NFL Playoffs 2017: 5 Reasons Kansas City Chiefs Can Win Super Bowl 51

After securing the number two seed in the AFC thanks to a 12-4 season, the Kansas City Chiefs look to win it all in the NFL Playoffs 2017

The Kansas City Chiefs have not won a Super Bowl since they represented the AFL following the 1969 season. Back then they were led by quarterback Len Dawson, who returned from a leg injury just in time to lead his Chiefs over the NFL champions the Minnesota Vikings.

Things have changed since then as it’s no longer two separate leagues represented in the biggest game of the year. One thing that is still the same though is the immense popularity of the Kansas City franchise.

In 2017 they head to the post season on the heels of a 12-4 season. They won the AFC West, and thanks to their Week 17 win, they secured a bye week as the second seed in the AFC, behind only the New England Patriots.

While many respect the Chiefs, they seem to be somewhat of an afterthought in terms of being Super Bowl champions. That shouldn’t be the case though as Kansas City is a true contender to win it all. Let’s look at the five biggest reasons this team could be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after all the playoff dust has settled.

Dec 8, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston (50) and defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (99) during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 Multiple Pass Rushers

Kansas City was the master of the “bend-but-don’t-break” defense in 2016. They surrendered nearly 369 yards during the regular season, which ranked them 24th in the NFL. They didn’t allow that to turn into many points though as they gave up just 19.4 points per contest, good enough to land them with the seventh fewest points allowed in 2016.

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One of the best things that their defense brought to the table to slow offenses down was their pass rush. While the overall numbers don’t stand out, they have some talented players on that end, with their leader this season being outside linebacker Dee Ford.

Ford had a breakout season in his third year. Their first-round pick out of Auburn from 2014 had 38 tackles on the season, which included ten sacks. He came into 2016 with just 5.5 sacks in his career, and nearly doubled that total when the Chiefs needed it most.

The reason it was so important to their team was the injury problems they had at his position. Star pass rusher Justin Houston missed 11 games this season and, due to that fact, he had just four sacks on the season.

Now reports are saying Houston should be able to play in the divisional round for the Chiefs. That means they will have one of the best in the game in Houston as well as Ford in the post season. To top all that off they still have veteran Tamba Hali, who has 89.5 career quarterback sacks. He may have lost a step in recent years, but his veteran savvy will be a huge bonus in the win-or-go-home games.

Dec 18, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware (32) runs against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 Consistent Running Game

The Chiefs were middle of the pack in running in 2016 with 109.2 yards per game. That’s pretty impressive considering they lost their star rusher Jamaal Charles for all but 12 carries on the year. For some perspective on that feat, the Minnesota Vikings also lost their star running back in Adrian Peterson. That team went from a rushing powerhouse to the absolute worst in the league with just over 75 yards per game.

How Kansas City kept from falling off without their explosive star was by staying with the run no matter what. That consistent attack allowed them to get 921 rushing yards out of Spencer Ware and another 293 from Charcandrick West.

The one area those two did struggle was in the red zone. West had just one rushing touchdown all season, and their starter Ware, had only three. Their best runner when they got in in close was quarterback Alex Smith. The veteran signal-caller rushed for 134 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

While the Chiefs don’t look like a team that can punish defenses with the run, they are good enough to keep opposing defenses honest. They also have a guy in Ware, who at nearly 230-pounds, can withstand the hits that the better teams in the NFL will be dishing out during the postseason.

Dec 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry (29) intercepts a two point conversion attempt and returns it for the game winning points against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Chiefs won 29-28. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3 Fantastic Secondary

While their pass rushers could be credited for their lacking of breaking on defense, their real strength comes from their secondary. Cornerback Marcus Peters was a spectacular pick in 2015. As a rookie he had eight interceptions, two of which he returned for a score.

In his sophomore season he continued to impress. Peters had another six interceptions for the Chiefs while also deflecting 20 passes. The only area Peters took a real step back in was his returns for touchdowns, but that was taken up by someone else. Safety Eric Berry recorded 77 tackles and four interceptions on the year. He also deflected nine passes and returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns.

The secondary for the Chiefs ended the season with 18 interceptions on the season while surrendering 233.8 passing yards per game. That total landed them in the second half of defensive rankings, but their ability to get the ball back for their offense more than makes up for any times they gave up too many yards.

With the stage getting bigger in the playoffs, there’s no reason to think Berry or Peters will back down. These two embrace the spotlight and are amazing at stepping up to any challenge.

Jan 1, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs with the ball during the second half of the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chiefs won 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 An Explosive Rookie

With their fifth-round pick Kansas City took West Alabama receiver Tyreek Hill. The rookie was coming from a small school after being kicked out of Oklahoma State.

The reason was because of Hill’s guilty plea to choking and punching his pregnant girlfriend. The issue was sickening, but since there was no video for him like there was for former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (who was never sniffed again by an NFL team), Hill was afforded a second chance.

Although, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says that second chance still nearly didn’t happen in the NFL:

Putting all his issues aside (and ignoring whether or not he does deserve this second chance) Hill is an amazing talent. He recorded 61 receptions for 593 yards and one score as a receiver for Kansas City. He also excelled as a runner for them, rushing 24 times for 267 yards and another three touchdowns.

Of course, offense wasn’t his only specialty. Hill showed off his explosion in the return game as well. He had 592 yards and two touchdowns on punt returns and another 384 yards and one score on kick returns. Hill has a terrible past, and what he did to get arrested in inexcusable. He is, however, a beast on the field and could help the Chiefs win it all by changing momentum in an instant.

Jan 1, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) celebrates after a 37-27 win over the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 Alex Smith

This flies right in the face of conventional wisdom which says quarterback Alex Smith is the reason they can’t win, which is ludicrous. There is this flawed narrative floating around that an elite quarterback is needed in order to win a Super Bowl. That narrative is so engrained in people’s minds that when it is disproving, people just change how they define any quarterback to win a Super Bowl. This happened when Baltimore won with Joe Flacco and the New York Giants won with Eli Manning.

Both players were constantly ridiculed for their awful play, but then they each got hot and won championships. Now suddenly the man who has thrown 20-or-more picks in a season three times in Manning is elite. Also elite is Flacco, a guy who has been said struggles when his first read isn’t open and is openly called out by former teammates like linebacker Ray Lewis.

Despite facts, many assume Smith is inferior to those two. However, stats show otherwise. For their careers, Flacco has a career quarterback rating of 84.5 while Manning has a rating of 83.7. Smith on the other hand has a rating of 85.3 and has nowhere near as many picks thrown as either.

Smith actually has gone since 2010 without throwing double digit interceptions. Flacco has never once accomplished this feat and Manning only did it as a rookie when he didn’t start for much of the season.

Yet fans believe Smith is a liability when really he is one of the more dependable starters. He may not win in a shootout, but he is smart, efficient, safe with the ball, and even brings in an element of running from his position. He is more than talented enough to win for the Chiefs and is a better player than some who have done just that.