Patrick Mahomes hasn’t “requested a trade”, but he’s been longing for a number two wide receiver since arriving in Kansas City. The Kansas City Chiefs offense has been lighting up the scoreboard, with or without top-end production from the WR2 spot. Yet, I believe the Chiefs could significantly improve their offense’s ceiling of explosion in any situation of unknown circumstances (like a Mahomes injury), or elite barricade in the way (Buccaneers defense). I believe a WR2 upgrade would prove huge dividends for Mahomes’s offense, especially with the loss of Sammy Watkins.

Matter of fact, I believe Andy Reid and the Chiefs haven’t put enough focus into the situation around Mahomes. They literally asked the highly gifted QB which RB he wanted the team to draft in the 2020 draft, which did have a sizable outcome in the pick. In the 2021 offseason, they’ve taken a step backward with the WR talent on the roster. The Chiefs are one injury to Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce in a big situation for a very difficult course to be presented. Even with Kelce and Hill dazzling defenses, the second go-to target on the perimeter appears to be Mecole Hardman, who ousted a mere 560 yards/four receiving touchdowns last season. The WR situation is unequivocally a concern. 

The Chiefs ought to improve the WR situation, but where should they look? The Chiefs have been favored by many analysts to ink free agent Golden Tate. Tate would provide immediate dividends, but he’s not near the same level of aging slot WRs like Cole Beasley or Emmanuel Sanders. Father time has caught up with Tate, as the once Seahawks stud recorded 388 yards in 2020 — his lowest mark since 2011.

The Chiefs should hone in on a WR2 that’s very underrated, much younger than “overhyped” FA options, and on a team that’s rebuilding their unit: Jamison Crowder. Crowder would arguably be the best value acquisition for the Chiefs passing offense.

Crowder, who was once a savior for the Jets offense, now finds himself slowly being phased out of the Jets WR plans. New head coach Robert Saleh brought over Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, and recently drafted Elijah Mitchell in the second round. Crowder will compete for the starting slot role, but it’s unmistakably Mitchell’s job to lose as he gets situated to the pro level.

Crowder is a quality “starting” player and he would more than likely find himself back on the depth chart, as the 2021 year moves forward. The Jets YAC wideout ousted a career-high 58.3 YPG and six receiving touchdowns in 12 games on a very atrocious Jets offense last season. The Jets WR is an incredible weapon for any team and he’s only 27 years old — the same age as Tyreek Hill. If Crowder doesn’t get moved this off-season, it’s hard to paint a picture where he isn’t a trade candidate at the ritual trade block time next season. The Chiefs should acknowledge a good fit and puzzling outlook for the veteran wideout, then proceed to strike a trade with a mid to late-round pick for the WR that would be a big factor for the Chiefs late season battles.

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    The Chiefs’ flaws were dangerously exposed in the 2020 Super Bowl, but that should not hinder them from being a great team this year. Here is a list of potential breakout candidates from the Kansas CIty Chiefs.

Daniel Sorensen

Sorensen has been a good player for the Chiefs for a few years now, and he has been extremely underrated. Sorensen is fast, hard hitting, and is overall an excellent player that will finally have a massive Pro Bowl season in 2021. Sorensen has been on the team for 8 seasons and came from BYU, the same school as Zach Wilson and Kyle Van Noy. Sorensen ended the year with five passes defensed and three interceptions, including an interception for a touchdown return

L’Jarius Sneed

Sneed actually had a really good rookie season amidst what was a fairly bad defense in 2020. One of Sneed’s best games actually came in the first game of the season against the Houston Texans, Sneed was making it impossible for Deshaun Watson get anything done in that game and was instantly one of my favorite rookies. Sneed improved even more from there, ending his rookie campaign with 7 passes defensed and 3 interceptions. Sneed was drafted in the fourth round and came from Louisiana Tech.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

I know he was already good as a rookie and got a lot of attention, but my claim is that this year he will begin to be considered as one of the very best running backs in the NFL – an instant All Pro winner who will be dynamic and fun to watch in a high powered offense. CEH had an incredible rookie season with 803 yards for an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Edwards-Helaire was drafted at the last pick of the first round and came from Louisiana State University.

Juan Thornhill

Thornhill had a good rookie season in 2019 playing alongside legend Tyrann Mathieu, but went quiet in 2020 after the entire Chiefs defense sort of fell off a cliff. Thornhill still has a very present chance to break out, and I really believe that he is a strong player that the Chiefs could try to anchor their defense around in three or four years.

Demarcus Robinson

Demarcus Robinson sort of has to be a breakout candidate because the Chiefs are down a wide receiver after Watkins left and desperately need help around Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce as we saw in the Super Bowl. Robinson has been a steady enough wide receiver as he has adjusted to this offense in his Chiefs tenure, and if things break right he could very possibly be an answer for Kansas City. Robinson was drafted in 2016 in the fourth round from Florida, and ended the 2020 season with 446 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. Not bad at all.

