Chiefs at Colts - Playoff Game Preview

I'm going to start right off the bat by telling you this playoff preview post is not for the faint-hearted. Yes, I will be addressing The Curse, so if you're just too skeptical and consider yourself above it all, then this post, indeed this entire blog is just not for you. This blog is for Chiefs fans who want to get at what's going with their team, the good and the bad. And if the bad involves stuff that happens that simply cannot be explained by natural means, then let's get into it. Let's talk about it.

In fact, in all honesty, I see very few -- even among the heartiest of Chiefs fans -- who really want to get into the ugliness. I see very little about The Curse Against the Chiefs. And what I do see out there even remotely related is whimsical plap or passing references to some silly consideration of a curse. I'm sorry but I don't believe all those who chortle at the Bobby Layne curse that has afflicted the Lions do so without some stirring in their souls that the thing is actually real.

Well here you're getting the full breadth of consideration about how insane The Curse is in actuality by simply going deep into how many times stupid things have happened to the Chiefs in the playoffs. Before I get into the actual details of the game before us this Saturday, I am going to share with you those things, here -- yes, right now. I do this for all those who incessantly bleat, "Nah, get outta here with your 'curse' talk, it's just the way things go," or "it's just a matter of who plays best," or "it's just a game, let it go." Again, this post is not for you. Please, save yourselves the next five minutes and go do something more worthwhile, that's fine.

But for those of us devoted Chiefs fans who just know, this is for you.

On January 11, 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. While all the pundits screeched that the Vikings would roll over the Chiefs, it is now firmly considered by all that the Chiefs were the better team at just about every level of the game. They clearly deserved to win the game, and did so convincingly. The Chiefs closed out a decade in which they and their coach Hank Stram introduced some of the most innovative football both on and off the field.

When they game was over, the AFL was over, because it was then going to be merged with the NFL to form two conferences, the AFC and NFC, comprising one National Football League.

This was when the agony of Chiefs football success, or severe lack therein, was to begin. Somehow, someway, something happened to annihilate the Chiefs postseason prospects for every single year since -- a ruthlessly grotesque legacy lasting 43 years all the way to the present day. If you'll allow me, I present to you the unsightly details -- don't worry, I'm not going to get into everything, just the impossibly stupid things that happened over and over and over again. Yes, you'll see that in every single game, every one, all 15 of them, there were truly, palpably, identifiably stupid things happening to the Chiefs, in every single one. I'll tell you about many of them, right here.

Yet again, it won't be pretty, but this is all therapy anyway. Chiefs fans' grief counseling, as it were. Let's begin the group session, shall we?

1971 Dolphins. This would take a book, and it was a book actually that introduced me to probably the stupidest thing of all in this game, something I hadn't known about until I'd read Michael MacCambridge's America's Game just a couple of years ago. Great book about the modern NFL, and as a Chiefs fan himself he had a lot of great Chiefs stuff in there.

Of course this was one item that was particularly painful: the messed-up field goal. Long snapper Bobby Bell was supposed to snap the ball to Jan Stenarud so he could run for the 1st down, but Stenarud and holder Len Dawson sold it so well that Bell was fooled and thought they didn't get the call. Bell snapped it to Dawson, surprising both Stenarud and Dawson. Whupp-yupp-eeupp... Missed field goal.

I could go on about the other missed field goals, Ed Podolak's courageously awesome day all for naught, any of a dozen different ridiculous things... ::Sigh::

1986 Jets. You'd think this wasn't that stupid, since we were beaten so badly. It was just us being bad. Probably the most crushing stupid thing of this game was that this game, ladies and gentlemen, this game was Todd Blackledge's one and only playoff game. Those other five quarterbacks taken in the first round of that classic 1983 draft? You know, the John Elways and Jim Kellys and Dan Marinos -- a total of 63 postseason games among them. 34 wins in that mix. 11 Super Bowl appearances. The whole Blackledge thing is probably Stupid Thing Number One in all of this.

One of the stupid things related to that was that one of those quarterbacks in that draft, Ken O'Brien of the Jets, was unable to play in this playoff game. So he was replaced by Pat Ryan. Now, Todd Blackledge, 7th pick overall, Pat Ryan, 281st pick (1978). Blackledge-Ryan, Ryan-Blackledge. Well, of course, Ryan torched us, throwing for three TD's, even once running for a first down from a fake field goal. Because of this Freeman McNeil, who was pretty good, I agree, was able to run for 135 yards.

And please, our defense was not poor. Remember this was when we had that fantastic secondary of Deron Cherry, Albert Lewis, et al, and we also still had Bill Maas and Art Still on the defensive line.

1990 Dolphins. Steve DeBerg was having a career year. Christian Okoye was running over everyone. Our defense was one of the best in the NFL. But...

We were ahead 16-3 in the 4th quarter after a regular season in which we allowed two touchdowns in any single quarter only twice all season long. Erghkkk... On one touchdown pass Marino throws, Albert Lewis misses the pick-six by about 19 picometers. Errrrrghhckk...

We get a good drive going with about a minute left, down 17-16, and Christian Okoye rumbles deep into Dolphin territory setting up super-accurate Nick Lowery for that easy game-winning FG. Except, holding penalty on Dave Szott. Seems like the most untimely penalties is a theme of inane stupidness afflicting the postseason Chiefs, ever notice? In the '71 game Larry Czonka can rumble for great yardage in OT to get his team's game-winning FG, and we should return the favor, right? Ahem.

Anyway, Lowery simply can't hit the long 50+ yarder to win it, so... um... yeah.

1991 Raiders. Don't think our playoff wins didn't have really stupid things in them? Even though we beat the Raiders -- (Yay!) In the playoffs! (Yay yay!) -- we barely beat them, and they had a raw, unproven, inexperienced, and eventually complete bust quarterback Todd Marinovich running their offense. The touchdown we scored would not have been allowed with current NFL rules -- Fred Jones caught the only touchdown and was pushed out of bounds before he could get his feet down in the end zone. And Nick Lowery missed two field goals. Huh. The field goal stupidity. Seems like that's kiiind-of a theme here, too.

1991 Bills. Our vaunted run offense generated a grand total of 77 rushing yards. The "FROHZEN TUNNDRAH" of Buffalo football just killed us. Yeah, this was probably the game with admittedly the fewest number of stupid things, just because we got trounced so badly. Guess there has to be some loss in here without too many stupid things happening. Except that, how many games in this series have Chiefs with their very fine team (and there have been a few) been able to trounce their opponent? Okay, keep the laughter to a small roar, please.

1992 Chargers. This year the Chiefs were second overall in the NFL in pass defense. Their QB still gets nearly 200 passing yards on us, no interceptions. Our run defense was decent, 15th overall, yet they scorch us for over 200 yards on the ground. Our offense was 7th overall in the NFL, pretty good, really -- annnnd we get zero points, three turnovers, two of them interceptions. Our vaunted Chiefs O-line? Allowed seven sacks.

The following week San Diego was blasted by Miami, 31-0. Talk about stupid.

1993 Steelers. Yes, one of the few we won, but it took a mad scramble at the end, a Joe Montana comeback with a 4th down touchdown pass just to send the game into overtime. Really, think about that, it took a Joe Montana to fiercely stare down The Curse for us to actually win a stinkin' playoff game!

And besides, here's one of the top stupid things of all. Do you know how many playoff games the Steelers have won since that game? Do you? Seventeen. They've won more playoff games since '93 than the Chiefs have even been in since '70.

1993 Oilers. Another playoff win, but the last of the meager three in the 43 years. This was actually a wonderful, wonderful game we won with toughness and splendor and all that. I admit it really was.

But why is this the one we've got to hang our hats on? One little fine playoff game yippy! And here's the actual veritable stupid thing about it -- the Oilers. Yeah, the team we played. Do you remember the '93 Oilers? Very talented, but they were quite famously an emotional train wreck of epic proportions. In the final game of the regular season defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan punched offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride on the sidelines, during the game. And this was just one of the issues this team had.

You could tell on the football field, especially in the second half, that the Oilers were just not playing like a fully prepared finely focused football team should be playing. All that stuff was going to bite them sometime, and there's no way someone like Joe Montana was not going to exploit it.

Ahh, how beautifully splendid it would be for the Chiefs to soundly defeat a fine, strong, well-prepared team in the playoffs... ::Ahhhhhhh...:: To wistfully dream...

1993 Bills. The only AFC championship game we've played in for the entirety of this time. The farthest we've ever gotten since the merger, just this one year. When Joe Montana went out with a concussion, that was the end. But before that we were very much in it, but the stupid thing here was very sure-handed Kimble Anders letting a pass at the endzone bounce right out of his hands and into the hands of a D-back to stop the most critical scoring chance we had.

