You need to score points to win games. Points will be an area in which the Chiefs will sorely lack this season. Third-year quarterback Brodie Croyle will be the starter this season for the first time in his career, yet he is utterly unproven.
In his best season he only threw for 1,227 yards, 224 completions, and six touchdowns in nine games.
Croyle only has two legit receivers to throw to—No.1 option Dwayne Bowe and tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Bowe, a first round pick out of LSU in the 2007 NFL Draft, accumulated 70 receptions for 995 yards and 5 touchdowns last year as a rookie. While I didn't even know he existed until a few weeks ago, he's been going fairly high in fantasy drafts, so he must be primed for a great year in 2008.
All the rest of the Chiefs' receivers are scrubs. Their next-best receiver is Devard Darling, a four-year pro who has only started one game in his career.
In all likelihood, if any Chief surpasses 100 yards receiving, it will be tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Panthers have always had trouble defending receiving tight ends in particular, and Gonzalez has been a highly dangerous receiving threat in the NFL since 1999.
In 2007 Gonzalez compiled over 1,000 yards receiving for the third time in his career.
Also Gonzalez's possession receiver play style could help the Chiefs play a ball control offense, allowing them to keep their offense on the field longer and minimizing the amount of time during which the Panthers can score.
A ball control offensive game plan could also be helped by running back Larry Johnson. Johnson, who only started half the year in 2007 due to a foot injury suffered in the Chiefs' Week Nine game against the Packers, is only one year removed from two straight 1700-yard seasons. If he can stay healthy, he could be a real force for other NFL teams to keep their eyes on.
But, as I always say, the offensive line will the most crucial component to an efficient offense for the Chiefs in this game. With that said, their offense will stall.
The Chiefs offensive line returns four starters from last year's group that gave up an NFL-worst 55 sacks (an average of about three sacks per game).
The only lineman that isn't a returning starter is rookie left tackle Branden Albert, who was taken in the first round (15th overall) and could turn into a dominant lineman. The Chiefs averaged only 78 rushing yards per game running behind the same pathetic offensive line.
The Panthers defensive line has looked surprisingly strong in the preseason, certainly much stronger than anyone expected.
I can't say I didn't see the possibility of a much-improved defensive line coming, though, as I said in another article. Julius Peppers has come back in full force, and the rest of the defensive line has really stepped up, too.
This unit could be the best surprise defensive line in the NFL this year. Simply put, the Carolina defensive line will overwhelm the Chiefs' rump offensive line (get the historical reference?). This alone will really hinder the Chiefs' already relatively limited offensive firepower.
The Panthers, on the other hand, have a plethora of offensive options that already have them averaging the most points in the NFL this year (27).
Starting quarterback Jake Delhomme may be coming off of Tommy John surgery to rectify a problem with his elbow that had persisted for several years, but the surgery seems to have helped with both his statistical performance and his leadership ability.
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