Jaguars at Chiefs - Week 17 - Record: 9-7 - Part II

THE MIRACLE HAPPENED! Denver got bogged down and the Niners beat them in OT!

The Chiefs are in the playoffs!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!!

The Chiefs are having one huge New Year's Eve party tonight!

My head is spinning, but here's the bombardment of stuff that's banging around in there. I'll try and put it together with some reasonable semblance. And trust me, my curmudgeon hat is safely stored away for a while.

I have to say that while the Chiefs are my number one team in all of sportsdom, the San Francisco 49ers are my second favorite team in the NFL. I was born in Kansas, but actually grew up near the Bay Area. Living there for so long, I obviously got much more coverage of the Niners and followed them quite dutifully, cheering them with great joy through the glory years of the 80's.

I say this because Niners fans have seared into their memories one particular horrific Monday Night game in Denver from 1985. That season the Niners were struggling after being world champions the year before, coming into snow-drenched Mile High with a 5-4 record. The Broncos won the game 17-16 with the help of a snowball thrown from somewhere at kicker Ray Wershing, who then missed a field goal that would've won the game for the Niners.

Wow, what has happened to the home-field Broncos against the Niners since. There was obviously Super Bowl XXIV in 1990, when Denver in their home uniforms were handed the most lop-sided loss in Super Bowl history, 55-10. In 2000, the Niners got the Broncos, who'd won the Super Bowl two years before, so exhausted in their 38-9 win in the last game ever at Mile High Stadium that they lost the wild-card game the following week.

And then there was this season. All Denver needed to do was win.

I had left to do some shopping with my family after the Chiefs game, and I didn't really want to endure the ups-and-downs of this Niners-Broncos affair. I'd just resolved to get the news all at once, when it was well over. So at almost 5 pm our time, we're waiting in a line of cars at a drive-thru burger place and my wife says, "Let's see what happened with the game." She turns on the radio, and I'm stunned...

The game is still going. We listen for a minute, and find out it's in overtime with the score 23-23. This is just unbearable. The Broncos have the ball at their own 11 with about 7:00 left in OT. I'm thinking, great, all they have to do is tie and they still get the playoff spot. But after they run a play, the announcer says, "Wow, these guys are really tired out there." That makes sense, the high altitude and all. But I'm actually thinking, this is really good for us. Denver's deep in their own territory, if we can hold them here, then we've got great field position.

I turn off the radio. Still, I just don't want to go through this.

We get our burgers, get home, and I click on the website. Sure enough, there it was.

SF 26, Den 23.

Wow-oh-wow-oh-wow-oh-wow. In that instant I felt that sort of overwhelming stunned and elated feeling at the same time. I ran in and shouted the news to my wife and kids, high-fiving all of them. I discovered that Denver did indeed stall, the Niners got the ball back, drove down a bit so Joe Nedney could kick the game-winner through. And from the weather reports I heard this week, there was lots of snow in the midwest. Whaddya think of that, Bronco snowball-throwers?!

My uncle from Kansas City called me right after that to talk about this incredible day. About this miracle. We had a 1 in 16 chance straight up, and probably worse than that because Denver had to have been heavily favored.

I think of this as the complete inverse of exactly ten years ago. Remember that? I mentioned it in an earlier blog entry, but to go over what happened on the last day of the season that year: After being 9-4 on Thanksgiving, we lost two in a row to put us at 9-6. A win over Buffalo at their place and we're in the playoffs no matter what. We lose to them, but can still get in if Jacksonville loses to Atlanta. In the last seconds of that game, down 19-17, the Falcons get all the way down to the Jaguar one yard-line whereupon Morten Andersen, arguably the greatest kicker of all time, bricks it. He bricks an 18 yard FG attempt.

I still so remember the despondency of that moment.

But the pain is made much less excruciating with today. That's because for one, the field goals finally worked in our favor in a big, big way. Not only did Cincinnati's kicker brick his easy FG today that would have won their game, but the Niners kicker got his clutch FG for us. In fact he went 4/4, his longest a 46-yarder. We needed every one of 'em.

Secondly, yeah, there it is-- we won today against Jacksonville. As bad as it was that we didn't make the playoffs in '96, it was almost as despairing that this then mere second-year expansion team did.

In this game we actually showed that we deserve to be in the playoffs, finally. A few things came to the fore that could be advantageous for us. I've spent a lot of time highlighting our "glaring deficiencies." Now's the time to showcase our strengths-- since we are a playoff team. (Proud smile...) For your consideration:

- Herm Edwards' "magic," which I'd mentioned a couple games back that, whatever the case, I would be looking for in the last few games of our season. Today he really let fly! We were so much more imaginative on offense-- there was more play action, Larry Johnson even tried a pass, and we got that awesome flea-flicker touchdown.

- Our defensive backfield. It really doesn't get enough credit, but it was such a joy to hear the color guy announcing today that the Jaguars couldn't get a particular pass play done because our coverage was so good. The addition of Ty Law has been a big plus, and he even had a terrific pick setting up one of our TD's.

- Our experience. While I complain about how old we are, this may actually be a big bonus in the playoffs. Eddie Kennison had a phenomenal day. One catch he made was easily a nominee for an NFL season highlight best-- tiptoeing down the sideline, he juggled the long pass until he gently pulled it in for a big gain. Tony Gonzalez is still a monster, and I'd like to think Trent Green can get it done, even though my uncle thought he had a miserable game today.

- Larry Johnson. I've gone the entire season without making much mention of him, but that's only because it is such a given that the guy is a stud among studs. He set an NFL record today with most carries in a season, something like 400-something. My uncle thinks we really have a chance against Indianapolis next week because they can't stop the run. If that is so, and we get that play-action going much more than we have, then we could have a shot at that revenge for what the Colts did to us in the '95 and '03 playoffs.

