Tyreek Hill trade has Chiefs' true playmaker ready to shine in 2022
If the Kansas City Chiefs have made one thing clear over the last few years, it's that they can score. They can do it better than just about anyone, and have some of the most unstoppable players in football. One of those players should be the very reason the Chiefs have an advantage over all […]
If the Kansas City Chiefs have made one thing clear over the last few years, it's that they can score. They can do it better than just about anyone, and have some of the most unstoppable players in football. One of those players should be the very reason the Chiefs have an advantage over all other AFC West teams in 2022.
While having one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Patrick Mahomes is great, he's not the only reason him the Chiefs have a divisional advantage. The AFC West has caught up in that department with Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson, for the most part.
It's actually someone else that gives them an advantage.
Travis Kelce gives the Chiefs an advantage in 2022 over the division
I could have taken the easy way out and said that the Chiefs' biggest advantage was that they have won the division the last six years in a row. But how much fun would that be?
How can one player that doesn't play quarterback give a team that big of an advantage? Well, Travis Kelce is also the best at his position in the NFL and is one of the most dynamic players in football.
Of all the players in the division, Kelce is the only one who is in an argument for the greatest at his position of all time. Right now, it's him, and Rob Gronkowski. That also obviously means that Kelce is very, very good.
You simply cannot game plan for him. If you think you can double team him, you simply can't. Either he still gets the job done, or he opens the field up for other players.
Out of all the defenders in the AFC West, there may be two that can guard Kelce, and that's a maybe. Those two would be Derwin James in Los Angeles, and Justin Simmons in Denver.
Per Pro Football Focus stats, of 32 tight ends that finished last season with at least 43 targets, Kelce had the seventh-highest contested catch percentage with 60%. He caught nine of the 15 contested balls thrown his way. And, he rarely drops it. In fact, he finished 12th-lowest of those players in drop percentage with 5.0%.
The Chiefs will likely use Kelce, even more, this year, now that Hill has moved onto the Dolphins. And honestly, some could argue that Kelce is the team's true mismatch. While Hill certainly brings an unmatched speed/twitch element to the game, he can be stopped with the right coverages. It's rare to neutralize Kelce, even when the defensive focus is on him.
Andy Reid's playbook is about to get even crazier. With the new players they have in the system this year, and more targets to go to Kelce, the rest of the division better hope it's ready.
Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
