Chiefs at Broncos - Week 2 - Record: 0-2

I just can't stand it. I just have to start this post early. Right now we're down 21-10 as the first half  comes to an end. Please know that I've had no illusions about the likelihood of this outcome.

I'll wrap this up as this ugliness wraps up later. Don't really know what else to say however. I really don't.

My point now is this.

I don't know how much more pronounced The Curse can be. I really don't. I thought everybody was convinced of The Curse's ugliness through the years of never getting that drafted and developed quarterback, but no. I thought it'd be easily seen through the years of losing playoff game after playoff game even when we had pretty damn good teams, but no. I thought for sure it'd be seen in its gruesome barbarity after last season's wild-card game against the Colts. Apparently not then either.

A while back I'd made mention that this season could look like 2004 -- a year after a fine 13-3 season we started flat and had a poor season. No, as I look at the brutality of The Curse this year, it is looking like 2011. Remember that year, when we got crushed in the first two games and in the process lost three of our key players all to ACL injuries. We actually finished at 7-9 because ironically Todd Haley did a terrific job of getting us physically ready to play, and our resilience carried us through the season. Still.

Hey, there is no guarantee this will not be more like 2012.

And you can thank The Curse for that.

We've already lost Derrick Johnson and Mike Devito. I learned this week we lost Jeff Allen too. Gone for the year. Today we've lost Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry.

The Curse couldn't just let the wild-card game be and have it be over -- remember? That game when we had all our key players get clobbered by injuries? No, there just wasn't enough torment. It just has to continue unabated. Instead it has to vomit itself up all over us this year too.

Still don't think there is a Curse? Just look at this game. The air is thick with it. And I'm watching from a thousand miles away. I have nothing against Peyton Manning, I know it is very hard to beat him. That's cool. More power to them. We should beat a good team -- we should be good enough to beat The Curse.

But look at what's happened in this game. There're the injuries on top of injuries -- covered that.

There're also those picks the Broncos get away with to spring their receivers. No, they're not penalties they say, they're within one yard of the scrimmage line. Bullshit. I also thought they were supposed to be calling penalties against the receivers pushing off, well, that's not happened. (And here as the second half starts, a phantom holding call against our guy. Fortunately Alex Smith hit Travis Kelce to get the first down.)

Then there was the catch by that Broncos receiver that he fumbled, and after the officials ruled that their original ruling stood, incomplete pass, we now have no more challenges. Retarded, that challenges rule.

And to top it off, the officials didn't stop play when the two-minute warning hit. The Broncos moved all over the place, the Chiefs line moved, and they called a five-yard penalty against the Chiefs. Sure it's a little thing, but damn.

That Curse.

As it is, this Chiefs team is still playing with all the heart in the world. That's my team.

Right now as the 3rd quarter has started they've been moving the ball again. Smith is sharp. Knile Davis is a slashing maniac out there. Our receivers are making plays (how about that!!!) There was just a terrific slant pass catch for a first down by, yep! -- A.J. Jenkins!

And there. Finally they get these guys on a defensive holding call. Very obvious.

But then, those injuries.  We've got goal-to-goal, and one of those replacements on the line is called for his second holding of the game. Errgck. And we're going backwards. Now Smith gets sacked. No offensive line. Smith scrambling and scrambling and throwing it away again.

And we miss the field goal. Ten minutes of a pretty damn good Curse defeating drive, only to have yet again

The Curse prevail.

Really, the upshot of this is this. Until some things happen that are waaay not like any of this horror that Chiefs fans have endured year after year after year, then I'll know The Curse has been overcome. That means we start to see the things happen year after year after year that every other team has been able to enjoy -- again, the D&D quarterback (and receivers!) winning games, the team winning a few playoff games once in a while especially when it is good enough to, winning those playoff games on some consistent basis -- with a true absence of any of the insanely stupid misfortunes -- all coming from a front office that is truly stable, enduring, inspiring, and football smart like all get-out -- when those things start happening then we can know.

Thing is, even as it is, even at its worst, I'll still love my team. I see the nightmare in all its horrific glory, but it'll be just as wonderful when it gets overcome.

That's the beautiful day I look forward to.

End of 3rd quarter. Still 21-10 and within reach. Am I fooling myself, allowing The Curse to yank my chain?

These are still my Chiefs playing their hearts out. Will still believe the glory can happen, always.

Maybe that's starting to happen now. This catch Anthony Fasano just made is the catch of the year. Ay-mayzing. Reaching up, tipping it, falling down, juggling, snapping it out of the air flat on his back. Wow.

And there's a touchdown! Davis, right over our still pretty damn good O-linemen Fisher and Hudson.

Know what else I like -- our D-backs are really starting to blow up that patented Broncos pick-play crap. Sweet. Know what? We've pretty much stuffed them in the 2nd half!

So here we are, three minutes left, down by a touchdown, at midfield, giving it our best. That's cool. Thought it'd be much worse than this. This terribly injury ravaged team still has the players, all Chiefs, all playing like maniacs, very cool, playing like crazy to actually win a game no one thought they'd even be this close to winning. That's very cool.

But, yep, there it is, Smith's pass gets batted down on 4th and goal...

Still...
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