- Special teams. Believe it or not, one of our consistently best players has been, yes, punter Dustin Colquitt. Bernard Pollard blocked another punt today, this one he took in for a TD. And aren't you just waiting for Dante to bust one again? He's so due. (Oh, and I have to mention: remember 20 years ago, 1986? In the last game of the season, we made the playoffs on the strength of three special team TD's, against, yes, the Steelers.)

What's so great about all this is that, yes, we've got nothing to lose. I almost actually like going in being a 9-7 team more than a 13-3 one. This is almost like the Twilight Zone-- there is just no way we should've gotten here. But we are, and yes, yes, I'm making no apologies-- I don't think for a second we don't deserve to be there. Hey, the Steelers barely eeked in last year and got by Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Denver (all on the road), and finally Seattle to win the Super Bowl. If we get that far, that'll just be-- I don't know, I can't even say.

Right now, we're just here. And today's day, for what it was, will always be treasured by any Chiefs fan no matter what has happened or ever will happen.

It certainly is by me.

Jaguars at Chiefs - Week 17 - Record: 9-7 - Part I

Aaaagh! WE'RE STILL IN THIS THING! Can you believe it?

For the 10 am (PST) slate of games we needed three results, and got them all! (1) We beat Jacksonville, more on that later, in Part II. (2) New England put it to Tennessee. And this year (3) Pittsburgh did what we wanted! They had to beat Cincinnati, and how sweet that was considering what the Bengals unapologetically did to Trent Green in that first game of the season.

Thing was, while I'm watching us hold off Jacksonville, I've got my eye on that Pit-Cin game and note that the Bengals had gotten deep into Steeler territory with the game tied and seconds left. That's it, I'm thinking, we're done-- but then! The guy misses the field goal! Wow-oh-wow-oh-wow.

Pittsburgh then gets the ball for OT, and from about their own 30, Pittsburgh's QB dumps off a slant to a guy who races all the way for a TD!!! My 10 year-old son and I are screaming as this guy Holmes races down the sideline, the 40, 30, 20, 10-- dives into the endzone! Touchdown-- and the Chiefs are still alive!

Being an impassioned Chiefs fan I can't deny I'm thrilled. For another three hours at least our team is on the lips of NFL'ers the world around. Yes, we've still got to pray for a Niners miracle win in Denver (a 1 pm PST game), but for now,

Wow.

Special Pre-Week 17 Note - Our Playoff Chances

I don't normally write a post in between games, as I've worked to strictly devote this blog to thoughts about each individual game sans all the fuzziness that goes on among the elitist media pundits. But since everything hinges on a number of concrete factors this last weekend of the season, I thought I'd comment about where we are.

Last year we took it down to the last game but it was easy then. If we won and the Steelers lost, we'd be in. Interesting to note that the Steelers not only didn't lose (to a very poor Detroit team--we all knew it wasn't going to happen) but they surprised everyone and went all the way to the title.

Yes, believe it or not, this year we are still in it.

I kinda think this whole thing is just yanking us along. Our straight-up chances are 1 in 16, because we need four results to occur for us to get in. But I do confess, like all Chiefs fans, I'm excited. Woo-hoo-- I'm excited just because we're still there hanging by that thread.

Strictly speaking we need:

1. Us to beat Jacksonville at home. Because I pay the tiniest of attention to any other team, much less a non-media-darling like the not-New-York-or-Chicago Jaguars, I just don't have a clue what kind of team they are except that they too are 8-7. But since we're at home, we should be able to beat them. Hey, I know they aren't the Ravens. Prognosis: Very good.

2. Pittsburgh to beat Cincinnati. Okay, this year we need Pittsburgh to win. They are the reigning champs, so they can do it, but they're playing in Cincy and the Bengals need this for their playoff ticket-- and I'm sure they've got on their minds last year's playoff game in which the Steelers wrecked Carson Palmer's knee and then trounced them. Prognosis: Fair.

3. New England to beat Tennessee. New England is certainly a quality team but they too are on the road. I don't know, but I'd like to think they're playing for a bye or home field advantage. Prognosis: Good.

4. San Francisco to beat Denver. Uh-oh. I'm really hoping the Niners are also playing for a playoff spot, but at 6-9 I'm just not sure. (I only say this because I'd heard there may be a losing team making the playoffs in the NFC.) They're also in Denver, which means a Niners victory is nearly impossible. This is where the true miracle has to happen. Prognosis: Extremely poor.

Thing is, we're just being dragged around in the NFL mud anyway. Yes, I'm putting on my curmudgeon's hat again, but in all my silly giddiness that we're still "a contender," we are still hurtin'. Do you actually believe all those glaring deficiencies-- the O-line, the inconsistent D, Trent Green's nerves, unreliable kicker-- are going to vanish?

And if we should have all four of these results go our way, I'll send up the biggest cheer and just think of the Steelers of last year, but would their miracle happen for us this year? We'd have to get through any and most of four utterly dominate AFC teams-- SD, Balt, Ind, or NE, all at their place.

So yeah, I know I know. Just enjoy it now. We're in amongst all the "Who'll make the playoffs" conjecture. The Chiefs are still on people's lips. At least there's that.

So my curmudgeon's hat is off then.

Chiefs at Raiders - Week 16 - Record: 8-7

Not much to say about this game. We slogged to a 20-9 victory. The Raiders are pretty much the 2-12 team their record indicates, committing five turnovers on the day. They don't have extraordinary skill people at any offensive position, though their go-to back-for-the-day Justin Fargas did well. But hey, their QB is young, and Randy Moss has been replaced by some alien imposter from space who merely looks like him.

Larry Johnson had another 100. I think I'd heard something about him earlier in the week criticizing the play-calling as unimaginative. Good for him. I hate to say it, but I agree with him, it is. Today we did a bit more misdirection, got lots of people involved, so that was nice to see. I really believe that Herm Edwards is a terrific coach, but sometimes it just seems that he doesn't fully take advantage of all that he has. Does anyone else feel this way?

Anyway, for what it's worth, tonight we are still in the playoff chase. Woo-hoo! We can revel in it one more night, as I'm sure we can be mathematically put-out-of-our-misery a dozen different ways tomorrow when the full slate of games are played.

