a second year pro out of South Carolina will compliment Ward at boundary cornerback. Antonio Hamilton is the nickel cornerback.
Kansas City has Tyrann Mathieu at strong safety and Daniel Sorensen at free safety. This is a very lethal safety tandem despite Eric Berry's departure. Also, Juan Thornhill has impressed enough to the point where he can come in and make an immediate impact if Mathieu or Sorensen goes down. Kansas City is deep at safety.
Dave Merritt is the new defensive backs coach in 2019. Merritt did well with this group. Just like Baltimore, Kansas City has all of their coaches returning on both sides of the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs Special Teams Summary: Kansas City has Harrison Butker at kicker and Tommy Townsend at punter. Mecole Hardman is the kick returner and punt returner on the Chiefs. Tyreek Hill is Hardman's backup on special teams if Hardman gets injured which gives Kansas City depth at return specialist as well since Hill was the return specialist for Kansas City in 2019. Dave Toub is Kansas City's special teams coordinator, and he's one of the top special teams coordinator and got promoted to assistant head coach after winning Super Bowl 54.
Kansas City Chiefs Worst Case Scenario: The Kansas City Chiefs go 12-4 and lose to the Baltimore Ravens in teh AFC Championship.
Kansas City Chiefs Best Case Scenario: Kansas City goes 19-0. They repeat as Super Bowl champions and win Super Bowl 55 in Tampa Bay.
Kansas City Chiefs 2020 NFL Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Time |
Cable Network |
Result |
Week 1 |
September 10 |
VS  |
8:20 PM EST |
NBC |
W |
Week 2 |
September 20 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 3 |
September 28 |
AT  |
8:15 PM EST |
ESPN |
W |
Week 4 |
October 4 |
VS  |
4:25 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 5 |
October 11 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 6 |
October 15 |
AT  |
8:20 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 7 |
October 25 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 8 |
November 1 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 9 |
November 8 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 10 |
|
Bye Week |
|
|
|
Week 11 |
November 22 |
AT |
8:20 PM EST |
NBC |
L |
Week 12 |
November 29 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 13 |
December 6 |
VS |
8:20 PM EST |
NBC |
W |
Week 14 |
December 13 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 15 |
December 20 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 16 |
December 27 |
VS  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 17 |
January 3 |
VS |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
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