I'm getting antsy, so here's 2014.

[Direckshun]

The Chiefs have an extremely difficult schedule ahead of them. Perhaps the most difficult schedule I can remember a competent Chiefs team ever having. Not only are they playing four very strong teams in the NFC West, they're playing all four of the conference championships. Two of the three teams in their division have Top 5 QBs, and two of the three teams will have Top 5 passrushing attacks (I'm bullish on Tuck & Mack in Oakland). The Chiefs are coming off an appropriately disappointing season where they bitchslapped their playoff opponent, only to lose when half their roster when down with injury. This year, they have a roster which has suffered a loss of 8 or so starters and critical contributors, adding virtually nobody to replace any of them, relying instead of their depth to save them. While last year's team was as deep as we've seen, it remains to be seen what, exactly, we have this year with more of these depth players getting daylight.

Our weakness is all the IFs this season is riding on. Will Fisher emerge from injury as anything better than last year's colossal disappointment. Will Sorensen and Commings be the quality depth at safety we need. Will Allen Bailey, Vance Walker, or Mike Catapano show up. Will we develop a true #2 WR. Will any CBs play well -- and I do mean any.

The Chiefs lost Albert, Asamoah, Schwartz, McCluster, TJax, Akeem Jordan, Quentin Demps, and Kendrick Lewis. Whatever your opinions of those players, they were critical, and the Chiefs will need a ton of roster surprises in order to fully replace them, which would cement John Dorsey as the personnel whiz we'd hoped he'd be when we acquired him as GM. But while the NFL is full of surprises, it's unusual a team gets that many all at once.

The good news is, we discovered last year that we do have a QB who, at his highest level of play, is a Super Bowl caliber QB. His play against the Colts in the playoffs was perhaps the best Chiefs QB performance we've had since Lenny the cool, as he single-handedly carried an offense bereft of Jamaal Charles. The fact that he was let down so often -- Bowe failing to score and going down on the 1 yard line, Cyrus Gray failing to run the wheel route perfectly, Bowe stepping out of bounds on the final play of the game, and half the defense going down with injury... -- is not Smith's fault. If Smith can replicate that performance, the Chiefs can be much, much better than anybody expects. But Alex Smith is a known quantity at this point: he will do enough to win most games, so long as the rest of the team cooperates, and he'll play better in the tougher games, but he's not going to become Playoff Alex until the playoffs. Which is unfortunate, because that Alex is incredible.

The rest of the AFC West is a minefield of trouble. The Broncos return Peyton and a really good receiver corps, as well as a jacked up defense. The Chargers are decent everywhere except at QB, where Rivers had arguably his best season as a pro last year with 2nd and 3rd string WRs, cementing him as one of the league's best. The Raiders have rebuilt in the short term, with a strategy that isn't going to give them a lot of long-term success, but will give them moderate success in the short term. So long as Peyton stays upright, the Chiefs have a 0% chance of winning the division. If Peyton goes down, our odds probably only shoot up to 40% or so as Philip Rivers is peaking. Unless, like I said, we get Playoff Alex, who looks an awful lot like a guy who can hang with Rivers at his best.

At this point, the Chiefs are still working to extend Alex Smith, Justin Houston, and Eric Berry. They need all three extended before 2015 comes around, and they will get Alex Smith signed to an ungodly contract before the season starts, because they are the Chiefs, of 6 years, $100m, with $45m guaranteed. About halfway through the year, they will sign Eric Berry to an extension of 5 years, $45m, with $30m guaranteed. Houston, who has been difficult at the negotiating table ever since he was brought into this league, will have to be franchise tagged in 2015.

The Chiefs understand the challenges ahead of themselves this year, and cut Chase Daniel to make room for promising, potential long-term answers in Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray. Demetrius Harris ends up as the 3rd TE, and Ryan Harris is the team's swing tackle, joining Eric Kush and Rishaw Johnson as the backup OL. Duvarney-Tardif will either be frequently-deactivated or practice-squadded, assuming another team doesn't scoop him up.

In a relative shocker, Zach Fulton will start at RG. Kelce can't stay healthy long enough in training camp to overtake Fasano at TE, but he may as the year progresses. The Chiefs have no real backup to Poe, so they will move DeVito over if they have to. Kyle Love ends up as anoter backup NT option, and Mays wins the ILB job over Nico Johnson, who sounds like he is thankfully starting to get it. Your starters at CB are Sean Smith and Marcus Cooper, with Chris Owens at NCB. Ron Parker gets a lot of time on the field as well, as ChiefsPlanet starts getting really nervous over Phillip Gaines.