1994 Dolphins. Joe Montana throws a pick on a quick slant at the Miami two-yard line. How often do Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks do that in a playoff game? Only if you're on the Chiefs. Marcus Allen allows a D-back to simply take the ball right out of his hands. How often do Hall-of-Fame running backs who never fumble have that to happen to them, in a playoff game no less? Only if... you know... Chiefs. Derrick Thomas commits a defensive holding call on a critical 3rd down when the Chiefs need the ball back. How often do Hall-of-Fame linebackers who never intercept the ball in their career commit that kind of penalty in a playoff game? How many times do all of these things happen all in the same playoff game to sabotage yet again your chances to win a stinkin' playoff game??? Only - if - you're - the - youknowtherest...

1995 Colts. Okay, here's your homework. Go look it up. How many times has the home team division winner lost a playoff game by three points and endured three missed field goals by their kicker? Go ahead, run your little sabermetric computer program thing and see what you come up with. How much you wanna bet it's this?

- Chiefs loss to Miami, 27-24, 1971 - kicker: Jan Stenarud.
- Chiefs loss to Indianapolis, 10-7, 1995 - kicker: Lin Elliot.
- No other team ever in all of pro football history.

That's stupid enough, but I still have to ask, do all of our coaching staffs just do so poorly every single time the Chiefs prepare for the teams they play? What was Marty Schottenheimer thinking? Sometimes I just want to ram Martyball right down his throat. When you're in the playoffs, dammit, you have to do some things to match up. Come on. Thing is, it has just happened all the time with any coach we had.

1996 (No one). Special note must be made here because we were 9-4 and needed one more win in the last three regular season games to ensure a playoff spot. Other special notes could be made of other years like this, such as '81 and '05, when in each of those years we were 8-4 and still missed the playoffs. Sure this happens to other teams often enough, but again, this is the Chiefs.

The '96 version was particularly excruciating because we had a chance to redeem ourselves against the Colts at home, again, with a better team, again, and still lost. Added to that was the terrifically stupid FG miss by Hall-of-Famer Morten Andersen on the last day of the regular season -- an 18-yard super-chipshot for Atlanta to beat Jacksonville -- that would've allowed the Chiefs to back into the playoffs.

1997 Broncos. This may just be the game with the most mindnumbingly stupid things of them all. To recount them all would just be criminal. The one that is the most pronounced to me is the made-FG by a very reliable kicker (finally!) Pete Stoyanovich, but then, the holding call. Give - me - a - break. An offensive hold on a field goal attempt. I believe that happens once every 57,000 millennia, I think. His next attempt, ::boink:: off the upright.

The referee of this game was Jerry Markbreit, and before the game I knew how much this guy regularly messed with the Chiefs in their games. I just knew it, but thought, no way can he mess with this game again, no way. It just can't happen again, it just can't. Well it did. Sure I could hold some bitterness, but I don't, really, because I know he's just a pawn in Odin's hands. And sheez, there are so many who are!

One final note of supreme stupidness. The Chiefs have to be the most dominant team in any given decade with the absolute least to show for it. They owned the 1990's -- but only in the regular season. Here's a monumentally stupid thing for you: Kansas City Chiefs overall in the decade: 102 regular season wins, diddly squat postseason anything. Dallas Cowboys overall that same decade: 101 regular season wins, but a dozen or so playoff wins and three Super Bowl titles. Eeeeee.

2003 Colts. Watching this game was just plain torturous. The final score was 38-31, but we were never in it. We were playing catch-up the entire game. Yes, our defense was weak, but we'd actually done a pretty decent job of stopping them until it was 3rd down. And they'd convert. And convert. And convert convert convert convert convert -- every single time. If I remember correctly there wasn't a single punt the entire game.

The one major stupid thing was watching Priest Holmes finally break into the open field, running deep into Colts territory, maybe even for the score, and then -- ::rip:: -- the Colts defender strips him, fumble, party over. Really, it was over for sure then.

One of the crazy things here was the following season watching Trent Green take The Curse of Johnny Unitas by the throat and strangle it, I mean he was blistering the Colts at quarterback, leading the Chiefs to an obliteration of their defense, putting up 45 on them. Thing is, of course, why didn't we do that in this game.

2006 Colts. Sure this is one of those games in which the Colts -- with a much more experienced and hungry Peyton Manning -- were just better than we were, I understand. But since when did that kind of thing stop the weaker teams we'd played against in the playoffs from beating us when we were better?

The goofy thing in this one was that we had a terrific running game with Larry Johnson, Trent Green was healthy, and here's the key thing, the Colts had an extraordinarily weak run defense. Ha! Naturally we get utterly, contemptibly stuffed at the line. We didn't get a 1st down until the middle of the 3rd quarter. Ironically our defense was playing like maniacs, amazingly keeping us in the game. I think Ty Law had two picks on Manning if I remember. It was great!

But, tremendous stupidness. We had one, good drive on offense in the whole thing, one -- we got eight points total to their 23. Umm. Stupidness alert. How come we couldn't get this defense and our '03 offense to play the way they did in the same game. What - is - with - that.

2010 Ravens. Just one more classic example of us getting pounded after going through that Kryptonite portal we always go through as we start the playoffs. The stupid things that happened are in this blog post, which includes much of the obvious exasperation we all have as Chiefs fans when enduring this stuff over and over and... uhh. I'm telling you.

How many more stupid things can you come up with? I'm sure you've got a few of your own. Still convinced there isn't a curse? I can't see how.

Some may say it has to do with the unfortunate officiating. Yeah, I'd say there is some of that. It's said it all evens out, and I really work hard to put that firmly in my psyche. It's not unreasonable, it isn't. But come on. How many times have the Chiefs been crushed by inexplicable ref calls? I just don't think it's evened out, and I certainly don't want to get any poor calls favoring us in the future so it can be said we've lucked out.

Some may say it has to do with the advantages the large-market media-darling teams have, which is in some ways connected to unfavorable ref calls. Yeah, I'd say that has to do with it too. I'm not so sold on any of it. Officiating, media favoritism, Chiefs just plain sucking -- sorry but it is a whole package.

It's all The Curse, whatever it is. It is the harrowing dread that just hangs over everything and anything Chiefs whenever they're in a playoff game. Have you felt it? It's that creepy vibe that just saturates everything Chiefs in the playoffs no matter how good they are, no matter how much they're enjoying home field advantage, no matter how ferociously hard they're playing on the field. It's as if they're all injected with some drug that makes everything go whacko against them.

You know all the charmed teams? You know them, the Colts are one of them, the Steelers too. The Giants and the Packers are classic examples. These are teams that just belch and they win. Really, think about it, how many times have you watched any of these teams play and watched them get the craziest, luckiest plays? They are perfectly capable of going into the playoffs off a meager 10-6 regular season run and then just play like they own the place. What makes it so mindbogglingly bewildering is, it is as if those things happen to the Chiefs, only in reverse. Splendidly amazingly gratifying things all - the - time for the charmed teams, but crushingly horrifically depressing things all - the - time for the Chiefs.

So let's get to it then, shall we? Let's look at this game with the Colts, this Saturday. Let's look at this team and see what the deal is. I'll say it right now.

We should win this game.

There is no reason we shouldn't win this game. Why? With no curse we're just better than the Colts. We are. In every facet of the game we have the edge. And if that's the case, then we should win, right? Things should go our way for once, right?

I mean, why can't Eric Berry just be better than Andrew Luck? This isn't just whistling in the dark, this is veritable. Berry is a fantastic safety, and even though Luck is pretty damn good, why for once can't our guy just play better than their guy in a playoff game?

Why can't our fine run defense with Pro-Bowler Dontari Poe, Tyson Jackson (who's shown he can play pretty good run defense), and super run-sacker Derrick Johnson do better than their running game, which is statistically not very good to begin with?

Why can't our running back, Jamaal Charles -- not just a Pro-Bowler but if it weren't for Peyton Manning would be winning the NFL MVP award this year -- why can't he just go off on an average Colts defense?

Why can't our fine offensive line simply win the battle in the trenches against a defensive line that just isn't all that? Yes, they have Robert Mathis, but so? When is it when we'll just be better when it is not unreasonable to see that very plainly?

Why can't our exceptional pass rushers be better than their O-line? We've got Pro-Bowlers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali in there, why can't they just refuse to suddenly be milquetoast on Saturday?

Why can't our fine special teams make a difference in this game? Dustin Colquitt and the punt coverage team pins opponents back inside the 10 all year long, why can't he just do it regularly on Saturday? What about our terrific return teams, especially with Pro-Bowler Dexter McCluster getting us great field position? (Did you know the Chiefs are number one in the NFL in starting field position?) Why can't that just be something so overwhelming the other team can't overcome it?

