Why Chiefs, not Patriots or Falcons, are best team in football
If you were to build a leading Super Bowl contender, you'd likely start with a top-tier quarterback. Then, you'd likely search for numerous, flexible defensive backs with strong coverage skills, a resolute offensive line and running game, and a strong coaching personnel.
In theory, this would describe the New England Patriots, right?
Wrong. Through three weeks, it's the Kansas City Chiefs that look like the best team in football, not the Patriots nor the Atlanta Falcons, the latter of whom have also jumped out to a 3-0 start.
Before you laugh the concept out of the room, consider this:
Quarterback A: 65-of-84, 77.3 completion percentage, 784 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT
Quarterback B: 71-of-110, 64.5 completion percentage, 1,092 yards, 8 TD, 0 INT
Who are the two players above? Quarterback A is Alex Smith, Quarterback B is Tom Brady. The differences between the two players' career outputs are starkly contrasted, but Smith has outdueled Brady head-to-head this year and it's hard to argue that any quarterback this season has drastically outperformed him. In his 13th season, Smith is finally shedding the notion that he's not good enough to lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have been able to beat teams with numerous strategies, abandoning their hyper-conservative offense through the first two weeks, with Smith taking uncharacteristic shots downfield to great effect. Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Chris Conley, and Albert Wilson will never be considered among the top receiving corps in the league, but they've been good enough to make the offense unpredictable.
Kansas City went back to its risk-averse offense against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday and it worked to great effect. That the Chiefs can now beat teams with multiple strategies is a testament to head coach Andy Reid's apparent adaptability, a trait that was sorely lacking in previous years.
That we've gone this far without discussing rookie standout Kareem Hunt is a testament to Smith and the passing game. Hunt has taken the NFL by storm during his first three games and looks like the steal of the 2017 draft class. Prior to Week 3, Hunt led the NFL in rushing and continued his assault on the league with 172 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, with one reception for 11 yards vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. Selected in the third round, Hunt is the last great gem unearthed by former general manager John Dorsey, whose dismissal drew league outcry, but has become an afterthought as September winds down.
The Patriots entered the season as prohibitive favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions, with some postulating they could go undefeated. Through three games, the Patriots have vacillated between a top-end contender and a mid-tier team that will have to scrap their way to victories. Brady may not be the problem, but the Patriots' defense looks nothing like the unit that led the NFL in scoring defense in 2016.
While the Patriots try to regain their footing, the Chiefs have submitted three excellent performances, including an opening night victory over the AFC East juggernaut, and have temporarily usurped them as the NFL's best team. Whether that becomes permanent, we'll find out in due time.
Kansas City's defense has been good enough to contend for a Super Bowl for years, with Smith's conservative approach acting as a detriment to the team's ceiling. While Smith experiences a renaissance season, the Chiefs' defense have more than held up their end of the bargain, recording 11 sacks thus far. Justin Houston once again looks like a top-tier outside linebacker after injuries stagnated his progress, Chris Jones is quietly developing into a star defensive tackle, while Marcus Peters continues to be one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. The Chiefs have weathered Eric Berry's injury-related absence, somehow masking their apparent vulnerability. This doesn't seem to be the Chiefs team of yesteryear.
Atlanta is certainly making a case to be considered the NFL's best team, but the defending NFC champs escaped with a controversial last-second victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 3. The Falcons certainly look formidable but questions about their young defense remain, putting the Chiefs atop. A Chiefs-Falcons meeting in Super Bowl LII would be certainly compelling, and while it's far too early to call this matchup a collision course, don't be surprised if they meet for the Lombardi Trophy.
In truth, the Chiefs may face their toughest tests within the division, with the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos looming large, although the latter inexplicably dropped a road game to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The Chiefs weren't an excitable team in the past; to some, they will never be. Mistaking the Chiefs because of their conservative identity, rote quarterback play, and lack of national appeal for a lack of supremacy would be unwise. Kansas City is the best team in football. It's on everyone else to prove otherwise at this point.