As for thinking in more future-oriented terms, an announcer mentioned that guard Brian Waters was going to the Pro Bowl. Hmm. That's great. Maybe the O-line isn't as bad as it seems. Our offensive line problem may be solved by merely getting that solid left tackle.

So yeah. It all comes back around to that key question asked before the season started. Can we replace Willie Roaf? I believe the answer was an unqualified "No." But if we work hard in improving that area, we may be helped more than I thought.

Finally, it was sweet hearing Dick Vermeil do the color in tonight's NFL Network broadcast. He is such a football genius, and I know this may sound perverse but it just kills me to think if we had the defense we have today back in 2003 we'd've been utterly dominant. But what do they say? If poseys were bluebirds and wishes were popsicle sticks, or something stupid like that...

Okay, I'm done for now...

Chiefs at Chargers - Week 15 - Record: 7-7

Before I begin, I want to lay out some ground rules. First, the Chargers are a better team— they deserved to win this game merely by the fact of their superior talent and play. I'm fine with that. Secondly, I know that you can’t meaningfully reconstruct a hypothetical game if things had gone differently, because you just can’t presume things would’ve necessarily gone your way.

With that in mind, the Chiefs got jobbed in this game. Three key things did them in. One, habitual inattentive punt return coverage, two, a stupid call by a ref, and three, a stupid NFL rule that needs to be changed. Let’s look at each, in order, and see what the game result really should’ve been, all other things being equal.

1. On the Chargers first drive, our defense stopped them, setting up a punt. They faked it, snapping the ball to the back who then ran right past a preoccupied Chiefs coverage team for a first down. In the replay it looked like there were only six Chiefs on the field. Five guys up front dutifully waiting for the ball to be booted and then turning to provide blocking for the runback, and one guy waiting way back there to receive the punt. Ahem, where was the containment? We were just brain dead on that one. This is certainly something that the Chiefs need to work on, and yes, it is no one’s fault but our own. Of course, later in the drive the Chargers scored a touchdown. Given.

2. On the Chargers next drive, QB Phillip Rivers tossed a quick out to his fullback who caught the ball, turned upfield, and was summarily leveled by Derrick Johnson. He then fumbled the ball, which was grabbed by Tamba Hali at around the 40 yard line. Oh, problem: Quick whistle by the ref. Great. They call it incomplete and it can’t be reviewed. The announcer even made a comment, something about “there must be a football action” taken, such as actually moving forward at least a teench to demonstrate he had possession. What tripe. This cost us big because shortly thereafter the Chargers punted down to our 5, whereupon we gained about 50 yards before we had to punt. That 50 yards from the Chargers 40 would have been a TD for us. So, real score: 10-7, Chiefs.

3. About midway through the second quarter I’m noticing that we’re down only 7-3, even as we were being outplayed. Okay, good, we have a chance, this is still a game, good. The Chargers are punting from about their own 10 yard line, and a super punt-blocking rookie, Bernard Pollard, swoops in to make a clean block of the punt. The ball flutters forward, however, about 15 yards when one of our linemen takes a stab at grabbing it. The ball barely skims him, it bounces away and a Charger lineman falls on it. Everyone on the Chiefs bench is now fired up, patting Pollard on the back, high-fiving. Chiefs fans around the globe are gleeful, knowing this is our chance to really get back in this, to put it to them.

All of a sudden the Chargers offense is on the field. The ref had to briefly explain to Herm Edwards what is surely called the “Really Stupid Screw-the-Chiefs Punt Block Switcharoo Rule.” It says that as long as a blocked punt crosses the line of scrimmage and touches a defensive player, it’s a free ball, and if the offense gets it, then they get new set of downs.

The bewildered Chiefs then put their vaunted “Huh?” defense out on to the field, and on the very next play LaDainian Tomlinson squirts down the field for an 85-yard touchdown.

The main reason this has got to be the stupidest rule in the book is the whole line of scrimmage thing. The ball barely got past the line of scrimmage. So it would be exactly the same as if, on fourth-and-sixty, Tomlinson got the carry, ran two yards, bobbled it, it bounced against a few Chiefs players, and was recovered by the Chargers. Anyone would certainly cry foul if the Chargers were given a new set of downs. I’m perfectly okay with it if this all happened down the field and they recovered it past the yardage needed for a first down. That’s reasonable. It’s even okay if the defensive guy actually grabbed the ball, had possession of it, ran around a bit, then fumbled the ball anywhere on the field. But here it is, essentially, a great play by the defense—stopping them on three downs and blocking a punt—and the reward for that is giving the offense the ball again and a new set of downs. That is ridiculous.

Driving home from a family Christmas function towards the end of the game, I listened to a San Diego radio station’s announcers, a couple of college-aged Charger sycophants, recount the earlier punt block incident and refer to it as THE CORRECT CALL. Yes, they did speak in all caps, I could tell. Point is, why would they say "THE CORRECT CALL" like that if they didn’t also agree that it is a stupid rule?

If the proper way the rule should be was in place—the blocked punt must go past the first down yardage point and not the line of scrimmage—then it would’ve been Chiefs ball at about the Charger 15. Not even presuming we’d even score, the Chargers would certainly not have gotten their score. So without the stupidity, we’re still up 10-7.

Therefore, the final score would’ve been 16-13, Chiefs, considering each team later added two field goals. 16-13 Chiefs, not 20-9 Chargers.

This is indeed the idiocy that drives me crazy about watching our team. Interesting, today at work a colleague even brought up another such critical stupid ruling/call incident that happened back in the Browns game. I hadn’t known about this because I didn’t see or hear the fourth quarter of that game. But he mentioned that at the end of regulation, Tony Gonzalez caught a pass and rolled out of bounds untouched by any defender with five seconds on the clock. The refs did their twirling arm thing to keep the clock rolling, and with no time outs, regulation ended. Guh? Doesn’t going out of bounds stop the clock??? Apparently we had our shot to kick the game-winning FG, and it was yanked from us because of this stupid call/rule. And I don’t know what it was. The stupid rule? If there is some silly roll-around-on-the-field exception, then change it. The bad call? Then the refs should fess up. But neither of these things happened that I know of. Hey, we're the Chiefs.

