Best case -worst case scenarios for each team

[ATL96Steeler]

I think the Chiefs are going to be a large let down. It's going to be difficult to for Mahomes to produce again with ALL coaches/defenses keying on him and a full season of footage. Add to that no more Hunt (Mahomes' production did drop after he was suspended) and Hill's future in the air - I JUST don't see the duplication. I think he'll be successful, but duplicating 50 TD seasons? Meh.

Their defense, I don't think will really be improved. Okay that got Clark. But... Dee Ford DID play all of last year and had a better PFF rating (not saying it's everything but they do build solid cases on advanced stats) than Clark who played on a much better defense... soo....... how exactly are they BETTER?

Oakland and Denver SHOULD be better, so - that doesn't help their case. Regardless, even though he'll likely be a stud and a franchise QB - I CAN'T go all in on a QB in their (effectively) 2nd year. "You're an idiot, he had 50 TDs and 5,000 yards!" I know... I know. Again, high chance if not lock he'll be a stud, still can't go all in yet.

IDK about large let down, but I do expect them to regress a little bit...still see a 10 win type team.

OFC...I agree 100% here. Mahomes was off the charts good LY...I don't think he would replicate that even if he had his full complement of weapons back which leads me to what's not back. Hunt and Hill.

DEF...yeah they lost a lot of their edge play with Dee Ford and a still effective Justin Houston, but Frank Clark is a baller coming from a 43 front and Emmanuel Ogbah is not really a sack, but a good run stuffing DE from CLE...couple those guys with Chris Jones who is a highly underrated DE/DT...he got 13 sacks from his 34 DE spot LY...he should have just as many opportunities playing a 43 DT this season....I don't see the DEF being worse than LY, but I dunno that I expect a huge improvement either.

 

[mrschaney]

I think the best case scenario would be 16-0 and win the super bowl.
Worst case scenario would be 0-16. Duh

 

[Fountain City Blues]

First 8 weeks of the season for the Chiefs:

@ Jacksonville
@ Oakland
Vs Baltimore
@ Detroit
Vs Indianapolis (SNF)
Vs Houston
@ Denver (TNF)
Vs Green Bay (SNF)

Not a single thing about that schedule scares me.

 

[Clayton]

First 8 weeks of the season for the Chiefs:

@ Jacksonville
@ Oakland
Vs Baltimore
@ Detroit
Vs Indianapolis (SNF)
Vs Houston
@ Denver (TNF)
Vs Green Bay (SNF)

Not a single thing about that schedule scares me.

End of the schedule is pretty rough, though.

My gut tells me 10-6 but I've been 1-3 wins too low on the Chiefs every year so they might still be fine

 

[SteelersPride]

The LB's and safeties blow massive chunks, boss. Look up how they did against RB's and TE's and compare it to the WR's and you'll have your answer; though the Chiefs wiping WR's relatively is likely a passrush thing, so IDK.

It's why getting Mathieu and Thornhill are huge deals.

Do they need another CB? Yeah, but they're not far behind, if at all; if anything I'd wager they're actually ahead of last year's CB group. Grab a Waynes or Rhodes and there's good potential; Peterson at the deadline? Chiefs have options.

all teams have options

 

[Fountain City Blues]

all teams have options

Not all have the same motive and resources the Chiefs do, however... unless they just completely flop in the first half of the season and the Chargers go berserk, which looking at the schedule I have a tough time believing that.

Those Chargers, Patriots, and Bears game are gonna be real nasty I am guessing, however. Chiefs can sit on their hands the first eight games if nobody wants to play ball as far as trades go.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

End of the schedule is pretty rough, though.

My gut tells me 10-6 but I've been 1-3 wins too low on the Chiefs every year so they might still be fine

Yeah

LAC x2, @Bears, @Patriots and I have a hunch the Vikings will be back with a vengeance this year, can't prove it though.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

IDK about large let down, but I do expect them to regress a little bit...still see a 10 win type team.

