Missing Eric Berry.
Sorry but our defense is just too soft for us to really be considered meaningful playoff contenders. We still don't have that Ray Lewis type in the middle to really make it hard on offenses. For years Eric Berry has provided a good deal of that stoutness in the middle, but without him there a good team like the Cowboys can just carve us up.
This game also proved how important the offensive line is. The Cowboys O-line made it easy for fine skill players like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot to have their way with us.
On our side -- sorry, but our offensive line is just not good. Yes we got Laurent Duvernay-Tardif back in there, but it didn't matter. Alex Smith just doesn't have enough time to make good passes down the field, and Kareem Hunt only got one decent run. Weak pass protection and weak run blocking. You'll win very few games with that.
We lost 28-17, getting only two touchdowns, one of which was that brilliant last second play ending the first half when Tyreek Hill took a pass at about the 30 and because the Cowboys defenders were all positioned way back for a Hail Mary attempt, Hill just zipped past them all with the help of fantastic blocking from Demetrius Harris, Travis Kelce, and DeMarcus Robinson. It was a wonderful, wonderful play.
But that was it, and we really had to rely on this surprising play call using Tyreek's speed to get it. A novel crazy play to try to stay in it. This means we simply can't sustain solid, talent-driven offensive football because, again, our O-line just isn't up to it.
Think about it: Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten.
Then we have: Alex Smith, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce.
I'd say those sets are pretty equal, pretty terrific skill players across the board, give or take a few talent notches one way or the other for any given player. I'd even add on our side guys like De'Anthony Thomas and DeMarcus Robinson in whom I see terrific potential -- can you see it? But you aren't able to really see it because, well, you know...
That offensive line. That's how major a factor it is to have a strong offensive line, far more than I believe people think. Those skill players get all the press, but look at the reality. And it wasn't just a phenomenon afflicting the Chiefs in this game. It has truly hurt us all season. We have a team that has the potential to score 40 points a game, really. But we just can't, it looks like these awesome Chiefs playmakers have to pull teeth to get untracked in any given game.
You can easily see the reason why. Today the Cowboys defense knew it, and they toyed with us.
Think about it: Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten.
Then we have: Alex Smith, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce.
I'd say those sets are pretty equal, pretty terrific skill players across the board, give or take a few talent notches one way or the other for any given player. I'd even add on our side guys like De'Anthony Thomas and DeMarcus Robinson in whom I see terrific potential -- can you see it? But you aren't able to really see it because, well, you know...
That offensive line. That's how major a factor it is to have a strong offensive line, far more than I believe people think. Those skill players get all the press, but look at the reality. And it wasn't just a phenomenon afflicting the Chiefs in this game. It has truly hurt us all season. We have a team that has the potential to score 40 points a game, really. But we just can't, it looks like these awesome Chiefs playmakers have to pull teeth to get untracked in any given game.
You can easily see the reason why. Today the Cowboys defense knew it, and they toyed with us.
Here's the thing I can't help but keep thinking when I see this kind of stuff happen to our Chiefs.
It'll be nice over the next several years to enjoy Pat Mahomes in there actually stepping up in the pocket and throwing the ball down the field on a regular basis, something Alex Smith simply will not do. The benefit of that will be the high draft picks we now can use to get help on that defense and offensive line. I know we don't have a whole lot of high picks coming up, but I'm looking to our brain trust to make some nice picks where we can get them, and that our key defensive picks from this year -- that linebacker and defensive end -- will step it up when they start getting playing time.
Just to add: the last (and only) time the Chiefs have beaten the Cowboys in Dallas was way back in 1975, can you believe it? Kansas City beat a Dallas team that eventually went to the Super Bowl, in the middle of the 70's when the Chiefs were generally horrible. For now we'll have to wait until 2025 (assuming the next Cowboys game is at Arrowhead) to get another shot at them at their place, and yeah, by then here's to hoping Mahomes is seasoned enough to take care of business.
We have a bye next week, and if I have some time I plan to post a special blog about the things plaguing the NFL and in turn plaguing the Chiefs chances to be successful. After this game, it'll be good to do some therapeutic venting.
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