With all the typical Chiefs aggravation out of the way, a few other things need to be said about this game.

The first is that our offense is miserable. The O-line topped their performance last week by allowing six sacks this time. Trent Green looks timid—no, better: he looks scared to death out there. It is affecting his passing so much that I don’t think he threw a good pass all night. When he came close, our receivers were dropping balls, not getting open— it was just miserable.

Do you know that—throwing out the meaningless gimme who-cares end-of-the-game TD pass last week—we have not scored a single touchdown since that wonderful 99-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter of the Browns game? It’s almost as if that one drive tired us out so much that we’re done for the season.

This season also reminds me a bit of 1996, exactly ten years ago. Remember that? After winning on Thanksgiving and posting a solid 9-4 record, we didn’t win a single game after that and missed the playoffs. Same exact thing is happening so far this year. Our last win was against Denver on Thanksgiving, proudly getting us to 7-4. Ergh. How ironic that Lamar Hunt actually lobbied the NFL to get other teams besides the Cowboys and Lions to play in those holiday games, and they honored him this year by scheduling the Chiefs at home for the very first ever NFL Network game.

I don’t think we’ll have a chance to be viable on the last day of this season, because even if we do finish 9-7, right now we are 0-5 against any team not in the west, AFC or NFC. So much for having tiebreaker advantages.

So now’s the time to start looking at what we need for next year. Besides all the obvious holes to patch, here’s one thing. We need a snorting, snarling Ray Lewis-Mike Singletary-Jack Lambert-type dude clogging things up in the middle on defense. I like Kawika Mitchell, but we just need that guy who can just smell the play before it happens and mauls everyone in his way to stop it. Someone who just fires up our defense, gets us to that next level. The defense is good, it really is, but these guys have got to know what it means to finish.

As it is, we're finished this year.

Special Note - The Rock of the Chiefs - Lamar Hunt passes away, December 13, 2006

I have not known a minute of pro football without Lamar Hunt. No one has known a minute of Chiefs football without him. After the NFL refused to allow him to add a team to the league, he put together the entire AFL in 1960, and included that team he wanted, then the Dallas Texans. After only a few years, he wanted out of vying for fans with the Cowboys and blessed Kansas City with what became one of the stalwart organizations in football. Even though it wasn't always successful on the field, he made the Chiefs a lasting, vibrant part of the city and the NFL. He was the Chiefs.

The impact of Hunt goes way beyond the fact that he came up with the name "Super Bowl." For starters he not only got the AFL going, but was instrumental in the entire success of the NFL. Many people think it was the Jets upset win over the Colts in 1969 that afforded the AFL respect. No, with all due respect to the Jets, that could have been a fluke. It was the Chiefs Super Bowl win the following year that meant it was for real. Few people outside of the faithful remember what a dominant team this was in the late-60's. The Len Dawson-led offense got the job done, and the defense with Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Curly Culp, and Johnny Robinson was phenomenally good, arguably one of the greatest ever.

Right after that, it was AFC teams that defined success in the 70's. The Dolphins, the Steelers, and the Raiders all rolled over their NFC counterparts through that decade. Even though the 49ers and the Cowboys each had their dynasties in the 80's and 90's, people don't fully realize how good the classic AFL Broncos, Bills, and Oilers were in those years.

And if you talk about the 90's you can't deny Hunt's very own Kansas City Chiefs were one of the exceptional teams. There were those close, crushing losses in the playoffs, but remember, this team made the playoffs 7 of 8 years, at one point getting in six straight times. Hard to believe that it is now in our Chiefs memories that we fondly think of Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, Albert Lewis, John Alt, Christian Okoye, Marcus Allen, and even though they were each there for such a short time but did very well, Joe Montana and Steve DeBerg.

And the 00's? You know it. The most impressive team by far has been another original AFL'er, the Patriots. Lamar Hunt never grumbled or or got petty whenever he endured the frustrations of his team. It was almost as if, when a team defeated his Chiefs in the playoffs, he'd just be proud of all his other babies.

The neatest thing about Lamar Hunt was that he loved sports so much, that in college he earned the nickname "Games." He built on that reputation by industriously putting together all kinds of leagues for things like tennis and soccer. In having such a passion for competition, he made it possible for so many to showcase their skills and have a great time in vibrant competition.

It is not an overstatement to say that half of the NFL was his doing.

It is just weird not having him there being the Rock of the Chiefs. I thought he would be there forever. There is no question his spirit will live on in the Chiefs, in Kansas City, in the NFL, and anywhere people desire to accomplish great things.

Ravens at Chiefs - Week 14 - Record: 7-6

Wasn't the last time we lost a December home game in 1947? Something like that? Oh well, all good things must come to an end.

What probably hurts the most about this loss was not that we got beat for the obvious reasons. And it certainly was not because it showed we can't contend, that was determined last week.

The reason it hurt the most is because it showed just how old this team is. As I'd intimated last week, I'd actually thought Trent Green was back and in good shape to get us going. This game showed that we really need to get a young new guy at the helm, and that doesn't just happen over night. Is Brodie Croyle the answer? I'd like to have that ray of hope that he'd actually develop into a true major league signal-caller. At this point we just don't know.

As for other aged troopers, there is Tony Gonzalez-- how much longer can he go?-- and Eddie Kennison-- with all due respect, he's still our go-to receiver? That's hurtin.' Never mind the anchor of what-offensive-line-we-have-left is Will Shields, who was a rookie in 1947.

For now, we know the obvious:

With all that happened this year personnel-wise, our offensive line just can't get it done. It isn't all Trent Green's fault. He was sacked five times and threw two interceptions. His one TD pass was a late game gimme. Larry Johnson had over 100, but Baltimore's defense is so good they just toyed with him. Take out one ultimately meaningless 47-yard romp and there you have the real running game on the day.