OFC...I agree 100% here. Mahomes was off the charts good LY...I don't think he would replicate that even if he had his full complement of weapons back which leads me to what's not back. Hunt and Hill.

DEF...yeah they lost a lot of their edge play with Dee Ford and a still effective Justin Houston, but Frank Clark is a baller coming from a 43 front and Emmanuel Ogbah is not really a sack, but a good run stuffing DE from CLE...couple those guys with Chris Jones who is a highly underrated DE/DT...he got 13 sacks from his 34 DE spot LY...he should have just as many opportunities playing a 43 DT this season....I don't see the DEF being worse than LY, but I dunno that I expect a huge improvement either.

I guess by large let down I mean around 10-11 wins + playoffs. Really not a "LARGE let down" but it seems a ton of people are auto pegging them in as a 13-14 win team. I don't see it.

Agree with your notes on defense. Funny enough, as I said on offense, "Hard to duplicate/get better than that." Same can be said on defense. "Hard to duplicate/get worse than that." lol..

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

First 8 weeks of the season for the Chiefs:

@ Jacksonville
@ Oakland
Vs Baltimore
@ Detroit
Vs Indianapolis (SNF)
Vs Houston
@ Denver (TNF)
Vs Green Bay (SNF)

Not a single thing about that schedule scares me.

Jacksonville can be tough to play at home that early in the year (weather is pretty brutal if you're not used to it). Foles (hell a warm body given Bortles was leading the charge) helps Jacksonville quite a bit and if Fournette can rebound that's good. Jax's defense is very good as well, and they snagged Josh Allen which will only help.

Oakland agreed.

Baltimore is a wild card. #1 D from 2018, and Lamar Jackson probably wont be crippled at this point so he can run the ball 30+ times against a terrible D.

Detroit agreed.

Indy this is a solid team and Luck actually has solid protection now. This could be a shoot out but Indy has the better D. I see ZERO reason Luck not going toe to toe with Mahomes here.

Houston agreed. Terrible draft and their OL sucks ass. They were 11-5/division winner though... so can't really count em' out. (I still have no clue how this team ended 11-5, I don't even remember them in the playoffs)

Denver agreed.

Green Bay Never count out Aaron Rodgers.

Overall I'm mostly in agreement I'd bet the Chiefs to win these games (not necessarily cover spreads) but if I was a fan I wouldn't necessarily brush them off and just assume these are in the bag. I'd say they come out 6-2 (which I'm sure you'd be fine with).

 

[SteelersPride]

Not all have the same motive and resources the Chiefs do, however... unless they just completely flop in the first half of the season and the Chargers go berserk, which looking at the schedule I have a tough time believing that.

Those Chargers, Patriots, and Bears game are gonna be real nasty I am guessing, however. Chiefs can sit on their hands the first eight games if nobody wants to play ball as far as trades go.

that i totally agree with

 

[rmilia1]

Tough to predict these things because of injury but assuming relative health id put Atlanta between 8-8 and 11-5

 

[tducey]

I expect the Colts to get 10 or 11 wins this year myself.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Dumb article. The best case worst case for every team is actually...

19-0 or 0-16

 

[Brees#1]

Most of this is pretty silly. Really, the Bears worst case is 11-5? Ha ha. They could/should be very good, but 10-6 is still a good record.

The bears are a classic example of recency bias. I mean the boom is going to be felt hard.

 

[Brees#1]

I didn't look but I think the Saints need to hope TB does not turn it around. They already gave our ol fits and now there is no Unger. Ingram is also gone.

 

[Southieinnc]

Lot of shit-talking on the Chiefs for a team that is gonna have Hill and probably another CB in the games that matter.

Do you see the Chiefs successfully navigating the road to the SB from the Wildcard position?????

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Do you see the Chiefs successfully navigating the road to the SB from the Wildcard position?????

Won't need to.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

 

[Southieinnc]

I think the best case scenario would be 16-0 and win the super bowl.
Worst case scenario would be 0-16. Duh

Which record is more likely for a team down in the "Miami Zone"?????

 

[steelerssb]

Ravens being 8-8 seems generous