Follow us:

Offseason in three or fewer words: Repair the rush

The Chiefs went from 11th in sacks in their Super Bowl 2019 season to 19th in 2020 to 29th this season. They will never get the defensive consistency they desire without turning around this trend, as coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's system is based on getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Chiefs can build around Chris Jones, but Melvin Ingram III and Jarran Reed are prospective free agents while Frank Clark's contract might be too expensive for the Chiefs to give him another season. Some creative solutions might be in order, but improving the pass rush is a priority. -- Adam Teicher

The meltdown of Patrick Mahomes and the offense in the AFC Championship Game will endure as an eternal headscratcher, but Kansas City remains in excellent position as we spin forward. The biggest area of need comes via the pass rush: Chiefs brass should take something away from Joe Burrow being sacked just once by Kansas City in the AFC title game and 16 times in the two playoff contests that sandwiched that affair. The Chiefs finished 29th in the league in sacks this season, a fact that put too much pressure on the back end of the defense. Chris Jones will return as the defensive line's anchor, but he could use some dogs in the front seven.

The stink of the second-half loss to the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game will be hard to overcome. At some point, they have to run the ball better on offense.

Trending downward? Or down season -- if that's what you call it when you lose the AFC championship game ... even in the manner K.C. did? We'll guess the former and wager a team with Patrick Mahomes under center will be fine in the long run.

The rest of the AFC caught up to Kansas City this year for several reasons, from a defense that struggled in the first half of the season to an offense that fixed one problem (the offensive line) but discovered new ones (turnovers, and a lack of receiving options beyond Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill). This season should serve as a reminder to the Chiefs that just having Patrick Mahomes at quarterback isn't enough to guarantee a spot in the Super Bowl. Everyone -- Mahomes included -- must be better to get back there in 2022.