Next Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs will officially begin their quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship when they start the 2024 season against the Baltimore Ravens. It will be a rematch of last winter’s AFC Championship Game and possibly a preview of this January’s conference title game.
While the Chiefs have the NFL’s best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and possibly an improved wide receiver room, they will likely have to win with defense again in order to claim yet another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Their secondary looks different this year without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Tennessee Titans in March. It has opened up a battle for the second starting CB spot opposite Trent McDuffie, who was an All-Pro First Teamer in 2023.
But right now, no one has proven themselves to be the best choice for that spot in the minds of head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic.
“Let’s all remember that a major reason the Chiefs traded L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans in the offseason is because Reid and Veach felt the team still had three capable starters in McDuffie, [Joshua] Williams and [Jaylen] Watson,” Taylor wrote. “Well, McDuffie has been excellent in camp. The problem is no one has made a strong argument to be the second starting cornerback.”
Last year, Kansas City had the ability to make opposing teams work to make big-yardage plays downfield thanks to that duo of McDuffie and Snead. Now, they will have to hope that either Williams or Watson, both of whom are entering their third pro season, will become a stud.
Williams and Watson had five and six passes defended, respectively, in 2023. As Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report noted, one was clearly the better option in one key statistical category.
“Last season, Watson saw the field more than Williams, though the latter fared a lot better in coverage,” wrote Moton. “Watson allowed a 103.6 passer rating and four touchdowns while Williams allowed an 82.7 passer rating and two touchdowns.
“If the Chiefs go with a default choice in an uninspiring battle, Williams may get the nod because he had a better year in 2023.”
Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs were second in both points and total yards allowed, as well as third in first downs allowed and fourth in both passing touchdowns and passing yards given up. It was a marked departure from recent seasons when they were a high-powered, air-it-out offensive juggernaut and only a somewhat above-average defensive team.
Even if whoever wins that second starting corner spot doesn’t quite measure up, everyone should know by now that it is not wise to bet against Mahomes.
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