Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs took the NFL by storm in 2018, but they can’t expect their 2019 season to follow the same blueprint.
Andy Reid knows that his Chiefs team has the talent to win a Super Bowl in 2019. Interestingly, a lot of the players he’ll be relying on this season are different than the guys he counted on a year ago. The amount of changes on the Kansas City roster is going to lead to some positive and negative surprises when the regular season begins.
It’s hard to imagine the offense being anything other than great with Patrick Mahomes at the controls. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to miss Kareem Hunt and (probably Tyreek Hill). Other guys will need to step up to replace both player’s production in the passing game.
The Chiefs’ defense has seen even more changes. Justin Houston, Dee Ford and Steven Nelson are all gone. Fortunately, the team has added two prime time players to help replace them. Both Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu arrive in Kansas City with massive talent, and massive expectations.
Our first bold prediction deals with a talented offensive player who really needs to step up.
5. Sammy Watkins will catch 70 passes
NFL evaluators have never had any questions about Watkins’ talent level. He’s a big, fluid athlete who looks the part of a Pro Bowl wide receiver. Unfortunately, his play on the field has never matched that label.
Chiefs fans expecting for him to blossom into an All-Pro this year are set to be disappointed. He’s just not that good. That doesn’t mean Watkins won’t step up to replace some of Hill’s production. Look for him to come close to doubling the 40 catches he enjoyed last season. 80 receptions might be a little too much to expect from the former Clemson star, but 70 seems like a number he can eclipse with relative ease.