ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs LNBS: 10 Things KC Needs to Happen to be a Super Bowl Contender

I can see this team going all the way if these things come to fruition:

1) Alex Smith stays healthy. I know some will scoff at making this the first thing I list, but Alex is going to be in his comfort zone all year. Solid line, dependable producers in Maclin, Kelce, Charles, West, Ware among others. He knows the whole offense front to back and will be able to go out there and sling it. Andy Reid said he turned the keys to the offense over to Alex after Jamaal went down last year and the offense responded.

Pure and simple, Alex needs to stay on the field for the team to be a serious contender. I'm a big Foles fan, but right now, Alex is a better player.

2) Justin Houston needs to return at some point and be his dominating self. He doesn't need to be here right away, but somewhere around midseason, we will need him. No question about it, if he can't return this year, this won't be a Super Bowl team. We need that edge rush to be top shelf to win in the postseason and without Houston, that's not going to happen. The secondary is going to be very young, and therefore will likely be mistake prone...a guy like Houston hides a lot of those mistakes.

Without him, we can win a playoff game, but the Chiefs won't win a title without him...sure would be fun to watch if Dee Ford steps up and Houston returns to his old self while Hali completes a rotation. Sky's the limit then.

3) Phillip Gaines needs to step up and lock down that #2 corner spot. The kid has unreal quickness, ball skills and raw speed and he has the best chance to be a difference maker across from Peters. We desperately need someone to fill Sean Smiths shoes and I think Gaines is going to do a great job. If he solidifies that CB spot, this defense is going to be very tough to beat down the stretch. If he doesn't solidify that spot, the defense could struggle, given the dropoff in pass rush productivity without Houston...cover guys (young cover guys) need to cover longer....that could make for some long games.

We really need him to step up, stay healthy and play to his ability level.

4) Chris Conley needs to show that what he did to Trumaine Johnson against the Rams wasn't a fluke. Right now, he looks like a guy that is ready to take the next step in his development and lock down that second receiver spot. For our offense, that could spell doom for opposing defenses. Teams will be spending a lot of time and on field resources scheming to stop the run game,mMaclin and Kelce...they will roll coverages and bracket those guys and bring numbers to stop our running game...that's gonna leave lots of opportunities for Conley to break big plays. He needs to make the most of those opportunities for this offense to take a step forward.

5) Dee Ford needs to finish plays. I guess we all need to accept that Dee isn't gonna be a fire breather. It's just not him. What we should expect is for him to finish the type of plays he wasn't able to finish last year. For the defense to be championship caliber with this many young DBs, Dee Ford needs to be fired out of a cannon and wrap up the ball carrier/QB when he is able to "get home". No way around it...if he sucks this year, this isn't a team with championship aspirations. He's a HUGE piece of this machine.

6) Tyreek Hill needs to provide significant impact. I think he will be our kick and punt returner while also playing a significant role on offense. Something like 160 total touches. I won't be surprised if he scores 8tds. His speed is something nobody in the league will be prepared for on Sunday's because he's probably the fastest player in the league.

The fun part about Hill is that he will be working against man coverage a TON against 3rd and 4th corners AT BEST...there will be plenty of times where he will be matched up on a safety... And there's nothing a defense can do about it. You can't double everyone.

Kids gonna eat.

7) Eric Murray needs to play like a vet...and right away. Rivers, Osweiler, Rothlisberger and other QBs we will face early on are going to target him. He's a rookie transitioning to a new position and will be tested...especially since he will be playing a lot in sub packages. I'm as excited about this kid as I am about Jones and Hill, but he's gonna have a trial by fire. Should be fun to see how he responds.

8) Eric Berry needs to be a total beast. I'm talking sophomore year at Tennesee when he had 7ints, 8.5 TFL, 3 sacks and 2 defensive scores. We need that guy. We need a guy that takes away the deep ball while paired with another blazing fast safety and forces opposing teams to work around him and also blitzes like a savage. We need Berry to be prime Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed. I'm anxious to see how Eric plays this year.

9) Marcus Peters needs to make the most of his opportunities. He has done so and is a phenom...but now that teams have film on him, he needs to be ready for counter punches. The defense is going to need as many turnovers as possible and opposing QBs will probably target guys that don't wear #22 often...Peters needs to make them pay when they do try to test him.

10) Chris Jones needs to get a lot of playing time. Whatever Sutton needs to do, he needs to have Chris Jones out there disrupting plays and tossing OL around the field. This kid will be a big help to the DBs because he's gonna force opposing passers to get rid of thr ball sooner than they want.

He's gonna be the next DROTY if Sutton gives him enough opportunities to do so.

Obligatory #11 score more points than the other team.