In our “Let’s Argue” series, our Mark Gunnels considers the hot takes, wacky predictions and unpopular opinions of Kansas City Chiefs fans from all over the world.
The Chiefs have the NFL’s best wide receiver corps
This take isn’t as crazy as it sounds.
With the Rice back in the fold, the Chiefs have a legitimate top-10 receiver. After Rice, there are several reliable pass-catching options for quarterback Patrick Mahomes: Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton and others.
But for this to become the league’s top wide receiver group, Worthy will have to develop even further. There’s no denying the speed and dynamic ability the former Texas Longhorn brings, but if he can develop into a top-20 receiver, you could proclaim Kansas City as having the league’s best receiver room.
But right now, I’d have to rank the wide receivers of the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings ahead of the Chiefs.
The Chiefs still need a running back
While the Chiefs’ wide receiver room is very good, the running back group is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s one of the weakest in the league.
But the wide receiver group is strong enough that I can’t say Kansas City needs another back. Would it be nice? Of course. But head coach Andy Reid is excellent at using the short passing game as an extension of the running game. Also: whenever running back Brashard Smith is on the field, good things seem to happen. I would expect his usage to increase as the season goes on.
In terms of needs, the most glaring one for this team is along the defensive line. The loss of emerging rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott only intensifies that concern.
Play Brashard Smith more!
Speaking of Smith…
Over the last three games, his targets in the passing game have increased each week. Against the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, he set career highs in both carries (14) and targets (5).
Granted: a lot of that had to do with the scoreboard. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know Kansas City beat the Raiders 31-0.
Still, the team is clearly making an effort to get Smith more involved. The physical running styles of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt still hold value — especially in short-yardage situations.
Even so, it’s easy to see that Smith provides explosiveness that Pacheco and Hunt simply don’t possess.
Rashee Rice and Nohl Williams will win season honors
Both of these scenarios are very unlikely to happen — but that’s the point of asking for hot takes.
Let’s start with Rice.
Depending on the sportsbook you’re looking at, Rice is hovering around 10th in the odds for Comeback Player of the Year. If not for his six-game suspension, he’d have as good a shot at the awards as anyone. There’s no question about the volume he’ll get, but it’s going to be difficult to beat out quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones, who are putting up big numbers. Even a player like Christian McCaffrey — who currently has the second-best odds — will be extremely tough to surpass.
As for the rookie cornerback Williams, it’ll be nearly impossible for him to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. This isn’t to say he hasn’t played well — he has — but for defensive backs to win these kinds of awards, they usually need interceptions. At this point, Williams has none.
