Chiefs at Texans - Week 1 - Record: 1-0

There are two ways to look at this game. One, we controlled it from start to finish and simply took care of business. Two, our offensive line is still a tremendous liability and because of that we simply could not do what we really wanted to do in the second half -- we scored a grand total of zero points after the 4:55-to-go point of the first half.

If you take the first view, we can truly revel in the fact that we have the most complete team we've had in a long time. Andy Reid has taken what John Dorsey has given him and molded these guys into a truly competitive team. And by competitive I mean authentically ready to move deep into the playoffs.

If you take the second view, we should feel extraordinarily concerned about an O-line that didn't allow our backs to get untracked nearly as well as they should. And what was with Alex Smith running these option plays and quarterback draws and all that? Please!

As for our weapons, my thoughts.

Jeremy Maclin. Wow. He provided an object lesson in how pathetic our receiving core has been for years and years and years previous. The receiving core today was just that much better with him out there -- Albert Wilson looked pretty good too.

Travis Kelce. Wow wow. Not only did he score the first two touchdowns, but his play on 3rd and 6 with three minutes left in the game to get that key 1st down was just amazing. He caught the ball in the flat, then ducked under a certain tackle and was able to sprint to the 1st down.

De'Anthony Thomas. What a weapon, as both a punt return guy and scatback. He only got the ball for, what, two plays from scrimmage, but if we can do more to get him in the mix and get him exploding like he can -- look out -- come on offensive line!

I can't say I'm totally down on the line. I think everyone knows they've got to gel, they need the time to do that, and they've got Andy Reid to get them there. Good. It looked to me like Mitch Morse did well managing things, and sheez, you plug in brand-spankin' new Jah Reid at right tackle and tell him to spend all day blocking J.J. Watt, none other than the NFL Network's No. 1 ranked player of them all this year...


I'd say we did pretty well...

- Only two sacks allowed, and that was even with J.J. Watt being his standard exceptionally All-Pro future Hall-of-Fame self out there.

- Zero turnovers.

- For the entire Chiefs team only two penalties on the day.

- Five sacks on defense, and my son tells me the Texans O-line is one of their strengths.

This is all a great argument for the first view.

I have to say that I do feel like saying something about the officiating, which drives me crazy sometimes. I want to rant and holler about so many things, but there's this one thing from today's game. Tell me, really, please, tell me, what's with this.

In the 1st half we punted and it was yet another spectacular punt by Dustin Colquitt. The ball landed at the four or something, bounced toward the end zone, and was batted back into play by Chris Conley at the one. Great. Except that the officials reviewed the play and saw that Conley barely stepped on the goal line. Okay, that's cool. That's fine. That was the play, get it right, fine.

In the 2nd half we punted again and Tyvon Branch batted the ball back after going into the end zone for a moment, but clearly re-establishing himself in the field of play before he touched the ball. One official said the ball is down right there at, something like the three yard-line. Another official stormed in and insisted it was a touchback. I mean he just screamed at the other official that it was a touchback, when replays clearly showed it wasn't -- Branch was clearly not in the end zone when he batted it back.

Of course, the ball was placed at the 20. Whaaaa?...

Thing is, why wasn't that play reviewed?

Even the expert replay guy in New York said, "Wull, I guess it just depends on which ref is the loudest and meanest -- he gets his way!" And everyone in the booth just yucked it up.

Now granted, maybe I'm wrong about the interpretation or the rules. Maybe you can't go into the end zone and come back out again, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I didn't see it exactly the way it happened. I'm okay with that. But why did all of this transpire so awkwardly as it did?

Why didn't they go out of their way to get the call right for us?

Now, the play didn't end up hurting us. But this kind of thing just drives me crazy, because it is exactly the kind of thing that does hurt us sometime.

The most important "maybe" is a very encouraging one: Maybe, just maybe we'll be so complete a team and our coaching staff has got such a handle on things that those kinds of things just can't kill us this year.

As it is, we'll definitely take this win. If this were like last year when we lost the first game we should've easily won, and we're destined to finish 9-7 at the end of this year, then this year that'll be 10-6 because we did get this game -- an opener we should've gotten.

Only thing is, I'm hoping for a lot more than 10-6. We've got the tools and skills and smarts for the record that will take us far playoff-wise, 11-5, even 12-4 or better. We've got a lot of season here in front of us to show we've got that got-it to make that happen.

Denver on Thursday, a huge test, at home!
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