The Kansas City Chiefs are sleeper Super Bowl contenders. Their young talent on both sides of the ball is ready to bloom. They get a number of key players back from injury.
The question, as always, comes back to the quarterback. Chiefs fans don't feel any more confident in Matt Cassel after three years than they did when he signed. He's a "get-by" guy, and the Chiefs have no exciting prospect on the roster.
That is, unless you consider last year's fifth-round draft pick, Ricky Stanzi, exciting. Considering the proximity of Kansas City to Stanzi's alma mater in Iowa, the second-year pro has his share of supporters in town. This includes Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli.
"We drafted a quarterback last year who I truly believe has good ability and has the potential to start in this league," Pioli recently said, via KCChiefs.com. "I really do believe that."
Pioli has a nice track record of unearthing quarterback value, including Cassel in New England. First, Stanzi has to beat out Brady Quinn for the backup quarterback job.
If that happens, don't be surprised to see Stanzi start a game or five for a Chiefs team in playoff contention. Remember: The regular season is always far crazier than the craziest preseason magazines.