Our defense is exceptionally inconsistent. Every once in a while they shine, but they just don't-- oh how do I put this without belaboring the point-- they don't finish. Give them credit, they actually did a decent job of containing Baltimore's offense. But they gave up the one huge TD pass play, and you just can't do that against this team.

And how about looking at a new placekicker. Even though in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter, Lawrence Tynes missed an easy must-make FG early. To have even a chance, we needed that. After that choke, I knew we'd struggle. We just can't afford to have a kicker blowing these opportunities after a pretty strong opening drive.

Think this was embarrassing? How about this: a work colleague tells me that NBC has selected next week's contest at San Diego-- arguably the best team in football-- for their prime-time evening slot. Great. We wait all season for a Sunday/Monday night game and this is the one they're going to show. One where we're going to get slaughtered before the whole country. Just great.

Yes, yes, we're still mathematically in it for post-season. It'll take more than magic now from Herm Edwards, it'll take miracles from a lot of other places.

As for me, I'm just hoping for the miracles that we'd draft and develop solidly from this point forward, especially at QB and the OL, so we can actually contend next year.

Chiefs at Browns - Week 13 - Record: 7-5

Well, it's official. About as official as you're going to get.

We aren't contenders.

Call me an anti-Pollyanna curmudgeon of the worst kind, but really, what do you want? I'd kinda like to win the Super Bowl. I know there are some who'd be tickled just to finish the season with a winning record, but me, I'd like us to go all the way. I dunno, call me crazy.

But the fact is, Super Bowl teams don't blow 28-14 leads in the fourth quarter. (This was against a 3-8 team!) I just can't help but think that our age has to be a factor. We could virtually do what we wanted through three quarters, but after that-- a set of offensive series that included one in overtime-- we couldn't do diddly. Our defense wilted. I actually thought that having Trent Green out for the first half of the season would make him fresh for the second half, but he just couldn't get it done in the second half of the second half of today's game.

Why am I surprised? I should've known our inability to put games away would come back to whack us. We couldn't do it against San Diego, Seattle, or St. Louis, but we barely eeked out wins. This one we lost. Needless to say this should say something about our stamina-- our ability to finish. It's just not there.

Today I actually had to step away from this one right after we marched down the field for a TD on that terrific 99-yard drive. We had to go to my son's last flag football game of the season, and so the whole time I'm thinking, "Woo-hoo, we've got them now. Our dee should be able to close it out. This 8-4 team has got a chance now. We can show we can do well on the road. Awright."

But then I see the score when I get home. But yeah, again, why am I surprised?

Now we're 7-5 (two losses in OT BTW) and now drowning in a conference of 10-2 teams. I saw a news tease the other day that said an NFC team with a losing record could make the playoffs.

Well, sorry, that's just a concern of those who get giddy for a playoff spot. Whee.

For me, well, I'll just watch to see if Herm can do more magic with what's left.

Broncos at Chiefs - Week 12 - Record: 7-4

A long time ago I'd heard that we'd be playing a Thanksgiving day game. Woo-hoo, I thought, that'll be great, it'll be televised and I can watch it with my family. Then I noted it would be against the Broncos, and thought, "Hmm, usually only the Lions and Cowboys get those days' games..." Then I caught that this game would be the first NFL Network game, and I went "Un-kay, it'll be on cable."

Thing is, a week ago I learned that the NFL Network isn't on many of the cable systems, including that of my sister-in-law's where we were enjoying the holiday. Great. This is precisely what I had feared in my gut. Here we've got a nationally televised game at home against a division rival and we can't see it.

The fact that we played really well didn't make it any better-- I wanted to see it! Getting what I know from a few periodic checks on the web, it looked like we did what we should have done in the game at Denver earlier in the year. Our defense was stellar yet again, and this time we got that clutch touchdown that kept us in charge of a predictably low scoring game. Our last drive before the half was an 88-yarder that featured some solid yardage plays and put us up 10-3. We got three more field goals in the second half, moving the ball well each time to keep the Broncos on their heels, finally finishing with the 19-10 win.

It was good to see Tony Gonzalez back and really getting into the mix as he should. Larry Johnson got his routine 100+ yards rushing against a good Denver defense. Trent Green really seemed to be getting back into the rhythm of things and the O-line protected him well considering its condition.

Is Herm Edwards working some magic to get this team into real contention in the very tough AFC? We've now got a nice ten day break until the next game which will be critical-- Cleveland on the road, a game we have to win with that road game against first place San Diego looming.

Raiders at Chiefs - Week 11 - Record: 6-4

In the last seven straight games with the Raiders, the Chiefs have won them all, each by a point total of seven points or less. If you're a Chiefs fan like I am, this would be nirvana, but the nature of sports is always more of a karma thing. Sometime later you'll always get back what you've done to others. If this were the Raiders doing it to us, it'd be pretty unbearable.

Thing is, it really shouldn't have been that close, at least in considering the Raiders as a relatively weak team this year coming in with a 2-7 record. But they are an NFL team and they did have Aaron Brooks back at QB, so it turned out to be another struggle for us.

Behind 13-10 with only a few minutes left, we did get down the field for that go-ahead TD. I just wonder, are we a team that is actually, genuinely clutch, or are we just barely making up for a number of profound deficiencies? Is this 6-4 record really indicative of a winning team? I mean, in the opening moments we ran-- well, I should say, naturally, Larry Johnson ran over the Raiders for a quick TD score.

Then we went as flat as an limp unrolled crepe.

What's the deal? For one, our offensive line is still being held together with paper clips and scotch tape. I don't know, maybe I missed it, but was John Welbourn back in there? That can only help. I also have no idea when Brian Waters is coming back, and my son tells me that Tony Gonzalez may be back next week.

A great thing is that Trent Green was back in there. Sorry, as well as Damon Huard played, gotta go with Green. He was very rusty, but on that last drive today to try to win the game, he showed why he's the #1 guy. That pass he dropped right in Eddie Kennison's lap, precisely where it had to be, was vintage Trent Green.

