The Chiefs closed out the 2015 regular season with 10 straight wins and then ran the streak to 11 in a row with a 30-0 cakewalk over the Texans in the Wild Card round.
Their run came to an end in New England the next week in a 27-20 loss, but one key member of the team feels like they can jump back into the groove once the 2016 season gets underway. Tight end Travis Kelce feels the motivation of his teammates to get rid of the “sour taste” from the end of last season and that the return of running back Jamaal Charles will be one of the reasons why the offense is even more potent than it was last year.
“We’re going to unleash it,” Kelce said, via the team’s website. “I’m confident in where our personnel is right now. Where we’re headed as a team is awesome and it’s exciting. I feel like, offensively, we can definitely improve from last year. We know we belong here and now we know what we’re capable of. We know what we’re supposed to do and don’t be shocked when it happens like it did last year. It’s what we work for. We know where we’re supposed to be at the end of the year and that’s playing for a championship.”
There are some new defensive questions linked to cornerback Sean Smith’s departure and linebacker Justin Houston’s knee surgery, but the Chiefs have navigated annual changes well enough to turn in three straight winning seasons under coach Andy Reid. More of the same isn’t guaranteed in the NFL, but it’s hard to argue with April optimism about what 2016 has in store for Kansas City.