Austin Blythe

The Chiefs transitioned which Austin they wanted to start at center going from Reiter to Blythe in the offseason. I believe Blythe will be somebody that can save this collapsing offensive line along with Orlando Brown and Joe Thuney, Blythe has been a swiss army knife offensive lineman for the Rams. Blythe was drafted in 2016 by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round, and was just barely signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason.

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Why didn’t Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LV?

By: Martin Williams

One year on from winning their first Super Bowl in 50 years, and days after a crushing defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they looked to defend their title, the Kansas City Chiefs have a long offseason to think about what could have been. 

We take a look back at what changed in 12 months, and the four things that stopped them from taking the Lombardi Trophy back to Arrowhead Stadium;

1. Even the best quarterbacks need protection
Since he began as the starter in KC three years ago, there’s not a lot Mahomes hasn’t achieved. He’s set record after record. In his first year as a starter he became the league MVP and in his second he went one further, helping the Chiefs to the Super Bowl title, being named Super Bowl MVP in the process. He’s achieved more in three years than many will in their careers. But if Super Bowl 55 taught us anything, it’s that even the best need protection. 

There aren’t too many better than Mahomes when it comes to escaping pressure. In fact, the Chiefs are probably at their most dangerous when Mahomes gets out of the pocket before going off script. 

But Tampa Bay’s front lived in the Chiefs backfield on Sunday. Injuries to offensive linemen Mitchell Shwartz in week six and Eric Fisher in the AFC Championships game were too much to overcome against the Bucs. The signs were there during the Chiefs first set of downs, with Mahomes facing pressure from a relentless Bucs front. Mahomes scrambled for a staggering 497 yards during 60 minutes of game time. That one stat paints a picture of what went wrong on the night.

2. They were playing Tom Brady, not Jimmy G
In Super Bowl 54 the Chiefs faced a sturdy defense in the San Francisco 49ers that for the large part kept them at bay. They as good as nullified the Chiefs for three quarters only for Mahomes and running back Damien Williams to get it done late on. 

But as the Chiefs were unable to put points on the board against the Bucs, Tom Brady and his array of weapons went to work on Kansas. The trio of Antonio Brown, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin alongside tight end Rob Gronkowski, are as good as any in the league, and with Brady conducting things, they were always going to put points on the board. Against a Chiefs secondary that had impressed in their playoff run were no match for a Brady-led offense that wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip.

3. Mistakes proved costly
Against the very best teams in the NFL, making mistakes can be costly. KC made too many in Super Bowl 55. 

On offense, despite the pressure Mahomes was under, he still managed to find his receivers on several occasions. He threw for 270 yards on the night, and it could’ve been more but for three or four key drops from his receivers. The most memorable pass of the night was actually incomplete, with Mahomes scrambling and releasing the ball whilst horizontal to the ground, only for it to go through the hands of Darrell Williams in the end zone. 

On the other side of the ball, penalties in the first half gave Tampa all the encouragement they needed. Two penalties in succession, with the second against Tyrann Mathieu, put Tampa down at the one-yard line with seconds remaining on the clock in the second quarter. A touchdown followed, and Tampa didn’t really look back.

It’s rare that you can question Head Coach Andy Reid too, but his decision to take a time-out on that very drive just before the half, also proved costly. That and an inability to change the game plan when it clearly wasn’t working. They’re a pass-first team, but it took the Chiefs until mid way through the third quarter before they really got running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in to the game. It should’ve happened sooner.

4. Tampa learned from their week 12 loss
In week 12, Kansas were 17-0 up after a first quarter that saw Tyreek Hill torch the Bucs for more than 200 yards. Tampa learned from their mistakes come the Super Bowl. By pressuring Mahomes, and by putting double-coverage on ”˜The Cheetah’ and Travis Kelce, they stopped the chunk plays that were so devastating in the regular season. 

Most teams have been trying to do the same thing to the Chiefs all season, the difference being that the Bucs were able to implement it with success. 

The Chiefs offence is anything but predictable, but they looked like they were out of ideas the longer the game went on. By taking away Mahomes’ first and second read, he was left running for his life, trying to create something from nothing. It was a masterful scheme from Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and one that could get him another shot at a head-coaching role in the near future.

So, what does it all mean?
There’s no doubt that injuries to their offensive line were the key factor in their blowout loss. With Shwartz and Fisher available, it could well have been a different story. But the Chiefs now have an offseason to regroup, as they look to build the dynasty they continue to talk about. 

Mahomes is a generational talent. With Reid scheming up the offense, and with additions on the defensive side of the ball likely in this year’s draft, my bet is that they’ll be back in the Super Bowl next year, ready to put right what went wrong at Raymond James Stadium.

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