ESPN analyst is expecting big things from Kansas City Chiefs’ offense in 2022 season

In the months after the Chiefs traded All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, there was a lot of sports talk about how Kansas City’s offense was doomed.

Hill’s a tremendous player with game-changing speed. But after training camp opened and the Chiefs’ first team offense scored three touchdowns in three drives in preseason games, national NFL pundits began to change their tune.

Having coach Andy Reid on the sidelines and quarterback Patrick Mahomes in shotgun formation (or under center) made people realize that things may not be so dire in Kansas City.

Someone who apparently never wavered in his belief that the Chiefs offense could be great again is ESPN’s Mike Clay. In his ESPN+ column, Clay gave his 2022 NFL projections, and he sees the Chiefs scoring the most points in the league.

“The Chiefs top this category for the fourth consecutive season. In 2019, they were projected for 469 and scored 451,” Clay wrote. “In 2020, they were projected for 470 and scored 473. Last season, I had them at 477 points and they scored 480. Yes, Hill is gone, but the offensive line is elite, Mahomes is throwing the passes (often to Travis Kelce) and Reid is calling the shots. That’s promising.”

The downside? Clay says the Chiefs also have the NFL’s most difficult schedule.

Also: Clay’s power rankings entering the 2022 season has the Chiefs at No. 6. He forecasts the Chiefs to make the playoffs but has the Los Angeles Chargers ranked third.