‘They found a way to beat the Chiefs’… NFL analysts debate two teams that could threaten them in 2024

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2023 was a competitive season, and at the same time full of novelties in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs, favourites to win the Super Bowl for at least five years, maintained their position and won the championship ring.

However, new teams have emerged as powerhouses for the coming seasons. This is the case with the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions… squads that have undergone a massive rebuild and are now reaping the rewards.

However, the Baltimore Ravens, who have already established themselves as a team capable of reaching the SB, were unable to beat KC in the AFC Championship, but the stakes are good for this year.

The Cincinnati Bengals, the only team to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs in recent years, are coming off a difficult 2023 due to Joe Burrow’s injury, which ruined any plans they had. The quarterback is now healthy and hungry to reach the post-season again, but this time to secure the title.

AFC team capable of beating the Chiefs

KC’s season last year went from strength to strength until they reached the playoffs.

A weakened offense that lacked strength took over the games, while the defense carried the weight and proved to be the key to victory for many weeks.

Despite winning the Super Bowl, Kansas City proved to be a beatable squad until the post-season.

That’s why, in the year of the three-peat, some believe that the defending champions will be defeated.

And there are two specific teams that are tipped as possible threats to the Chiefs.

On a recent edition of the Speak show, the debate among the analysts was whether the Baltimore Ravens really are the team KC needs to keep an eye on in 2024.

Ric Bucher denied the possibility and brought up the Bengals as the franchise that is probably in a position to overcome Andy Reid’s team: “The Cincinnati Bengals for a multitude of reasons. I mean, we’re gonna debate it here and I’m gonna debate it with Shady, but in reality, there’s not really anything to debate.”

He elaborated: “The Bengals have beaten them three out of four times. They’ve beaten them when they’ve had a mediocre defense. They’ve beaten them when they’ve only rushed for 60 yards, they’ve beaten them without Joe Mixon.”

“The only (time) that they beat them was when the Chiefs got 10 hits on Joe Burrow – they’ve (Bengals) beaten them under every circumstance. They’ve beaten them in Arrowhead,” Bucher added.

“So when I look at it in totality, the only time that they’ve lost is when Joe Burrow has thrown more interceptions than TDs. And that’s only happened twice to him in the playoffs out of seven playoff games.”

He insinuated that with both squads 100 per cent healthy, the Bengals are more assured than the Chiefs.

“Do I expect that that would happen again? Highly unlikely. So, for all the reasons that when the Chiefs have been at their best and the Bengals have been at their best, both have been healthy and even when the Bengals have been compromised, they found a way to beat the Kansas City Chiefs more times than the Kansas City Chiefs have beaten the Bengals.”

Former NFL player sees Kansas City Chiefs themselves as a threat

LeSean McCoy, former Kansas City Chiefs, responded to the debate in an unusual way.

According to Shady, the Chiefs are their own threat: “I would say this, I just think that the biggest threat for the Chiefs is the Chiefs because who can really beat them?”

He argued about the positions the Ravens and Bengals are in and that both aren’t capable of challenging KC’s dominance.

“We keep talking about Joe Burrow and then the Bengals, they kind of beat him, right? Even Thanos lost a fight or two, right? But we know how dominant he was… When you look at what the Chiefs are really building there, they’re building a dynasty for real.”

McCoy believes that all the new additions make the Chiefs unstoppable.

“Last year was the worst I’ve ever seen the Chiefs look. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen Andy Reid’s offense ever look, right? Calling players or not calling players. When you look at the way they turned it on the playoffs is phenomenal.”

“What the hell do you think will happen this year? I don’t know how good the Bengals got in the offseason. I don’t know how good the Ravens got in the offseason.”

“I know the Chiefs got better. I know the worst we ever seen the Chiefs was last year and they won a championship, right.”

“Now they get better, explosive offense for God’s sakes. They got the fastest guy in college football in the draft. Then you add Marquis Brown, so it’s like they’re gonna get better and better and better.”

Shady made it clear that he’s not worried about possible threats to the current champions.

“I look at the Ravens Lamar Jackson MVP quarterback, right? Ravens top defense in football, best team in football and you still can’t beat the Chiefs when they’re at the weakest point. How you gonna beat them now?”