3 Things the Chiefs Must Do to Repeat as Super Bowl Champions

Max Staley
Chris Jones had three pass deflections in Super Bowl LIV.
Chris Jones had three pass deflections in Super Bowl LIV. / Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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The Kansas City Chiefs are riding high after their victory in Super Bowl LIV. But Kansas City's road to repeating and winning Super Bowl LV will be difficult, as we haven't seen a repeat champion since the New England Patriots did it from 2003-04.

With that in mind, here are three things the Chiefs should do to improve their Super Bowl chances in 2021.

1. Re-Sign Chris Jones

Chris Jones celebrates a big play.
Chris Jones celebrates a big play. / Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Chris Jones won't get the headlines that Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid did, but he was arguably the most impactful Chiefs' defender in the Super Bowl. In fact, he's consistently been among the league's best defensive tackles, finishing with the third-best pass rush win rate (19%) at the position. His contract is expiring, but Kansas City would be wise to do whatever it takes to ensure he's anchoring this Chiefs' defense next season.

2. Shore Up the Interior of the O-Line

Patrick Mahomes celebrates with Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.
Patrick Mahomes celebrates with Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. / Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Mitchell Schwartz is one of the best right tackles in football, and Eric Fisher has been great lately, but the interior of the Chiefs' offensive line could use a boost. This weakness was exposed in the Super Bowl, as San Francisco 49ers' DT DeForrest Buckner racked up 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss. If Kansas City is once again this susceptible to interior pressure, the Chiefs could struggle to repeat. Kansas City might not have too much financial flexibility in the offseason, but addressing guard or center in the NFL Draft could make a ton of sense.

3. Address the Run Defense

Frank Clark celebrates a big play.
Frank Clark celebrates a big play. / Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Chiefs had the league's fourth-worst run defense in the regular season, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics. Kansas City also had bottom-10 marks in yards per carry (4.9) and rushing yards allowed (2,051). To Kansas City's credit, however the Chiefs turned it around in the playoffs, holding Derrick Henry to 69 yards and the 49ers' running backs to a combined 86 yards on 17 carries. Still, addressing the run defense by grabbing an athletic linebacker in free agency or the draft could go a long way.


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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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