Why can't our fine, resourceful, smart, versatile, athletic quarterback do better than their average D-backfield?

Why can't our terrific, experienced, wise, inventive, inspiring coach just get our team to play splendidly to our strengths and exploit their weaknesses with reckless abandon, for once?

Why can't our team have a playoff game where everything comes together, where we really match up well again their guys, and we play like we mean it?

It's simple.

There's some curse thing goin' on here.

Yes, we do have some deficiencies. Our kicker has suddenly been possessed by the spirit of Lin Elliot -- this scares me to death. I thought we had little depth at the D-line, but after watching our second stringers play great against the Chargers on Sunday I think we may not be so thin there. Our wide receiver situation is also troubling, but again, reserve ends A.J. Jenkins and Junior Hemingway played great on Sunday. And our corners are soft, but then, what's with Brandon Flowers -- he's a corner and he's, yes, a Pro-Bowler.

Damn, this Chiefs team has EIGHT PRO-BOWLERS! There is no reason in the world we should not be winning this game convincingly.

Except for...

In fact, let me just put it as plainly as possible. Here's what will happen.

No curse: Final score 34-10 Chiefs.

Curse: Final score 15-14 Colts.

That's it right there. You just watch. That's really what it comes down to.

Recently the NFL Network had a "Top 10" show about curses in the NFL. Sure enough the Bobby Layne curse was No. 1. I didn't catch what the other curses were, but I can't see how one of them was not some curse related to the Chiefs.

Anyway, the episode closed with some voodoo lady saying something I've heard before. She said, "If you think there's a curse then there'll be one." Um, excuse me, but I really want my Chiefs to win. My thinking there's a curse or no curse has nothing to do with it. If things happen a way, they happen, natural or supernatural. I think the NFL as well as most materialistically minded folk shy away from this kind of stuff, however. They usually repeat these "Top 10" shows all the time, but I haven't seen the "Top 10 Curses" aired since it was on a number of weeks ago.

All you have to do is look at the Chiefs and easily see the verity of The Curse, and they can't handle that.



Courtesy Los Angeles Times

What is great is that there are a lot of genuinely devout Chiefs fans who love this team no matter what. That is great. That gives me a great deal of pride. No matter what they live and breathe red and gold. In my Los Angeles Times the other day was a featured human interest story about a waitress here in southern California who loves talking sports with her guests, and she is, yes, a full-on Chiefs fan. What I'm hoping for is all devout Chiefs fans will be rewarded with some non-Curse success.

The damn thing can't last forever.

Maybe this time we'll get the blessings of a good mean Trent Green-like stare-down.

We'll see what happens Saturday!
_

Chiefs at Chargers - Week 17 - Record: 11-5

This was a game that meant absolutely nothing standings-wise or playoffs-wise one way or the other for the Chiefs -- they're already locked into a No. 5 seed for the playoffs. It meant everything for the Chargers -- win or go home for the postseason.

And yet our inspired backups almost won the game for us.

Really, they should have won it, but alas, we were again blistered by The Curse of Sid Gillman (or whatever version of The Curse has been so ruthlessly hammering us against the Chargers). I mean, all we needed was a gimme Ryan Succop field goal to win it, but, alas, The Curse. He totally bricked it, while former Chiefs kicker Nick Novak nailed his two to tie it and then win it. Now we've got beat by these guys 10 of the last 12. How sucked-up is that (couldn't resist, sorry).

But really if The Curse is going to bite us in the ass again, today is a perfect day for that to happen. This one didn't mean a damn thing. Sure The Curse can spank us by way of the effects of having all our top guys resting today leading to their lethargic uneven play next week. Now, yes, on the other hand they could be well rested enough and protected from injury enough to be righteously beast next week. But well... I won't bring up that thing again. But it's still there.

As far as this game goes, there was indeed another Chargers really stupid punt thing that went against the Chiefs, and sure enough I thought about the Chargers really stupid punt thing that was the crushing factor in that late 2006 game. This one was completely unjust if what I saw on the replays was actually what happened, and it did really cost us the game. Just have to share it here because it was just too stupid.

We stop them on their first series in overtime in their territory, it's something like 4th and 2. They try a fake punt with Eric Weddle, I think it was him, taking the snap and running up the middle. He gets the first down. Problem is, we stop him behind the line of scrimmage. No whistle blows. The pile moves forward a bit just past the 1st down marker, wherein he fumbles the ball before he goes down, at least that's what the one single replay that they showed indicated. Cyrus Gray ends up with the football and runs for a touchdown.

But, ahh, once the pile moves forward and no one knows what actually happened there, the officials blow the whistle. First down Chargers. I see. I see how it is. Everyone's tired, we all want to go home. I see how it is. The television people didn't even pursue the matter further. This is the Chiefs, and, well, they're supposed to lose to the Chargers. I see how it is.

Sorry, but if this happened to a Cowboys or a Giants or a Patriots they'd be all over this. They'd be reviewing the video on every highlights show and every pundit on the set would be carefully dissecting it and ranting and raving incessantly. There is no question this contemptible neglect of anything Chiefs is at least some vital part of The Curse, it really is.

I'm planning to put together a Playoff Preview Post here sometime this week, when I'll spit and spew and hock and holler about what I think about Chiefs at Colts. Yeah, nothing is new. Still feel that harrowing dread, sorry. Just being honest. But more about all that later.

As for now, the Chiefs record this year against backup, second-string, third-string, just-signed, and whatever fill-in quarterbacks there are: 9-0. Their record against top-flight Pro-Bowl caliber quarterbacks (namely Manning Rivers and Luck): 0-5. Just as I feared weeks and weeks ago. Oh, and next week that could be 0-6 on the year. Yhee. (The other two were Tony Romo and Eli Manning, two pretty decent quarterbacks we beat this year, but both had very subpar years.)

As for next week, The Curse affects the whole scheduling situation, too. My brother-in-law's already scheduled a huge paintball day for his son's birthday, on Saturday. I'm thinking, ya know? They're going to do it, I just know they will. They're going to schedule the Chiefs game for the first game of the weekend, on Saturday afternoon. ::Please-oh-please-oh-please-oh-please-don't-have-our-game-be-that-game...:: I thought all week long.

Not.

Guess which game is first, 1:25 PST next Saturday?

Errrghkkkkk.

Well, I don't know how this'll play out. Will our paintball be done so I can see the game? Maybe the second half of the game? Or hey, maybe I should just not watch, just enjoy the paintball experience and avoid the televised pro football agony. Maybe, I dunno. You'll see how that all plays out in next week's standard postgame post -- what I watch, how much, whatever. At this point I still just feel so resigned no matter how much our team has going for us. Again, next post, preview, sometime this week, I'll get into it.

Thought I'd add this, after being generally disturbed over these awful recent records we have against these teams. You'd think we'd have a poor overall record, but remember, through the 53 years of the Chiefs existence, we do have a winning record overall -- 415-392-12. How can that be? Who then do we have winning records against? Well, first, our worst records are against Pittburgh (9-19) and the New York Giants (3-10).

Speaking of Pittsburgh, kinda glad the Steelers didn't get in the playoffs through a Chiefs win today. There was a bit of talk about the Steelers' displeasure with Andy Reid for resting his starters and playing all the reserve guys. Well, Steelers whoevers, for one, those guys almost won the game, and for two, shut your trap because you had eight games this season you could have won yourselves but didn't. You've played the most charmed football for decades, people, 'bout time you got a taste of our curse.

Anyway, most teams we're pretty even with through the years, but the teams against whom we have winning records of some sizable margin? Five teams are worthy of note. We're seven games up on Tennessee, interesting because the Oilers are the team we're best known for beating in the playoffs -- in that AFL championship game in '62 and then in '93. We've also been really dominant over Seattle, and not just when they started out back in the late seventies. Since that awful game in 1990 when Derrick Thomas set the sacks record but we lost on the very last play, we've played the Seahawks 25 times and beaten them 19.

Our best records by winning percentage are against Arizona and Washington. We've only been beaten by the Redskins once in the entire history of Chiefs-Redskins games, comprising nine total meetings. But how about this team we have a pretty dominant history against:

The Packers. How about that. We're 7-3-1 against them, and one of those losses was Super Bowl I. Crazy, huh.

Oh, and something else kinda funny?

We have overall winning records against the Broncos and the Patriots, the two top seeds in the playoffs this year. Yeah, a lot of that success was in the AFL days, especially against the Broncos who we beat 25 of 27 times (yowza!) from the very get-go into the early seventies.

But hey, hey...

