The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off of a bit of a disappointing season in 2014, where they failed to make the playoffs. After finishing the season with a 9-7 record, the Chiefs had a very solid all-around offseason and brought in quite a few talented pieces. One of those players was wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who had a huge year with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Maclin ended up catching 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns throughout the course of the 2014 season, and he has a big role ahead of him in Kansas City. He’ll be asked to step up and be a playmaking number one receiver for quarterback Alex Smith, and is hoping to help turn the position around for the Chiefs. Can he be the answer for the Chiefs at wide receiver?
Last season was an absolute nightmare for the Chiefs’ wide receivers, and none of them ended up catching a touchdown. Dwayne Bowe hasn’t been a shell of what he once was, and none of the other receivers had enough talent to step up and be a number one target. Finding a playmaker was the biggest need for the Chiefs’ offense, and they believe that they have that in Maclin.
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 07: Jeremy Maclin #18 of the Philadelphia Eagles walks to the sideline during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 7, 2012 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
He entered last season with high expectations after coming off a torn ACL, and he didn’t disappoint his fans. Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez were able to depend on him each and every week, and he was very consistent throughout the majority of the season. There were a few weeks where he wasn’t a huge difference maker, but for the most part he was able to tear opposing defenses apart.
At 27 years old, Maclin is in the prime of his career, and is ready to take the Chiefs’ offense to the next level.
Andy Reid has the perfect offense for Maclin to fit into, and will use him in quite a few different ways. Maclin is more than capable of making big plays down the field, but he is also a very solid possession receiver and can make defenders miss in the open field. Smith has been needing a jack of all trades like Maclin, and the two players should fit well alongside of each other.
Kansas City has both Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis on the ground, which helps take pressure off of their aerial attack. Reid has always had a good balance of utilizing both the pass and run, although he was forced to put the football on the ground much more last season.
Looking ahead to the 2015 season, the Chiefs are going to need Maclin to step up and be the go-to guy for Smith. He showed the capability of doing that last season, and with a full healthy offseason of work under his belt he will come out even stronger in his first season with Kansas City. Smith is going to see his numbers rise quickly, and will also see his job get much easier with a legitimate number one target.
Expect to see him rise to the occasion and be the answer that the Chiefs desperately needed last year. He will change the way that Kansas City’s offense runs, and will give Reid yet another weapon to play with. Kansas City has made some improvements this offseason, and they will be big enough improvements that they will be even more serious playoff contenders this year.
