Former Defensive End Places Two Franchises Ahead of Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't end their 2024 campaign the way they had hoped, but like all great teams in professional sports, they have to leave the season in the past. All the Chiefs need to focus on is winning the AFC West division and making it back to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs dropped their chance at becoming the only franchise in the history of the NFL to win three straight Super Bowl championships to the Philadelphia Eagles. But this offseason, the front office did the best they could to improve the roster with the hopes that their championship window is still open.

Until the Chiefs are taken out of the playoffs by one of their AFC rivals, they should continue to be viewed as the team to beat in the conference. Having not been knocked out of the playoffs by an AFC franchise in three seasons further proves the dominance the Chiefs have had since the beginning of the 2020s.

However, in a recent ranking of the best franchises going into the new season created by ESPN's Mina Kimes and former NFL defensive end Chris Long, the Chiefs have competition in front of them.

In the rankings, Long believes that the Eagles are the best team going into the season and that the Baltimore Ravens are the second-best team, leaving the Chiefs ranked as the third-best team. While the ranking isn't poor, the Chiefs almost fell to fourth-best in Long's eyes when debating who was better between Kansas City and the Buffalo Bills.

"I'm really afraid the Chiefs are going to figure it out again a little bit this year and get back on the right track," Long said. "They've kind of done everything they've done over the last two years, a left-handed, whether it was like people dropping passes or you know not being able to protect last year, just kind of inching by, and then the dam broke in the Super Bowl."

"The Bills have had a lot of playoff success, but not against that team (Kansas City). Therefore, it would be disrespectful to put the Bills ahead of the Chiefs. Talk to me. Week 5 of the season, I might tell you the Bills are going to the Super Bowl. It's just going to depend on the vibe at that point, but on paper, you've got to give it to the Chiefs."

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