Maybe we can get some of that charm back for this run...
_

Colts at Chiefs - Week 16 - Record: 11-4

The game started with the Chiefs D stopping the Colts O cold. Yay! Then we got a great punt return from Dexter. Yay! Then our O-line split the Colts defense to get Jamaal a fine touchdown run. Yay!

Yepp, it sure looked like it'd be a long day for...

The Chiefs.

Why? It's simple.

The Curse.

Right after Jamaal's touchdown, it was clear that Odin was so angry at himself for forgetting to activate the standard Colts curse against the Chiefs before the game that he put an extra ruthless spin on it. I mean, really -- that first few minutes of the game, that silly hope we'd have that we'd actually beat the Colts. Ha!

Or was it the ghost of Johnny Unitas? Or the spirits of the American Indian dead buried underneath... Okay okay, I'll spare you. But there is a curse. You can't convince me there isn't. Today's loss makes it 12 in the last 14 games against these guys. Until the Chiefs henceforth beat the Colts five or six straight times -- with a good team and a bad team, in the playoffs and not -- you cannot tell me this blight is just the product of anything far more benign. You can't.

Do you want me to regale you with the gory Colts-vs-Chiefs details from the past several years? Why. For one you probably already know about it. For two I'll be getting to a bit of it when, yes, very possibly we play our first playoff game in two weeks at the Colts yard.

I mean, how about just this, from our second-to-last game from last year? Yepp, it was against the Colts, at Arrowhead, and we actually played so well that we ran the ball on them for a blistering 352 yards rushing -- and still lost. Remember that? Probably not because it was lost in the sputtering out of an abysmal season, but the thing is, if you do remember, that mark is an NFL record -- most rushing yards by any NFL team ever in a losing effort. Neat.

Today featured some of the worst from The Curse. The Chiefs looking like shit and the Colts looking like champions. What's new when these guys meet. Remember the last time the Chiefs beat the Colts? In '11 they had Curtis Painter at quarterback and we still had to come from way behind and squeak out a 4th quarter win. Never mind that whole Painter-filling-in-for-an-injured-Peyton-Manning-helping-the-Colts-stink-so-much-that-they-get-top-quarterback-stud-Andrew-Luck-with-the-first-overall-pick-in-the-draft-the-year-before-the-Chiefs-stink-so-much-they-get-the-first-overall-pick-but-discover-no-such-quarterback-there-for-them-when-they-were-the-one-single-NFL-team-ever-that-needed-one thing. Never mind that. Oh, no, there is no curse, of course not.

So putting the brutal reality of The Curse aside, let's pretend that this is indeed all about who plays better and who is the better team and all that. Today it was proven the Colts are a better team, I admit. No shame in that. The crazy thing is that they really weren't by much. This whole thing just makes it that much more crazy.

The Chiefs curse: Alex Smith had an atrocious game, but so did the whole pass protection team. He got sacked and roughed up and threw picks and coughed up the ball. When he did get the ball off our receivers were still not getting separation. Our vertical passing game, let me just say it with one simple noise: ::Whimper::. Today Dwayne Bowe was back to his pathetic Dr. Jekyll self -- simply not running good, clearing routes. The Colts charm: Andrew Luck managed to get his receivers untracked and wide open at just right times. He really wasn't any major world beater, it's just, his team managed to make the plays. In fact the score should've been 30-7 because on one play Luck threw a perfect strike on a deep pass strike to a receiver who'd beaten our defender and he just dropped it.

The Chiefs curse: The Chiefs stuffed their run game today probably about 99.992815% of the time, but the one time they just didn't their guy got a spectacular run for a critical touchdown. And this was one of the several plays in which we just forgot how to tackle out there. The Colts charm: The Chiefs running game was actually pretty good, but their defense got the key stops just when they needed them. What did I see, the Colts something like 27th in the NFL in run defense? You have got to be kidding me -- them 27th in stopping the run, us with Jamaal Charles, and we score only seven points on the day? Come on. The Curse was turned waaay up today...

The Chiefs curse: Maybe the vibes of Lin Elliot are in the mix somewhere here. Youthfully robust Ryan Succop came in to attempt one field goal, a piddle 40-something yarder, and he utterly, thoroughly, embarrassingly bricked it. The Colts charm: Even though he did miss one, dodderingly aging Adam Vinatieri still easily made three, from all over the place with all kinds of swirls.

The Chiefs curse: Our pass rush is nothing without Justin Houston. That's extraordinarily scary come playoff time, mainly because even if he's in there I'm not sure we're nearly as good as we were the first half of the season, and when he's not in there our pass rush is completely vanilla. The Colts charm: So many little things that went their way it wasn't even funny, much of that was just the feel that they knew everything we were going to do. Give them credit for being exceptionally prepared for us, give them that. But we helped them a lot with not only the uninspired play and the turnovers, the blown coverages and missed marks, but the stultifying penalties. Oh my, it was grotesque. One of them was a taunting call on 3rd-and-long by a usually very composed Dontari Poe. I shake my head even more as I write this.

Damn, that's what makes all of this so scary.

We have a playoff game coming up in two weeks dammit.

We still haven't made a statement win, still. (Oh, and BTW, just FYI, the Colts have already registered three pretty major statement games, beating the Niners, Seahawks, and Broncos -- yeah, all of them this year.)

We've been beast against the least in the NFL, but we look like we're carrying a load of Kryptonite on our backs when we play the Denvers and Indys and San Diegos.

Speaking of which, we have the Chargers next week in San Diego. There's a phenomenally powerful Curse of Sid Gillman against us there, having lost 9 of the last 11 against them. The last time we won there was in 2007.

We have nothing to play for, either, having already clinched the 5th seed. We'll be having to travel to somewhere, some other team's stadium to enjoy playoff hell -- New England, Cincinnati, Baltimore, or Indianapolis. Whatever. Yes, I am very discouraged. I'm just resigned to the inevitable, I just steel myself for it, and if by some miracle The Curse won't crush us again and we actually win then I'll be that much more ecstatic. But as it is...

I know, I know, why should I feel that way. We were 2-14 last year, and we're going to the playoffs this year. What a turnaround. We should be happy. We've been the talk of pro football. We should be proud. We've got a fine team no matter how many think we're overachieving. We should still be exuberant, joyful, contented...

Why can't I be happy about that.

Sorry but... Okay, to maintain some decorum here, I'll just stop talking about it. There'll be plenty of time for that when appropriate. Whatever anything is about anything, for the next two weeks we can revel in being a playoff team -- for now, that's actually a terrific thing, and after today wears off a bit it'll be nice to feel the hopefulness however much there is.

There's that.
_

Chiefs at Raiders - Week 15 - Record: 11-3

One of the things I learned during the course of this game was that Jamaal Charles has the Jerry
Rice-like dedication to his physical constitution. A disciplined regiment of healthy eating, focused exercising, and overall body management helps make him one of the best players in the NFL.

Courtesy ESPN

And if you watched him play today, you'd see the product of such commitment.

First play from scrimmage, screen pass to Jamaal, down the sideline, touchdown Kansas City.

He'd have two more long screen pass touchdowns on the day, as well as one splendid play we ran on third and short. Alex Smith executed play action brilliantly allowing Jamaal to break open against the linebacker and grab a perfect strike for the long touchdown pass play.

Bam. NFL record. No other running back in NFL history has ever had four touchdown pass receptions in a single game.

We could beam about our NFL season-high 56 points -- not even Denver (boo-yahhh) has put up as many as 56 this year. We could cheer about this playoff clinching game -- we're in for sure somehow somewhere. That's always cause for celebration no matter what, especially this year, a year right after the rank unpleasantries of last year.

But I am still concerned about our consistency. Very concerned. We blasted out to a 35-10 lead before Oakland put up a quick 21. 35-31 just like that. Yes, I was nervous. Sure we got some more clutch turnovers (seven total on the day) to really help us out, but please. Their QB was no world-beater in a system that is presently experimenting with two quarterbacks. How many games will a team win trying to find the right mix of quarterback platooning? Anyone for Marques Hagans to come back and run some wildcat for the Chiefs?

Both our pass defense and run defense was very soft today, and, again, both got rescued by some fortuitous picks. Yes, it can be said the defense works hard to make those happen, and I don't disagree. Damn, if we could just get our first-half-of-the-season defense to match the offense we've had the last few games -- damn.

What we need is Justin Houston back in the worst way. But that's the thing.

When playoff time comes around we'll need to have everything blending just right to have success there, something that has never really happened since, well, since you-know-when. It's been a damn long time, that's for sure. I promise I won't get into that for now.

For now we actually still have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the whole thing. Denver got shocked at home by San Diego Thursday night. If Denver can lose one more time and we can beat Indy and San Diego we've got it. If not and things twist and turn in a very possible way we may actually get New England at their place to open things up. Ow-wow-owch.