After four preseason games, here's the roster:

QB: Smith, Bray, Murray
RB: Charles, Davis, Thomas, Gray
FB: Sherman

WR: Bowe, Avery, Jenkins, Dressler, Hemingway, Thomas
TE: Fasano, Kelce, Harris

LT: Fisher, Stephenson
LG: Allen, Johnson
C: Hudson, Kush
RG: Fulton, Johnson
RT: Stephenson, Harris

DE: DeVito, Catapano
NT: Poe, DeVito, Love
DE: Bailey, Walker

OLB: Hali, Ford
ILB: Mays, Johnson
ILB: Johnson, Johnson
OLB: Houston, Martin

CB: Smith, Cooper, Owens, Parker, Gaines
S: Berry, Abdullah, Commings, Sorensen

K: Succop
P: Colquitt
LS: Gafford
KR: Thomas, Davis
PR: Thomas, Davis

Week 1: vs. Titans W
Week 2: @ Broncos L
Week 3: @ Dolphins W
Week 4: vs. Patriots L
Week 5: @ 49ers L
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: @ Chargers W
Week 8: vs. Rams W
Week 9: vs. Jets W
Week 10: @ Bills W
Week 11: vs. Seahawks L
Week 12: @ Raiders L
Week 13: vs. Broncos L
Week 14: @ Cardinals L
Week 15: vs. Raiders W
Week 16: @ Steelers L
Week 17: vs. Chargers L

We finish the season 7-9 (only 4-4 at home...) against a schedule that starts brutal, but really sags in the middle. I always assume there is a game we should win that we will lose (in this circumstance, the Chiefs drop a game in Oakland that they should honestly win). I always assume there is a game we should lose that we will win (in this circumstance, I think the Chiefs bounce off the bye and take down the Chargers in San Diego). The Chiefs will amass a four game win-streak mid-season, making everybody wonder if The Chiefs Have Finally Gotten It at 6-3, only to lose six of our final seven games and be brutally reminded exactly how talented this team was all along.

Our young rookie crop yields what can only be assumed to be diminishing returns. Dee Ford looks really promising, but he'll only play on 40% of the snaps as Hali and Houston dominate snaps. Gaines hardly plays at all this year. DAT looks exactly like McCluster did McCluster's rookie year: a speedy talent that has trouble finding a spot in the offense. Murray never plays, hardly getting snaps in the preseason as Bray and Daniel duke it out. Duvarney-Tardif never plays in 2014.

Instead, the Chiefs will get two pleasant surprises. Zach Fulton will have an iffy but solid rookie year at RG. And Daniel Sorensen will look every bit the part as a heady supporting player at safety.

The offense ends up somewhere around the bottom third of the league -- which happens when you have iffy protection issues along the OL (Fisher will still look like a rookie as the year wears on), and no WRs aside from Bowe (although we're going to be very pleasantly surprised by Jenkins).

The defense, due to the offense's struggles, will end up around #13 in the league. They'll put up iffy numbers against the pass (as our secondary is very inexperienced) and the run (as teams will be running to burn the clock on us late in games).

We will have the following issues:

• The following injuries will have been incurred: Fisher (out in week 2, back in week 3), Poe (out in week 6, back in week 9), Bowe (will go out for the year with an ACL in Week 5), Knile Davis (out twice, in weeks 3 and 11), De'Anthony Thomas (will get crunched in week 12, returning week 17).
• Bowe will have had a really sterling opening month, but sadly the depleted WR corps will be even worse once we lose Bowe for the year. Fortunately, Avery and Smith will continue their rapport, and A.J. Jenkins will develop as a nice Jeremy Maclin-type talent. Jenkins will be used mostly in Percy Harvin-type roles for the opening month, but as the route tree opens for him following Bowe's injury, so will his progress. Jenkins will look like a true #2 by the end of the year.
• The mystery at CB will continue all year. Sean Smith will lead the way, playing lights out for the first month, before getting burned all year for 100-yard games. Marcus Cooper will be up and down all year, getting torched some games and playing well in others. Chris Owens will be a mess all year, as the slot will get repeatedly exposed -- it will get so bad that the Chiefs will bench Owens for Gaines in the final month. Gaines plays well, but looks like a rookie. The only promising CB we'll have on the roster all year will be Ron Parker, whom the staff refuses to start, even as Sean Smith and Cooper falter, because they are the Chiefs.

Pro Bowlers: Charles, Poe, Hali, Houston, Berry

All Pro: Charles

The offensive line plays poorly all year, but figure it out in the final month of the year. They allow the 9th most sacks in the NFL, but allow only 2 sacks in the final month. Fisher looks like he will shape up to be an average LT. Hudson and Stephenson both look really solid at their respective positions by the end of the year. Jeff Allen and Zach Fulton struggle all year.

The run game is on all year, with three talented backs coming out of the backfield in Charles, Davis, and Thomas. All three put up at least 4.0 yards on the ground all year. Charles stacks up 1,100 yards on the ground, and 450 yards through the air. Davis stacks up another 600 yards on the ground, and another 210 through the air. Thomas is a livewire; he "only" gains 190 on the ground on very few touches, with a couple game-breakers thrown in for good measure.

With such poor protection and receiving options, however, Smith can't capitalize on the run game. Smith will have a four-game stretch in the middle of the year where he'll revert to 2013 form: averaging 235 yards/game, with 12 TDs and 1 INT. The rest of the year is a massive struggle, however. He ends the year with 3,100 yards throwing, 25 TDs and 19 INTs.

