Yeah, it's not prime-time this time, but they "flexed" the game from its original 12 pm start CST to 3:25, good enough to be prime-time on the east coast and the featured game of the week. It is Thanksgiving, which means wall-to-wall football from Thursday to Sunday, and it'll all be capped by this one. Oh sure there is some pointless Sunday night game, but who cares.
This one's for supremacy in the AFC.
I just had to write here about this week's game, going beyond my one-post-a-week commitment, because it is of equal magnitude to the game two week's ago. Hey, I wrote like a madman last year when we were 2-14. We're 9-2 this year, why can't I post a bit more when we're polar opposites of last year?
Yeah, um, we're that much better than we were last year -- I hope.
You see, I still don't believe we've done what we need to do to get past the first round of whatever playoffs we see this year. Hate to say it, but I'm all about winning lots and lots of playoff games en route to lots and lots of Super Bowl wins. Pleeease, I know realities. But if we're not winning playoff games, what's the point. Hey, even though I want a Super Bowl title every year, I'd be pretty good with just one playoff game win this year. I really would.
Sadly, I'm just not sure we'll get it.
The thing that would give me a pretty good confidence boost is if we beat Denver this week. If we don't, I really think we'll be in for even more head shaking.
What'd we do in the San Diego game that concerns me for this one?
We had crappy pass defense. Sure we lost two of the key cogs to our previously pretty decent pass defense, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. But once again we allowed Philip Rivers to go off on us when we should be better than that -- a playoff game winning team must be better than that. We also had missed opportunities for picks that could've swung the game in our favor big-time.
We got injured. Sure our reserve guys have to step up and play, but when you lose a Houston and a Hali -- and have your other starting defensive end already out -- that really hurts. Will it hurt this week? Thing is, every team has injuries. Do we have to hope that the only way we can win ball games is to be the team less injured than the other team? Denver has its injury issues too, so how about we beat Denver just because we're the better team. How about that?
We did poorly with the two-minute offense, scoring too soon allowing them plenty of time to win the game. Will Andy Reid's Achilles heel keep us from getting close clutch wins when we really need that two-minute drill to be sensational? Yeah, I know, how about one that just works. Unless Reid's vaunted game-planning keeps us way ahead in playoff games, we'll definitely need it then.
We failed to beat a good quarterback. Here're all the quarterbacks we've had wins against this year, in order: Blaine Gabbert, Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Eli Manning, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Terrelle Pryor, Casey Keenum, Jason Campbell, Jeff Tuel. Only Romo and Manning are anything there. Here're the quarterbacks we're going to face: Peyton Manning, Robert Griffin III, Matt McGloin, Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers. Um, excuse me, but there're four terrific quarterbacks there, and I know nothing about this guy on the Raiders who's replaced Terrelle Pryor.
Here's the upshot of this, really. Let's get to it.
We should get past Washington and Oakland, even on the road. If we do we've got a worst case 11-5 record no matter what else happens. But that means we're surely a No. 5 seed and open the postseason on the road with a wild-card game against some team with a pretty damn good quarterback (Joe Flacco? Ben Roethlisberger? Even a ::shudder:: Tom Brady?) The point? It is simple.
If we don't beat Denver with a statement win this Sunday we are very truly hurtin'.
Even if we beat Denver but continue to slog against any remaining team on the schedule, we're still very truly exceptionally hurtin'.
Yeah, I know this is more nattering nabob of negativity stuff, but I'm telling you. There is no reason it shouldn't be time for the Kansas City Chiefs to shine. It's time.
And please, I'm not just saying that. We're a good team. To be plippitting popper of positivity -- if you'll allow me...
We have a great coach the whole two-minute thing notwithstanding. Andy Reid has done and still does an extraordinary job of coaching, teaching, motivating, and any number of things that has us playing well.
We have a talented, skilled, resourceful, inspiring, proven quarterback who could get better and better. It is so sweet to see him work the offense as proficiently as he does. I've railed on our receiving core all year long, and I'm still not sold on them, but if they can get going and Smith finds them as we know he can -- it'll be really fun to watch that light show.
We have a special teams unit that has played crazy-ass good. Last week's guy to shine was Quintin Demps, getting huge yardage on return after return. (Now we just need to see he doesn't have that many kick returns!)
Our running game is terrific, and last week our offensive line did wonderfully getting it untracked. Jamaal Charles is always the man of the hour in that area, but how about using Knile Davis a bit more? If our O-line is that good, let's get him untracked too.
Our defense has been stellar, except for the San Diego debacle. I'd like to think the ten games before that were more of a demonstration of our ability than just the one game last week.
We'll just have to see if our preparations for Denver this week will pay off in all these areas.
And of course, they'll have to deal with Arrowhead's fans.
So don't forget this Sunday --
Get loud!
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By the way, all the things I mentioned about that first Chiefs-Broncos game that need to happen favorably for the Chiefs still apply for this one. This post right after that game were some of the things that didn't happen favorably for the Chiefs then. Just BTW, FYI, all that...
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