Kansas City Chiefs: 10 Burning Questions for the 2011 Season

The Kansas City Chiefs upcoming season will come with many questions and concerns, much like any other year.

One of the biggest questions will be if the Chiefs can repeat as AFC West champions for a second straight season.

It appears that KC has the pieces in place to do so, but time will tell the fate of this team.

Here are 10 burning questions facing the Chiefs for the '11 season.

Can Matt Cassel Repeat His Success from Last Season?

Last season, Chiefs QB Matt Cassel turned in one of the best seasons at that position in franchise history.

He threw for over 3,000 yards through the air, had a QB rating of 93.0 and topped it off with an impressive 27 to seven TD/INT ratio.

The Chiefs gave Cassel more help when they drafted former University of Pittsburgh star receiver Jonathan Baldwin in the first round of this year's draft.

With a new weapon at his disposal, can the Chiefs leader have a solid encore to '10 against tougher competition this year?

How Much of an Impact Will WR Jonathan Baldwin Make?

A rookie wide receiver's season is one of the hardest things to predict in the NFL.

The Chiefs drafted Jonathan Baldwin with their first round pick last April in hopes that he would help improve their offense and become a solid No. 2 wideout to Pro-Bowl receiver Dwayne Bowe.

He appears to have all the tools at 6'4, 228 lbs, with a 4.5 40-meter dash and a 43-inch vertical leap.

Baldwin will be crucial to KC's success on offense this season, as the Chiefs can't afford for him to have a bad first season.

How Will the Offensive Line Hold Up?

The Chiefs offensive line was one of the most improved units across the team last season.

They helped pave the way for the number-one rushing attack in the NFL and only allowed QB Matt Cassel to get sack 26 times for the year.

However, the line struggled mightily toward the end of the season, as they were pushed around by the Raiders and Titans, allowing Cassel to get sacked a combined eight times during those two games.

KC added rookie center Rodney Hudson through April's draft to give the line some much needed youth and hopefully make them one step closer to the dominant force that they were in the NFL just a few short years ago.

What Will Dwayne Bowe Do for an Encore?

After an up and down three seasons with the Chiefs, Dwayne Bowe finally broke out in 2010.

He led the league with 15 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his NFL career.

More pressure will be on Bowe this season to put up similar numbers for a passing offense that was one of the league's worst units last year.

If rookie wideout Jonathan Baldwin can play as well as the KC expects him to and Bowe can stay away from his mental lapses during games, it should be another good season for the Chiefs star receiver.

How Will Bill Muir Fare as the New Offensive Coordinator?

KC promoted veteran O-Line coach Bill Muir to offensive coordinator earlier this offseason after Charlie Weis decided to leave and take the same position at the University of Florida next season.

The promotion of Muir raised a few eyebrows around Kansas City, as many thought that the Chiefs would either let head coach Todd Haley call the plays or hire someone else outside of the organization.

I would expect Haley to still have a strong influence in the play-calling, with Muir just assisting him the process.

Time will tell if Muir can coincide with Haley while calling plays in the booth this season.

Can Justin Houston Be the Big Pass Rusher That KC Needs?

Former University of Georgia star Justin Houston was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of April's NFL draft to fill a need on defense.

That need was an outside linebacker who can get pressure on the QB, something that KC didn't have last season from its other OLB position opposite Tamba Hali.

Houston proved in college that he has the ability to get to the quarterback, racking up 19 sacks in three season for the Bulldogs with his quick speed burst off the edge.

The Chiefs are just hoping that his talents will translate over to the NFL beginning in the '11 season.

Will the Defense Line Finally Step It Up?

It's no secret that the Chiefs have a lot of money invested in their current starters on the defensive line.

Starting defensive ends Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson were both first-round picks of the organization in '08 and '09 respectively, making them two of the highest paid players on the team's defense.

Unfortunately, their play hasn't matched their paychecks over the last couple seasons.

Although Dorsey had a decent '10 season, Jackson still has much to improve on. The time is now for both of these guys, and the rest of their D-line mates of the Chiefs plan on having a dominant defense in the near future.

Can the 2010 Rookies Continue Their Overall Strong Play?

The Chiefs '10 rookie draft class made a significant impact on last year's team.

Rookie TE Tony Moeaki had the best season for a first-year tight end in franchise history, and first-year safety Eric Berry was named to the Pro Bowl for his excellent rookie campaign.

This season, there will be more attention focused on these rookies, except this time as NFL sophomores.

It doesn't appear likely that this group will be affected by the infamous sophomore slump.

How Will They Hold Up Against a Much Tougher Schedule?

Last season, the Chiefs went 10-6 and won the AFC West against what many say was one of the weaker schedules in all of football.

Kansas City won't be able to use that excuse this season when they go up against several playoff teams from season ago.

The Chiefs will have to have face the Patriots, Jets and Colts on the road while facing both Super Bowl teams from last season, the Packers and Steelers, at home.

KC will likely go through some growing pains this season due to the tougher slate of games, but I see them coming out as a better team when the campaign is over.

Can They Repeat as AFC West Division Champs?

Last year, the Chiefs won their first AFC West crown since 2003.

A big reason that they won the division was their performance at home, as they went 7-1 for the season at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs also benefited by playing in one of the weakest divisions in all of football as well.

KC will need to do a good job defending Arrowhead in '11 if they want to repeat as division champs.