Denver closes their season at Oakland. Sing with me now, come on, get in the Christmas spirit, ::It's-beginning-to-look-a-lot, like becoming-a-Raiders-fan, everywhere-you-want-Chiefs-good-things-to-happen::
_

Chiefs at Redskins - Week 14 - Record: 10-3

What a splendidly extraordinary weekend for Kansas City footballers.

First, I just have to start with this, yesterday Sporting KC won the Major League Soccer title in a thrilling sudden death shootout. From what I'd heard they'd been a pretty good pro soccer team in recent years, but just had that unlucky run in playoff action (oh does that sound familiar). But yesterday they shot down all those demons and played hard and clutch in winning the championship. I don't watch or care much at all for soccer, but hey. Kansas City. Football. For the title. Had to tune in, and how fun it was.

Now it's time for the Chiefs to match it.

As it was today, they annihilated the Redskins in their snowy stadium, 45-10. It was 31-0 before anyone breathed enough to even see that breath in front of them.

See, after my abject disappointment from last week's loss again to the Broncos, I'd taken a couple of days to think about it, and just thought, you know? We do have a pretty good team. I'd made special mention of Alex Smith and Marcus Cooper, and for good reason. Smith was everything we expect of him today, and Cooper -- while still working hard at get grounded with some good pro fundamentals -- helped a stalwart defense get it done.

The real kudos today must go to the special teams, especially the return teams.

Whuh---uh---owwwwww.

Dexter just went off on these guys. Sure you could say Washington's coverage team was very weak, and I got you, I saw that. But still, McCluster's first two returns gave us very short fields and his third went the distance.

Then there was Quintin Demps, who took a kickoff 95 yards to the house. Whatever you say, we have got a very well-coached, fundamentally sound return squad.

I realize right now that I can't not make a long overdue extra extra mention of Jamaal Charles. Over the year in this blog I've really just mentioned him a few times, almost in passing. But much of that is merely because he's already established himself as the key cog in the Chiefs machine. All season long he's gotten it done for us in every which way. Today? Just as spectacular.

For a few times at the beginning of the game we'd tried stretching him to the outside with some weak vanilla handoffs, until the coaches got the clue that on an icy field like this one was you've just got to run straight ahead. And we did. The result? A 151 yard rushing day for Jamaal, and off 19 carries that's a 7.9 average. Did you get that? Seven---point---nine, per-carry average. That's phenomenal even for Jamaal.

Along with that, mention must be made of our O-line. We've lost Branden Albert and Jon Asamoah to injuries for some indefinite period of time, but bless John Dorsey, he got some depth in that area by picking up Geoff Schwartz. Eric Fisher is coming along, and Donald Stephenson has done well over there at left tackle. The key is that we're making things happen for our backs -- hey, Knile Davis even got his first rushing TD today -- and we're giving Alex plenty of time to get off some good passes.

Was this a statement game? I don't know. It was with respect to the fact that we'd blown three close games in a row to division rivals. But it wasn't because it was against a very weak NFC East team -- oh that we were in the NFC East, we'd be world beaters.

Now we've got to prove we can win in our own division. We've got a very pesky Oakland team next week at their place. (Ever get the feeling we're in the wrong conference? You do know that after today's final game against an NFC opponent, for the four-year run of playing all NFC teams, we've got a 13-3 record against them. We've only lost to Detroit, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay. Yeah. We've beaten, ::deep breath:: San Francisco Arizona Seattle St. Louis Minnesota Chicago Green Bay New Orleans Carolina Dallas Philadelphia New York and ::pant pant pant:: Washington.)

Today we could've clinched at playoff spot if Baltimore or Miami lost, but they both won very late. In fact, we almost enjoyed the most brutal irony of Matt Cassel leading the Vikings to victory over the Ravens late to get us in, but Joe Flacco did his great comeback thing, and, well, we'll have to wait until next week.

Thing is, as of this writing, Tennessee is surprising Denver in Denver, I think it was 21-10, but we all know how Denver can easily turn that around. But hey, if that score stands up, we are back to having a pretty decent shot at the division title. We'll see.

For now, a somewhat meaningfully statement game that we needed badly.
_

Broncos at Chiefs - Week 13 - Record: 9-3 (Part II)

Yes, I've already posted on Sunday's game. Yes, I generally only do one post per game, and will most likely not violate that rule too often. But I can't help but think about two key things -- indeed names of Chiefs players -- who've just come up in my mind a lot since Sunday. I just feel like writing a bit about them, and come back with a bit more than my very discouraged post from Sunday.

Please, I'm not apologizing for the post on Sunday. It didn't have much substance, I know, and it was written with a great deal of frustration, I know. But hey, you know. It was quite justified.

In that vein I would like to add that the frustration is not so much about our team per se, because Sunday we did show that we have the talent. We did show that we can play well. We did show that we can mix it up on offense and make things happen. There were just so many things we did well, but what killed us was the incredibly stupid things that happen that keep us from winning these kinds of games.

And the reason I'm so convinced somewhere somehow we've been hexed is it just seems to happen to us so often. Yes yes yes I know stupid things happen to every team, I know.

But sorry, it just seems to afflict the Chiefs more. Wait until playoff time, wait until we get into the grand history of utterly contemptible Chiefs playoff stupidness that has always occured at that time. Just wait, you'll see, I'll be posting about some of it. You remember it.

Some will also say that as much as it was stupid things, it was Peyton Manning. I agree, which leads to that first Chiefs name I want to mention.

Marcus Cooper.

There is no question Manning was playing with him like he was a toddler toy. But ya know? I'm writing to give Cooper credit. The guy is a physically gifted corner, anyone can see that. I believe much of what afflicted us in the Manning-Cooper mismatch was just that Manning had such a sensational game. No, he doesn't always have sensational games. He does lose sometimes. It's just, against us, like Philip Rivers, he's Superman.

I agree he's Superman against most teams, but I think with some hard work, some textbook learning, and some defensive adjustments to help him out, Cooper can help in stunting the effectiveness of a quarterback like Manning. Yes, our entire defensive backfield has certain liabilities that are troubling, but we're not terrible and it isn't all Cooper's fault. Remember, considered by number of scores, in the first Broncos game we only lost 5-3. In this one we lost 5-4.

The other guy who keeps popping up in my brain is a guy I mentioned at the very end of my first post on this game, and I brought up his name in conjunction with the frustration I had about our abject failure to ever draft and develop our own Peyton Manning. I've realized I need to forthwith stop bringing that up for the entirety of the time we have this guy.

Alex Smith.

I said almost in passing that I do like him, but I simply must add that his contribution cannot be a mere mention. It must be proclaimed a bit more boldly.

Sure I can use all the splendid adjectives to describe him, and we already have. The point I want to make here is that I'd rather have him than Peyton Manning. I really would.

Yes, you heard me right. I'm not kidding there. I'd rather have Smith than Manning.

I could mention Manning is way older and won't last much longer, while the Chiefs are going to get at least four or five really good years from Smith. But that's obvious. There are a number of other much more significant, much more practical on-the-field reasons I really like Smith.

One, he is very athletic. He uses his mobility in the pocket brilliantly, and he can use his speed to jet up the field for terrific gains out of broken plays. He did that a number of times on Sunday. I'd actually like to see him run a few more times -- not a lot -- but a few more times on designed plays to take advantage of that.

Two, he is very versatile. It isn't just that he can make something from nothing and run every once in a while, but there is so much you can do with him. In the game on Sunday when we were trying to get back into the game he started shooting misdirection pitches out to his backs and they went for big gains. When play action is called for or we need a rolling pocket, Smith does it wonderfully.

Three, Smith really helps out this receiving corps. One of the things giving a Peyton Manning such a huge advantage is his receivers are tremendous. I've even said on occasion that I think it's more the receivers than Manning. The Chiefs receivers? I've been quite critical of them, but let's look at them to be perfectly honest.

Dwayne Bowe. Again, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When he's Dr. Jekyll he's a sluggish route-runner and a droopy ball-grabber-atter. When he's Mr. Hyde he's a beast of a receiver, blocker, game-breaker. Watching Bowe your arms are up in the air no matter what -- with your hands either high-fiving others like crazy or pulling out large chunks of your hair.

Dexter McCluster. He can really be a fantastic receiver and runner, but then his size often keeps him from getting untracked at critical times. Smith has said he really likes the way he runs routes, and if we can keep getting the ball to him we'll be good.

Donnie Avery. Two awful drops right in a row on Sunday at the most critical moments could not have endeared him to many Chiefs fans. In the Eagles game he was the key offensive component. But he's just not been much since. He has such potential, but compared to what someone like Peyton Manning has, ouch.