As for our defense, it looked shaky, overpursuing and running past tackles... in other words, not finishing-- errgh. But ya gotta give it to 'em, they still held the Raiders to 13 points.

And what's with Lawrence Tynes? Double errgh. He can hit a clutch 82-mile field goal to win a game, but he can't hit a 35-yard chip shot that today would've tied it.

This upcoming Thursday, Thanksgiving, we get Denver at home. This'll go a long way to answering that question I asked earlier. Are we for real or are we just fooling everyone?

Chiefs at Dolphins - Week 10 - Record: 5-4

I can't say that I didn't think this was going to happen. I actually thought the Dolphins, not a particularly good team who'd last week beaten the Bears at their place, would play even better.

The Dolphins were just as mediocre as they'd been most of the year. We just sucked, and the 13-10 score wasn't as close as that. It kind of reminded me of last year's Buffalo game, one of those contests we had no business losing and was especially painful to watch. Some items of note that showed exactly how pathetic we were: We got our first first down with three minutes left in the first half. The only touchdown we got was right after a gift turnover deep in their territory. We couldn't even take advantage of a bonked-off-the-upright FG miss by their kicker, when a bit later our guy couldn't hit a 48-yarder.

What was the problem? Easy.

Our offensive line is in tatters.

All Chiefs fans should know the litany by now. Willie Roaf retires, John Welbourne is suspended, Tony Richardson signs with another team... Now Brian Waters is injured. There is just no way you can pluck All-Pro OL-men from trees. If you lose your go-to back, it hurts and everyone knows it. It isn't any different when you lose your extraordinarily talented linemen.

You could see it in the whole game. Damon Huard had a horrible game, which by the way should move Herm's hand in finally putting Trent Green back in. He not only couldn't connect for beans, but he was sacked a number of times, a couple in that most critical last minute drive to get a game-tying FG. Needless to say Larry Johnson couldn't get anywhere.

That's all O-line stuff.

I don't know what we're going to do. Maybe Herm can be a magician. Maybe Green being back in will mean something-- except that I just think about that first game against the Bengals when he was running all over the field and eventually got clocked.

Our defense sure is holding up its end, and this without Derrick Johnson. The only TD they gave up was set up by their only big pass play. Other than that they did pretty well shutting Miami down. Can the defense carry us when our Achilles heel is so pronounced?

How ironic is that. Our bread and butter, that O-line, one that saw Priest Holmes to such renown...

That line could be our undoing.

Chiefs at Rams - Week 9 - Record: 5-3

Has anyone noticed that we've won 5 of the last 6? The only thing is that we're 4-0 against the NFC (sweeping the NFC West) and that won't win us any tie-breakers. Can we take all the AFC teams (against which we're 1-3) we've got for the rest of the season?

This game was almost another heart attack game, with us going up 24-7 before they started making waves, getting it to 24-17 and driving for the game-tying score when they bogged down at about the thirty yard line as the 3rd quarter ended. The Rams really killed themselves at that point, getting all kinds of false start penalties and pass interference calls against them. Thing is, are we a good enough team to win without the help? I mean, at one point their QB Marc Bulger was something like 23-26 in passing, and he ended up with over 300 yards on the day. That's phenomenal.

I have developed a new healthy respect for Tony Gonzalez. Is Herm Edwards just using him more and better (5 catches and 2 TD's today)? That's great, but I have to confess I've always had a reserved opinion of him in light of all the plaudits heaped upon him. I think a lot of it is that I do expect him to be super human out there, and I know that isn't fair. The don't think you'd disagree, however, that when he comes up with some of the terrific plays that he does make, he does deserve his ranking as one of the best ever.

We've played a killer schedule so far. I say this because we've got piddly Miami next week. It should be cake, but I fear that's just the game to humble us big-time. It's in Miami, and while we beat them there last year, we have a history of just not getting done at their place.

Seahawks at Chiefs - Week 8 - Record: 4-3

What is this with the heart attack games? At one point we're ready to go up 30-14 with a chip-shot field goal, and the next thing you know their guy is running back the fumbled snap for a touchdown to get them right back in it.

Again, the question was, could we finish? I paid close attention to the defensive series we had after that ten point swing. Those series:

1st: We stuff their running game again, and they go three-and-out. Awright. On the day they got 47 yards rushing. Pretty good.

2nd: We stop them on third down, but a defensive holding call gives them a new set of downs. They then connect on a long TD pass play. Ergh.

3rd: This last Seattle shot comes right after we get a clutch score with the help of a 51 yard strike from Huard to Kennison and a two-point conversion catch by Gonzalez. There's an interception and fumble by Jared Allen in there that involves a referee review, but after a couple of modest Seattle gains we eventually stop them on 4th down.

Even though it was a heart attack game, you've got to think these crazy things have to keep us keyed. I'd like to think that we're going good establishing that capacity to finish, even as we've allowed these teams to get back in it as we have each of the past two weeks.

Chargers at Chiefs - Week 7 - Record: 3-3

I must say that it was extraordinarily thrilling to see Lawrence Tynes kick that 53 yarder with six seconds left to win it. Especially after a false start penalty just before took it out five more yards. And even more especially after watching Damon Huard lead the drive, connecting on some clutch passes to get us in field goal range.

But it should never have come down to that. Tynes himself atoned for a missed PAT earlier, and I thought, hmm, he missed the PAT on the third TD we made in last year's Chargers game at Arrowhead. This time it almost came back to kill us.

We also had a 20-3 lead at that point, with our defense playing great again. Ah but the Chargers are a good team, and they took it to us in the second half.

I must say that I was pleased to see us really use Tony Gonzalez much more. The guy is an phenomenal weapon if we just use him. I also think the defense can be very good, and I believe some of what we gave up was a result of that youthful exuberance that can hurt you.