Top receivers: Bowe is great out of the gate. In four games, he has 380 yards on 25 receptions. But in Week 5, he goes down with an ACL, which sends shockwaves through the entire offense. Because we are the Chiefs. Avery continues with his normal production, ending the year with 45 receptions 800 yards receiving. AJ Jenkins, as mentioned before, will flourish as the season wears on. He'll end the year with 850 yards receiving on 62 receptions. People will be wondering -- is this the guy the 49ers thought they drafted a couple years ago? Hemingway and Dressler will never quite step up, picking up about 30 passes each all year, both for 6 yard averages.

The Chiefs still, for the life of them, cannot figure out how to get a passrush from 3-4 defensive ends. Bailey will get 2 all year. Catapano 1. Vance Walker, once thought of as the answer to this particular question, will inexplicably fall off, and register zero sacks. Because we are the Chiefs. Poe will stack up a couple sacks here or there, and end the season with 6.

Hali, playing for a new contract with whatever team picks him up after the Chiefs cut him in 2015, will have a great year, stacking up 13 sacks. Houston, also playing for a new contract, will end up being a terror, to the tune of 11 sacks, 2 INTs, and 4 FFs, and excellent play against the run. DJ will chip in four more sacks, and secondary blitzers will add one more as the year goes on.

Leading tacklers: DJ gets 140, and doesn't seem to be slowing down... ever. Berry has an outstanding year with 90. Mays notches 80 more. DeVito hauls in about 35 throughout the year, and Sean Smith will lead all corners with 41.

Berry plays a lot more FS this year, and ends up notching way more INTs. He'll have 6 by the end of the year, with two returned for TDs. Cooper will have two INTs, as well Sean Smith. The only other corner to register an INT will be Ron Parker in spot duty.

Notes about the upcoming offseason:

The Chiefs will let Rodney Hudson and Allen Bailey walk. They will end up cutting Tamba Hali and Sean Smith.

Houston is franchised.

As the Chiefs defense struggled all year, questions will arise about whether Bob Sutton should retain his job as DC. After a small media hullabaloo, Sutton will be retained. Because we are the Chiefs.

With AJ Jenkins looking great, the Chiefs will need to figure out what to do at OL. Hudson is walking, and Stephenson will likely be gone next year. The Chiefs need more help at tackle, and will need to figure out if Catapano can start at DE in Bailey's place, because Vance Walker sure can't for some reason. The Chiefs will almost certainly be expected to go with a CB in the first round.

AFC Byes: Broncos, Patriots
Colts host Titans
Bengals host Chargers

The Broncos reach the Super Bowl against the 49ers and defeat them, 29-19. Manning announces his retirement at the press conference.

Any questions?

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Bold the Bray parts.

[New World Order]

I think the Rams with their front 4 destroy our line and beat us in KC.

But I still agree with the 7-9 record.

What is the board going to be like when Geno comes to town?

[cmh6476]

A little off from my prediction of 19-0

[Trivers]

Nice work! Thanks for the effort!

We win games 12. 14. 17.

[TribalElder]

I think we beat the pats

[milkman]

Got about a third of the way through the first third of that post when I decided that shit is criminally stupid.

Worst ****ing analysis ever.

[Trivers]

Originally Posted by milkman

Got about a third of the way through the first third of that post when I decided that shit is criminally stupid.

Worst ****ing analysis ever.

Can you do better? If so, inform us.

If not, why complain?

It took a lot of time (and perhaps beer) to write that.

Nice effort.

[New World Order]

I appreciate Direckshun

Just not in the DC subforum

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by milkman

Got about a third of the way through the first third of that post when I decided that shit is criminally stupid.

Worst ****ing analysis ever.

Same here.

[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

The Chiefs lost Albert, Asamoah, Schwartz, McCluster, TJax, Akeem Jordan, Quentin Demps, and Kendrick Lewis. Whatever your opinions of those players, they were critical.

[stonedstooge]

When do they extend Smith's contract?

[RealSNR]

So basically we beat all the shittiest teams on the schedule and none of the hard teams. That might happen, but you know damn well the NFL is unpredictable as ****, and if we beat the hard teams it's because the hard teams unexpectedly are really bad. Also, Andy Reid is our coach and his teams never do what you expect them to do. So that means show some balls and predict a crazy win. Mark down the Titans as a loss. Let's sweep the Broncos and get swept by the Raiders. Switch it up, because that's what's going to happen.

Also, Kyle Love isn't making the goddamn team. You can change my avatar to anything you want for two weeks if this doesn't happen. It's going to be Jaye Howard for that final NT spot, and if not him, then Cory Grissom. But not Kyle Love.

Also, Weston Dressler sucks. Zombo will also be back, whether that's a good thing or not. I also think you're being unnecessarily harsh on our CBs. Smith is a terrible CB1, and Marcus Cooper is a question mark as a CB2, but a hopeful one. The rest of the group isn't chopped liver as depth.

[Schnitzel]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

I think we beat the pats

I hope so. F*** the Pats!

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by New World Order

I appreciate Direckshun

Just not in the DC subforum

He is a beautiful human.