A.J. Jenkins and Junior Hemingway. How about we give these guys a chance? They've both shown so much eagerness to be out there and show that they can play, and each have indeed shown some flashes of effectiveness. But they're both very young and inexperienced.

Point to all this is that the Broncos may have Super-Peyton and Super-Receivers, but we've got an extraordinarily resourceful Alex Smith who is so instrumental at making these Chiefs receivers -- in my mind -- better than they really are.

This is not even mentioning the passing to our tight ends, which is Smith's bread and butter, as well as our screen pass package with people like Jamaal Charles which is actually going very well.

My point to all of this? My reasoning behind all this additional stuff I should have included on Sunday?

It is that I do truly see the potential of this team. It is very encouraging. When I watch these guys I am blown away at how well we can, and yes, do play. There is a reason we're 9-3.

Yes yes yes, I still can't deny my aggravation at the stupid things, so many times those ridiculously stupid things that never seem to stop happening. I get nervous about those things, and around playoff time -- you know it, for good reason -- I'll get more nervous.

But hey, at least we have guys on a team who are talented and playing their hearts out every down.

Hey, maybe, just maybe, it'll make any stupid stuff less likely to hurt us.

For once.
_

Broncos at Chiefs - Week 13 - Record: 9-3

Ehh. What's new.

Not really much to say in this post. Really not. Sorry. It is just all the same.

No vertical passing game. No commanding presence very late in a game when we need a clutch score. No pass defense against a very good quarterback. No resistance against the spirits of the American Indian dead buried underneath Arrowhead Stadium haunting us every damn season the Chiefs play football.

That last thing, I'm serious. It's still there. There's still a curse, dammit.

Okay, okay, call the curse "Peyton Manning" of you will, a guy who just never loses to us. Funny, at one point they said the only other time he threw for five touchdowns in a game against us was in a game that was the only one I know we've beaten him in, that one in 2004. Yeah, even when we beat him he torches us for 5 TD's. But, honestly, I can't think of another game he's lost to us. Not one.

Thing is, I don't want to hear "Well it's Peyton Manning, so cut us a break." We should be beating Peyton Manning. It'd just be nice that with a fine quarterback like Manning, that our defense would just be better. That's all. That'd be nice.

As it is, I expect us to finish the season 10-6, maybe 11-5. We'll then go into a place like Indianapolis or Cincinnati, face a really good quarterback, get beaten yet again in the first playoff game we play, and then...

And then...

I dunno. I honestly don't.

All I know is there has to be a curse. There has to be.

No team can go this-frinkin'-long without that drafted and developed quarterback like we have, and really make waves in any playoff action. Teams with great quarterbacks can, and always will.

Thing is, I still like Alex Smith. I do. He shows he does have first-overall-pick-in-the-draft quality. I will also never give up on this team. I won't. Watching him connect with A.J. Jenkins on 3rd-and-long from the end zone against an all-out Broncos blitz was thrilling.

I love my team.

But damn.
_

Preview of Week 13 - Broncos at Chiefs - 9-2 vs 9-2 - (Close enough to) Prime-Time Game of the Year II

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!
_

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...
_

Chargers at Chiefs - Week 12 - Record: 9-2

The power company sent us a notice earlier in the week. Our power would be out at any time from 8:00 to 4:30 for maintenance. I'm thinking, of course, GREAT, that'll be right when the Chiefs game is on. Just great.

The phenomenally stupid irony of this is the we were playing the Chargers today.

Now, let's get this out of the way right now. That catch by Dwayne Bowe, the one that should've been the game-winner -- sensational. There he's doing his Mr. Hyde action there. We're down late, he slips into the middle of the end zone, he turns just right fiercely holding off the close defender and snatching the ball with one hand, keeping his grip even when the guy has his hand on it. Wah-oww.

Okay, got that outta the way. Now for the supreme ugliness.

We simply cannot beat Philip Rivers. We can't. You do know that makes 11 wins for that guy against us. I can't figure it out. He's Superman against us. This is a generally crappy 5-6 team. This was a gimme win for us. There was no reason in the world we shouldn't have hammered this team.

Except for the fact that they've got Philip Rivers.

But still, what is it with this? Again, this is a 5-6 team. What in blazes are all those other teams doing to keep Philip Rivers mortal? Against us, he's a god. Six other teams the Chiefs'd squash like a bug have their way with him, but us? We're the ones on the underside of his foot. So yeah, there has got to be some curse related to this guy and his success against us.

With the electricity off I listened to the game on the radio, because we get the Chargers games out here. And believe me, I think the very worst thing about the Chargers owning us so much is the utterly puke homer announcers for the Chargers. Who are they? I don't even know, I have to look it up, what a minute...

...Okay, Josh Lewin and Hank Bauer, that's who they are. Let's name names. Okay okay, I really don't wish harm to anyone, but these guys should summarily suffer the simple penalty of just not being anywhere near a microphone. And please know, I appreciate announcers who are good in spite of my arch rival sentiments. Greg Papa of the contemptibly reviled Raiders? One of the best. Vin Scully of my equally hated Dodgers?  One of the greatest ever. And as a rule I always try to find the best in every announcer or announcing team, I really do.

But Josh Lewin and Hank Bauer? Please go away. Please, whoever is running that network, please send them to announcer oblivion forthwith. And it wasn't just today, I'd heard them before when forced to, for instance when I have to be on the road for some reason when the Chiefs are playing the Chargers, and it has always been excruciatingly unbearable. I almost want the Chiefs to hammer the Chargers only because I want those guys to feel it.

I thought they would today, hey, we shot up to a 14-3 lead, until -- yeah -- there must be some curse. Because when the game was still early I had to endure these clowns announce not only the injury to Tamba Hali, but Justin Houston. Not saying these guys gloated or anything about the injuries, it's just they're just wretchedly bad homer announcers.

Okay, lessee, two of the best pass rushers in the game out early, annnd Philip Rivers in there and ready to carve us like Thanksgiving turkey (I'm sure I've used that metaphor around this time before regarding the Chargers QB), annnd some curse that always kills us about to proceed to kill us?...

Yep, guess things are back to normal.

At halftime I couldn't stand it anymore -- I was getting ill. My family and I went to a pizza place with working electricity and we watched a second half go back and forth, which may have been thrilling for some, but it was astoundingly depressing for me because we should've been clobbering these guys.

Sure enough late in the game we were up 28-24 and Philip Rivers throws the ball right into the hands of our D-back Quintin Demps at the goal line. He can't make the pick. They get the FG and now it's 28-27. When we get the ball we're driving, and Jamaal Charles gets untracked and is sure enough he's gone for a TD, until he does a little juke he didn't have to make and got pulled down at the 10. We had to settle for a field goal, 31-27. Should've been 35-24. That should've been it, right there.

But the Philip Rivers curse is still in full working order.

As it is, the Chargers have won 10 of the last 12 Chiefs-Chargers games. They've either been blowouts or heartbreakers (remember that inexplicably crushing last minute 22-21 loss in '08 - the one when we were up 21-10 at the two-minute warning? Yeah, I try to forget too...) Even the two Chiefs wins were nail-biting close (remember we got a nice fumbled snap from Rivers in '11 to help us out?) -- we just can't comfortably blast this team, ergh, we can't even beat them at all. The last genuine Chiefs blowout was way back in '00, a 42-10 affair when the Chargers were wrapping up the very short-lived Ryan Leaf experiment and finished the season 1-15. Whupp-dah-doo.

I remember a few years ago -- in the midst of our awful '07 '08 '09 years -- I could crow for our Chiefs that overall head-to-head we were firmly ahead of all the other rivals in our division. Raiders, Broncos, Chargers -- the Chiefs had winning records against each one. Now, we're behind the Chargers because we just can't beat them any more.

The last time we beat the Chargers in both games of the season? 2003, when Doug Flutie was their quarterback. That's ridiculous. Since then we're 5-14 against them. Six of those losses have been by 14 points or more.

Well, we play them again the last game of the season in San Diego. Right now I'm very concerned about this team. Sorry, but I've kept thinking -- even mentioning it in this blog -- that we may actually not be all that. Is our team as good as Tamba Hali and Justin Houston? If it is we're in huge trouble. Yes, we've been blessed to be healthy all year long, but what will be the deal with them? As of now I don't know what the extent of their injuries are, but if we lose them -- wow.

I mean, today our defensive backfield was laid bare. Remember that we'd been barely beating third-string quarterbacks all year. Well, now we've faced Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers and gotten roasted by them. (I think I remember wailing loudly about that in this blog a while ago...)

