$Breaking Down Kansas City Chiefs\' Opponents For 2015 NFL Season$

Breaking Down Kansas City Chiefs' Opponents For 2015 NFL Season

By Jerry Landry

Year three is essentially an intrinsic rubber match for Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. The first year was a win, the second year a disappointment and now the third year reveals the proving ground. Here are the teams to beat if Reid and the Chiefs are to get back to 2013 form.

$Breaking Down Kansas City Chiefs\' Opponents For 2015 NFL Season$

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13. Denver Broncos — Could Gary Kubiak get the Denver Broncos to an even higher level? If so, it will have to be this season. Peyton Manning has one good year in him at best and isn’t the type of QB you can just replace with Jake Plummer.

12. Minnesota Vikings — Adrian Peterson’s future is uncertain while Teddy Bridgewater’s looks bright. It’ll be hopefully more take than give for the Vikings in 2015, and if Rick Spielman makes the right moves, it’ll be more wins than losses too.

11. Chicago Bears — There's a new coach but most likely the same old Jay Cutler under center. The Bears have put a lot of faith into Alshon Jeffery, and this young wideout’s performance will carry a much heavier impact in 2015.

10. Houston Texans — Houston finished 2014 at 9-7 but could already be plateauing. The NFL draft will be very interesting and seeing how the Texans deal with Brian Hoyer will only add to the drama.

9. Oakland Raiders — If the Raiders could make it to the Super Bowl under Bill Callahan, then just imagine what Oakland can do with Jack Del Rio. It’ll be Del Rio’s second time around and he’ll make an excellent impression.

8. Cincinnati Bengals — Colin Cowherd has vowed to no longer criticize Andy Dalton, but it doesn’t change the reality of Dalton being above-average at best. Look for Cincinnati to have a near-predictable 10-win season and be a good barometer game for the Chiefs.

7. Detroit Lions — The Chiefs get the Lions in London this season and get to be the home team. The Lions' run defense will likely drop off as the defensive line is under construction, and this will benefit Jamaal Charles while deflecting pressure from Alex Smith.

6. San Diego Chargers — Kansas City needs to split this divisional series, if not take both games. The Chargers perennially peak late, and somehow Antonio Gates still causes matchup problems. No matter how enigmatic the Chargers are, the Chiefs must scheme well to keep San Diego down in the division standings.

5. Buffalo Bills — Rex Ryan continues his grease-fire roadshow to Buffalo, New York and I wouldn’t be surprised if the towering facade tumbles down even quicker than last time. It might not happen in 2015, but it will happen, and who will pro-Ryan supporters blame then?

4. Baltimore Ravens — The Ravens are a quality organization run by a quality coach in John Harbaugh. Re-signing Justin Forsett was smart, but letting Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee go is still up for debate. Given Baltimore’s track record, it’d be wise to not hedge and give the Ravens full benefit of the doubt. I expect 10 wins once again from this accomplished franchise.

3. Cleveland Browns — The Browns will need to have an even more epic draft day than the one Cleveland’s fictional clone had in movie theaters. The QB situation must be solved and the same goes for the wideouts.

2. Green Bay Packers — A team that should’ve been hoisting the Lombardi trophy, the Packers will likely enter 2015 with a chip on their shoulder. Aaron Rodgers will need to stay healthy for the Pack to stay on the bead, and Eddie Lacy will need to maintain production so the Packers can maintain a great run-pass balance.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers — I’ve been calling it since the ball dropped on 2015; Pittsburgh will be a contender this fall. Le’Veon Bell is primed to carry the ground game and Antonio Brown helps keep defenses from loading the box. Even if Bell misses the first three games, it could be a godsend to the running back’s health. If the Steelers’ defense can be slightly better than a liability, Pittsburgh will be the Chiefs' toughest 2015 foe.

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Kansas City Chiefs

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