I'm still concerned about the O-line. There were just too many times it didn't protect Huard and didn't get Johnson loose. Should I complain? Huard did have the clutch last minute drive and Johnson did rush for over a hundred on the day.

Needless to say we are also playing some of the best teams in the NFL right out of the gate. We get Seattle next week. While it was far too close than it should have been, we still got a win against one of them today and that's what we'll need to do if we expect to contend.

Chiefs at Steelers - Week 6 - Record: 2-3

I really hate it when the NFL makes a new rule in the middle of the season. This past week they declared that the home team could put 14 men on the field and the visiting team could have only 8. No wonder we couldn't move the ball and they did whatever they wanted on offense.

Wait, you mean there was no such rule change? Oh, that's embarrassing. From what I saw, I thought that had to be why we got utterly shellacked.

Seriously, at its best, we just were the wrong dumb animal on the wrong truck route. It didn't matter who the Steelers were playing, they'd played relatively poorly all year and were at home-- anyone would've been made roadkill yesterday.

At its worst, the answers to the key Chiefs questions were, for today anyway, a resounding "No." The questions:

1. Will our offensive line hold up? Needless to say we couldn't do a damn thing on offense. Larry Johnson got diddly running the football. I'm sorry, but at this point I just don't think that's because Pittsburgh's defense is so good, which it is of course. It has a lot to do with the O-line not having people like Willie Roaf up there. To our credit we were down 31-0 before we breathed, so why try to get much yardage on the ground at that point?

2. Will our defense continue to play as well? Um. Yeah, well... I now just wonder if the Denver game was an aberration. Take that out and the game against the weak 49ers and our defense has given up a few TD's, short or long field. Pittsburgh simply drenched us.

One cool thing about this game was something my wife told me about today. I had turned off the game at the half because I just couldn't take it any more-- that and because my son's flag football game was starting. But today she said that she'd seen a highlight clip of Troy Polamalu running with the ball and being taken down from behind-- by his hair.

I'm sorry but that is great. I have no problem with Polamalu being a terrific player. But he looks like a goof out there. Say "Who's got the ring," say "Who's the All-Pro making a gazillion times what you'll ever make" as much as you want. The guy looks silly with his hair flying all around like that. So when our guy tackled him with the hair, well, Troy, tough darts. Put your hair in a bun already.

I took a peak at the game play-by-play, and I noted that Larry Johnson made the tackle and then he got an unsportsmanlike penalty. Now, was it for tackling by the hair? If afterwards he'd taunted him or kicked him or something, then yeah, that's fine, he should get the penalty. But was it for the hair? If it was, then that is inexcusable, especially when other players have practically ripped our guys' heads off and gotten the comparative slap-on-the-wrist. Really, if you are going to have your hair flying around, just like an arm or a leg waiting to be grabbed, then what's the issue? But then I just don't know what happened.

Finally, I just have to add, that I only wish the Chiefs could have the up-and-down system the Steelers have, through-and-through a fantastic organization. I don't for a second want to demean the Chiefs organization. But I just see the difference. You could see it on the field.

The key is that the Steelers finish. They just don't have the best players in the world, but at least they finish. Sure enough on the field yesterday I saw too much of the 2005 Chiefs, running around like keystone cops, overpursuing, missing tackles.

I only say this to tip my hat to the Steelers, and also to hope that our problem, really, was just that we drove a thousand miles-per-hour into a buzz saw yesterday. It'd be nice if all these games against the best teams in the AFC (San Diego next week-- whew!) will make us a better team.

And that we'll know how to finish.

Chiefs at Cardinals - Week 5 - Record: 2-2

When are these defenses going to stop trying to take our best guys' heads off? The NFL has all kinds of penalties to protect people, why aren't they applying them on our behalf? First Trent Green, now Larry Johnson.

Let me say that I didn't see yesterday's game, because my 10 year-old son's flag football game was scheduled at exactly the same time as the Chiefs game. I did note just before I left that we'd quickly put ourselves in a 14-0 hole. I came back and saw that we'd won 23-20! (It was a good day all around, my son's team won 26-25.)

Anyway, I looked over the game stats and saw that Johnson had a 78 yard pass reception, and that in the last drive before the game-winning FG, we'd gone 85 yards in 5 plays, something like that. Had to have been there. Turns out one of my students today (all of them know I'm a maniacal Chiefs fan) tells me that an Arizona defender grabbed Johnson's mask and almost took his head off. That to me is just one thing that can't be tolerated-- some day a player is going to be made a quadriplegic. Any flagrant face-masker has got to be fined, suspended-- in fact there also ought to be a "break-away foul," much like the in NBA when you get the basket and the ball. How about we get the touchdown?

Now I don't really know, I didn't see the play. I'd like to think that whatever the case, we'd be fired up a bit more, teach them not to disrespect us out on the field.

As we go through the season I'm looking for the answers to those three key questions. I'm passing for now on the "keeping our noses clean" item because I'm just not paying any attention to the police blotter stuff--again, I only watch or listen to the game when it is on. That's why this blog is the "Chiefs Game Today."

But the other two:

- The O-line. The not-so-good was that Larry Johnson got only 36 yards rushing. Hmm. But the good is that it looked like Huard was protected decently. He had an okay day passing and was only sacked a couple of times.

- The Dee. We gave up those first two early TD's when the Cardinals had a short field, one on a good kick return and the other on a QB fumble. After that we thoroughly shut the Cardinals down. Still, in four games we've only allowed a single long TD drive, that one to Cincinnati. Is this for real? We'll still have to see. A better test is next week against Pittsburgh.

49ers at Chiefs - Week 4 - Record: 1-2

This is one of those games in which the more you dominate the more unfulfilled you feel because you know that last week you lost a really really really stupid game that you now so know you should have really really really won.

I don't think there was any question that Herm Edwards heard it from everyone about what a chintzy game he coached last week. Now yes, the Niners are not the Broncos, but he finally put it in fifth gear and let our boys play.