I was really thinking Andy Reid did a good job of running that two-minute offense at the end of the game. Managing that last-few-minutes game has been one of the few things people have always been nervous about regarding his coaching skills. We score the go-ahead TD late, okay, all right, so I was thinking he'd done pretty decently... until then I noticed that he had the offense storm down the field and get a TD -- with 1:20 left. Yep, sure enough Philip Rivers had just enough time to get a few long screen passes to Danny Woodhead (where was our defense on those) and then get one of his patented laser-strikes on 3rd-and-15 to a wide-out for the game-winner.

Oh Andy Reid, why didn't we give the ball a few times to Jamaal to run clock? Get them to burn their time-outs? Errrrghckck... Sure, play for the TD, but we could've done fine with a FG to send it into OT if we didn't get the TD.

At the end of this day, you'd like to think we should have some comfort in still being 9-2. Sorry, but I just don't. I really don't. With what we've got coming up I'm looking at an historic collapse. I am indeed looking at a 9-7 finish. -- Oh Dave don't be so melodramatic.

Sorry, but until we can beat a Philip Rivers or a Peyton Manning -- and do so with some meaningful statement, no getting lucky breaks at key points and squeaking out some mildly invigorating win -- until that happens I just don't think we're going to get past Playoff Game Number One.

Sorry but to me this was extraordinarily discouraging, at just about every level. Sorry. I'm really tired of this.

The power was out in more places than just our house. We've since gotten it back here, but will it come back to Arrowhead?
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Chiefs at Broncos - Week 11 - Record: 9-1

A date: November 17.

That was the day in 1998 that I started my "sports celibacy" as I call it. I just don't pay any attention to any sports stuff, even Chiefs stuff, outside of those three hours on Sunday when the Chiefs are playing. I must say that my radar picks up a lot, from news reports and friends and family telling me things about the Chiefs, but I don't as an ironclad rule go out of my way to find out stuff.

The reason I started it that day was because the night before, a 4-5 Chiefs team hosted a 9-0 Broncos team on Monday Night Football, and got whupped. Chiefs 4-6, Broncos 10-0. This was after a summer of supposedly minor retooling to make the previous year 13-3 supposedly superpowerhouse Chiefs into a supposedly true Super Bowl contender.

But then this debacle at Arrowhead. I simply decided to end the agony and didn't pay any attention to any sports, even Chiefs, until I resumed just Chiefs games in 2003.

The reason I bring all this up again is because last night, this prime-time game of the year, was played on, yes, November 17.

A funny thing about that was that the announcers said that November 17 was the anniversary of the "Heidi Bowl" game, that infamous event in 1968 when the Jets and Raiders were battling in a long, close game, and at 7 pm the network switched over the film Heidi. I thought about that and thought, wow, what a metaphor for my distance from sports anything.

As a Chiefs fan it is my sworn duty to nurture a healthy revulsion for the Oakland Raiders, and sure enough, after everyone was settling in to enjoy wholesome children's fare, the Raiders went on to score two touchdowns in the last couple of minutes to put the Jets away.

There is it, right there, I know, I know... Dave, you shouldn't be putting yourself through the torment of your hated rivals doing great and your teams doing poorly! You should indeed be doing something else without any attention given to this pointless sports stuff!

Well, there is a good point to that, which is why I still maintain some reasonable semblance of meaningful sports celibacy. Really, if I don't, it'll drive me crazy.

But there are a lot of enjoyable things about our Chiefs and enjoying them for three hours a week through the fall, and while I'm not going to go into them all, I will simply say that I enjoy writing here about our team, win or lose, and I can enjoy making remarks about the splendid opportunity we had to showcase our talents on national television last night.

Yes, we did lose a game that was aggravating because of the rotten officiating calls that went against us as well as the stupid things that we did to ourselves that killed us.

There is a ton to write about, but I'm just going to review what I thought could not happen last night for us win, and mention what did happen that couldn't happen. (See previous post for that preview.)

1. Justin Houston and Tamba Hali could not let themselves get blocked. They did. In fact, they didn't even touch Peyton Manning the whole night. Manning just has too quick a release and his receivers are just too damn good for us not to rattle him a least a few times. We did bat some passes down, and our D-backs did actually do a fine job covering, getting many of Manning's passes to fall incomplete. The problem is these guys are too damn good, and even with the average of, say, three of every four Denver incompletions, it is that one completion in each of those sets that is the killer.

Really, when you think about it, the final score was 27-17, but look at it this way. That's five scores to three scores. Those two extra scores were because their QB and WR's are so good that they were able to get big plays just those couple more times to put us away.

Give credit to their offensive line, they played great. But I also think we don't do enough mixing-it-up on the D-line to keep them guessing. Where were the occasional stunts and safety blitzes just to put a little more pressure on?

2. Dwayne Bowe could not be head-shakingly putrid and Alex Smith could not be misfiring too much. While Bowe caught a touchdown pass and Smith made some good throws, they were just not workin' it last night. Bowe was running his goofy routs and Smith was throwing the ball where it was just uncatchable. Dexter McCluster made an amazing sideline catch but it was late in the game and we just don't have the vertical passing game to keep that stuff going.

That's really the key, bad, critical, rotten, crucial, spewtanamous thing that is most aggravating with it all. Smith did throw the ball down the field more than he had been, but damn. Donnie Avery, not much. Dwayne Bowe, just didn't get untracked. Dexter, even with the great grab, not much. Junior Hemingway, A.J. Jenkins, non-existent.

These two factors represented the most profound breakdowns last night.

Other than that, everything else was not too bad. Yes, we lost the game, but we played well.

We had stupid things happen like, what was with that Wes Welker fumble that Derrick Johnson snatched up in the pile and ended up in the hands of... Wes Welker? Welker was even shaken up on the play. What was that?

Dustin Colquitt didn't get the ball downed inside the 10 once. Just didn't happen, and that didn't help. Those pin-backs mean fewer chances for them to get big plays that hurt.

Jamaal Charles ran well, but only after we were behind by ten. At the beginning of the game he couldn't go anywhere.

Our tight ends were fantastic, and what a great catch and butt-plant in the back of the end zone for Anthony Fasano. He was in the mix a lot more last night, that's what we need to see happening.

Eric Berry and the other D-backs actually did a good job of containing, they really did, but without any pass rush they couldn't hold them off forever. Five scores for them to three for us. That's close. That we stuffed Denver in that respect, that's good. That we couldn't take advantage of that -- erghkk.

Dontari Poe and the other D-linemen were beast shutting down their running game. That was nice to see, and bodes well for the chance that we can actually get to Manning next time.

We play Denver again in two weeks, so we'll see how we adjust for that game. We'll have the hometown noise to help, that'll be a plus.

I will add that it is far better to lose to Denver and go 9-1 than to lose and go 4-6 like we did in '98. Our team played well on the whole last night, they really did, and maybe the adversity will make them stronger as the season winds down.

A postscript to the sports celibacy '98 / Heidi Bowl '68 thing is that the loss by the Jets to the Raiders in that 1968 game was the only loss the Jets would suffer over the course of their last eleven games into the postseason, which included a playoff win against those Raiders and a Super Bowl win.

And the Chiefs? They went on to win the Super Bowl the next season.

There's always next week.
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Preview of Week 11 - Chiefs at Broncos - 9-0 vs 8-1 - Prime-Time Game of the Year

There is no question this Sunday night's game is the game everyone will be talking about. It looks as if this is a contest between the explosive Broncos offense and the smothering Chiefs defense. While that is still a pretty accurate assessment of the most anticipated aspect of this game, I'd like to go over what it'll take for the Chiefs to win.

I thought I'd combine my mid-season preview analyzing our players with the impact they'll need to have on this particular game. Here are the top ten impact players and what they can do and what they can't do on Sunday for us to win. They are in order of my consideration of their magnitude of impact.

1. Alex Smith. He's smart, he's resourceful, he's athletic. What he can't do Sunday: Refuse to connect with open receivers. His Achilles heal is his throws, about a third of them just don't get to receivers when they are wide open. Sure all NFL quarterbacks can't be 100% accurate all the time, but with Smith, it just seems to happen much more often than it should.

2. Jamaal Charles. He's quick, he's fast, he's resilient. What he can't do Sunday: Get injured. Really, that's the only thing that would keep him from being a major factor in a Chiefs win. In fact I worry that Andy Reid is just using him far too much and the wear could get to him. The other aggravating thing is if we just can't get any vertical passing game going, the Broncos could key on him so much that he is throttled.

3. Dustin Colquitt. Yes, our punter, who's one of the greatest ever, and really, a critical part of our defense. What he can't do Sunday: Get anything less than a good 40+ yards on every punt. With the Broncos offense as potent as it is, it is imperative to keep them from having even decent field position. Again, those extra plays an offense has to have starting from the 10 or worse will give us an edge we will need.

4. Justin Houston. He slobbers over quarterbacks who hang around in the pocket, like Peyton Manning. What he can't do Sunday: Let them block him. Houston has got to frustrate Manning and get him out of his rhythm. Our defensive backfield this year is okay, but not great. Most of the pass defense's effectiveness is shutting down QB's at the line.

5. Tamba Hali. Ditto. (See "Justin Houston" just above there.)

6. Dontari Poe. He's done great being the rock around which our D-line stands up the opponent's O-line. What he can't do Sunday: Give their backs very many holes to run through. If Denver can get any kind of ground game going it'll be a terribly long night. This, I believe is the key behind whether or not we can keep this close or get blasted by a blistering pass offense.

7. Eric Berry. He's quick, he's fast, he's got laser instincts for the ball. What he can't do Sunday: Get burnt. While he's a fantastic safety, Berry can struggle against big strong receivers, and from what I've seen, every receiver Denver has except very slippery Wes Welker is big and strong. He has also sometimes put himself in poor position to defend effectively against quick-release passes, and which quarterback has one of the quickest releases ever in the history of NFL anything?...

8. Dwayne Bowe. Let's just face it, this guy is the classic Chiefs Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He's either jaw-dropping phenomenal or head-shakingly putrid. What he can't do Sunday: It's simple -- he can't not be jaw-dropping phenomenal. I really believe for the Chiefs to have a chance we've got to have some meaningful, effective, productive vertical passing game. Yeah we may be able to get by with a few catches from Donnie Avery, Dexter McCluster, and Jamaal Charles, we absolutely cannot get by without a profoundly -- and I mean profoundly meaningful contribution from Bowe.

9. Derrick Johnson. One of the fastest, smoothest, beastest run-stuffers in the game. What he can't do Sunday: Disappear. This guy intrigues me as much as Bowe does. Really, for three or four straight plays he's in the mix, always there, making the hits to which we all marvel. But then for a couple plays, he just doesn't seem to be there. Yes, we can't expect greatness every play, I know -- as a fan I expect too much. Oh well, just a Chiefs fan, that's all. But the thing with Johnson is that the other team will get some big play that is just demoralizing, and I know, it isn't as if it is D.J's fault by any means. But sometimes with those plays he's just overpursuing or not where he should be or something. The Chiefs this year have been very prone to big plays, and if Denver gets just a few... I shudder with that thought...

10. Anthony Fasano. A terrific tight end who's been slowed by injuries. What he can't do Sunday: Be invisible. Alex Smith's passing skills require a good, go-to tight end. When Fasano came back a few weeks ago I thought we'd start to see him making at least five, six catches a game, maybe even a couple more that were particularly clutch ones. I think he's had no more than two or three in every game since.

Those are my top ten. Yes I could put in our corners, Brandon Flowers, Sean Smith, and Marcus Cooper who've got to be on their game to cover those fine Denver receivers, but I mentioned them above with remarks about Dontari Poe. I could add remarks about Dexter McCluster, who's really turned into our best receiver and has got to get that fine separation he's regularly been getting this Sunday. And what about our offensive linemen? I'd heard Denver's weakness is their defense, but if they can get to Alex Smith it'll be a very uncomfortable evening for Chiefs fans Sunday night.

There you go. The special Chiefs Game Today look at Sunday night. You may think, "Hey, why so negative? Why so much with the 'What you can't do Sunday' stuff? That's just depressing talk there, Dave. Let's be positive and cheer on our team!"

It's just I want to share my thoughts, offer a realistic take on what Sunday night might look like. Don't get me wrong, I fully believe we can win, I do. But the realism: The Chiefs have got to perform. I think they're capable of it, and I'm looking forward to them putting it to the Broncos, I am.

But we'll just have to see Sunday night, won't we?
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Chiefs at Bills - Week 9 - Record: 9-0

We find ways to get it done.

That's really the story of this Chiefs team. I know I know we're at the top of all the power rankings and I know I know the nicest things are being said about us. But I also know that a whole lot of people think we're really actually truly not for real, and yes, there is that part deep in my gut that believes they have a point. I know.

But we still find ways to get it done.

Yes I go crazy knowing we didn't get a single offensive touchdown today. I was sick when Dexter McCluster dropped that wide-open pass with vast amounts of running space before him just before the end of the first half that would've tied the score at 10. But then I think about how our fortunes came rushing right back when at our one-yard line their quarterback tossed the ball right into the hands of an eager Sean Smith who took it the distance. That made the ball game 10-10. Good enough.

I'm not going to get into all the questionable stuff about our team or say yet again that at some point here we're going to face quarterbacks who aren't third stringers (namely guys with the initials P.M. and P.R. -- see, I told you I wouldn't say it again...)

I will say that there is a reason we are winning game after game after game. What is it exactly that we did today that got us the dubya that didn't depend on splendidly favorable fortuitous events? These are things we do regularly, in no particular order:

- We grind in the 4th. This may be our best attribute. Jamaal Charles is an absolute workhorse. I am insanely concerned about the wear-and-tear, so we'll see. But he's still out there, not just taking the blows but getting huge yardage late when we need it. Our offensive line seems to have more stamina than the opponent's defensive line, holding strong late in the game. And they said the Bills D-line was a pretty good one. We are winning games in the 4th quarter on both sides of the ball and that is critical for any genuinely contending team.

- Alex Smith not only doesn't make mistakes but he gets the job done in that 4th quarter. On the last drive today to run clock he threw a fantastic pass to Dwayne Bowe to get a key first down. Yes, as we've said before, he throws too many bad balls. But again, he really knows how to manage a game. Not only does he play good quarterback in this sense, but his extraordinary athleticism gives us chances for good to happen on any given play.

- Dwayne Bowe is still a terrific go-to guy. I haven't said a whole lot about him this year, and some of that comes from my frustration about his drops. He had a couple more today. Erghh. But just as he always does, he comes through big-time when we need him. He was more in the mix today, did you notice? He caught more passes today than he has in any other game, I'm pretty sure, and one of them is worth noting. Vintage Bowe: Buffalo blitzed Smith something fierce, but his mobility enabled him to scramble left, straighten up, and fire a strike to Bowe who (a) made the great route adjustment to get open, and (b) finished with one of his patented sideline grabs, you know the kind, toes gingerly touching just inside the white. First down Chiefs.

- Our opportunistic defense makes the other team pay. Besides the pick-six and fumble recovery for another score, we had another interception that led to our first score, a field goal. Yes, our D-backfield is waaay softer than it's been in the past, but we don't give up, and after giving up a big play here and there (come on, gotta give them a break, this is the NFL) they always come back and make the big defensive play. How many times did Marcus Cooper bat a ball away today? In fact he was the one who slapped the ball out of the receiver's hands for Tamba Hali's recovery and TD.

- Our pass rush is ferocious. We didn't get any sacks today, but we get tremendous respect for the pressure we put on the quarterback. Even though we had an oh-fer today, in any given game if we can just get three or four, and we've done at least that in just about every other game, we've got a tremendous edge. In fact, I saw something on the television that said something about us matching the 1977 Falcons defense for allowing the fewest points in the first however many games? That's pretty dang great.

- Derrick Johnson is still one of the best "run-sackers" I've ever seen. How many times does he shoot that gap and take down the runner. Every game he has at least one or two terrific stops like this. He is so fast, not just quick but get-up-the-field fast, and he has such good vision -- and he's old! For an NFL player this is his 9th season!

- Our special teams play is phenomenal and it is led by one of the greatest Chiefs players ever, really, he is, Dustin Colquitt. Yet again he was able to get a punt to be downed within the five-yard line, and this was late when Buffalo really needed to get something going. How valuable is it to have a guy who can so often get the opponent to start drives deep, I mean waaay deep in their own territory. Every cerebral footballer knows that means an extra four or five plays they've got to run to ultimately get a score, and that's four or five more plays more likely they'll struggle with, meaning more first downs to have to try to get and thus more times their attempts to get those first downs will fail. I mean, really, Colquitt is, indeed, one of the most valuable members of this defensive unit, he really is!

- Our coaching staff not only calls solid games, but it keeps these players fighting on every play. There is a sense I have that these guys like playing football together -- that no matter what, they're playing as a family. I know that sounds sentimentally cliché, but these guys draw their strength from one another, and no one is thinking anyone is any better than anyone else. They just get the job done and get it done for the team. Next play, next play, let's go, next play.

Just great, great stuff.

We have a bye next week, then, yes...

To Denver.

I already know about our shortcomings. I already know about our liabilities. I already got all that, yeah, yeah. Who knows what'll happen then, hey, I've already been told they've flexed that game to Sunday night prime-time. How great is that.

For now, just proud of these guys, this team -- the joy they've brought to Kansas City and to Chiefs fans everywhere, and the quite justified respect they've earned from the sports world.
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