Damon Huard had a spectacular game. In the first half he was something like 13 for 15 with two touchdowns before he let the running game take more of the load to put it away. Dustin Colquitt, yes, the punter!-- had another terrific game, getting a 59 yarder off late. Dante Hall ran a punt back for a TD, ahhh, it felt like the glory days of 2003. And our defense was phenomenal again. Is this for real? Is our defense really this good?

All this with Larry Johnson having a way sub-par game. He got off a nifty 28 yard run when it was all but over to get over 100 for the day, but again, the main reason for concern is our offensive line. Can it get us where we want to go?

Also disturbing was hearing about Jared Allen's DUI arrest. All kinds of arguments can be made for why he should or should not be in there playing. Whatever the case, this just can't help our cause.

So yeah, after three games, among the key questions is not, believe it or not, when Trent Green will return. We just want him to be really really really healthy. They are (a) Will our defense continue to be as good? (b) Will our OL get any better? and (c) (Erghh...) Can we keep our noses clean?

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

The four keys to this game happened

1. During the game last week.
2. At the end of the very first Chiefs drive today.
3. At the end of the very last Chiefs drive today.
4. At the coin flip for overtime.

What happened during those times?

1. Trent Green was injured. I am convinced that with him in there we would have been able to capitalize on all the opportunities we had today. Looking at the way the Broncos were playing so weakly, I just know he would've beaten them. Even though Damon Huard did pretty well, you could tell that we were just too damn timid to do anything that would take it to the Broncos. Just a testament to how good a quarterback Green is.

2. We did have a terrific first drive, getting all the way up against the Broncos goal line when Larry Johnson fumbled. Playing in Denver you just can't for two seconds give up a chance to score an early touchdown. Sure enough Denver got its field goals to tie in regulation in the second half when both our offense and defense seemed to wilt in that high altitude. With that initial score under our belts we could've controlled the entire game.

3. What in blazes were we doing, the score 6-6, with a couple good long minutes left in regulation and a first down at our own 31 ready to get an easy 50 yards to get into easy field goal range and get the win? We bumbled and bambled and diddled around until we had to punt. When the announcers said we seemed to be playing for overtime, I about wanted to die. Well, we lost the game, so what difference would it have made if we went for it and they intercepted a pass or something so we could lose in regulation?! At least we would've really tried.

4. Sure enough, the Broncos won the toss. Thuh end. Lights out at that point. Deep into an exhausting game, our defense (which I should say still played extraordinarily well) gave up some big plays and their Hall-of-Fame kicker summarily came in to end it.

I can only hope that Herm Edwards takes a long look at his game calling over the next two weeks and actually works to try to win games. To his credit, again, he didn't have Trent Green. But let Damon Huard try to win it for goodness sake. At least then we can't say you didn't try.

I must add that one reason we shut the Broncos down was because of the terrific play of our-- ta-da!-- punter. Colquitt got off great punts, two of which he got inside the 5 yard line.

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

What a disasterous start to the season. Yes, Trent Green got clocked on a play that took him off the field on a strecher, and preliminary reports are that he is okay, all things considered. But his shocking departure was a metaphor for this game.

Can anyone for two seconds think that Kyle Turley can replace Willie Roaf? Last year it was clear that the one critical factor in how we won games versus how we lost games was whether or not Roaf was in there and doing well. It was that pronounced. This game featured Trent Green running all over the place like a soda cup on the Harbor Freeway. Sorry, but as good as he is, he can't do squat with that.

Listen, you can take all the components of a team and debate about which ones are the ones that will bring you the most success. As far as what I've seen and heard from the people in the know, here they are in order of importance:

1. Offensive line.
2. Defensive line.
3. Quarterback.
4. All the others.

As great as Larry Johnson is and can be, he won't go anywhere if no one is leading the way down the field. Sure enough, he only got 68 yards today. Everyone remembers Emmitt Smith of the Super Bowl Cowboys in the mid-90's, but people forget that his offensive line was probably the best in NFL history. Nothing against Smith, but my grandma could've run backwards on her hands behind that line. I think we're really in trouble unless we get our OT situation fixed.

We were doomed from the outset in this contest. Green fumbled the ball on the very second play of scrimmage, setting the tone. Dante Hall never muffs a kick, but he did today, setting up their first score. And blasted this highly drafted punter-- you can't get off a 29 yard punt from your own 8 and expect one of the best QB's in the league to fail to capitalize.

The one bright spot was that our defense played decently given the holes they were put into. They gave up only one TD drive-- otherwise they effectively shut them down. I might add that backup QB Damon Huard played with some guts off the bench. That solid showing is a bit reassuring in case Green can't make it back for a while. No matter what, we all hope the best for Green whatever happens.

Chiefs Pre-Season Note

The exhibition schedule is in full swing, and for any who happen to come across this site I just want to make a brief note. No comments will be offered here about any of these games because I pay no attention to them. The obvious reason is that they don't count, but I also don't know anything about them because (a) they mostly feature scrubs struggling to make the team, (b) key players get injured and I'd really rather not see that, and (c) I wish to sustain my sports celibacy on its regular basis.

There is good reason for this deliberate and I must say blissful ignorance--for instance today in my LA Times was a huge spread about cheating in sports. One article described what the Bronco linemen did in the 1998 playoff game the Chiefs lost by four points. They put Vasoline all over their jerseys, and all the officials did was try to wipe it all off with towels. If they broke the rules, why were they allowed to continue to play the game? It is funny, as much as I lament that loss, I had just known nothing about this incident. Knowing about it now certainly doesn't make me feel any better, but it does give me good standing upon which to remain blissfully ignorant today. Why deal with that stuff?

Of course I enjoy my team to the extent that I will pay attention to their regular season games, and just for that three hours allow my emotions to bang around in my gut whereever they may go. Yes I will feel abjectly crestfallen after some games, like last year's New York Giants game. I will feel particularly elated after some games, like the clutch Patriots victory.

I will say that all I know about this year's team is that we have a new coach, Herman Edwards, and I hear fine things about him. We drafted a decent QB from Alabama that may have that promise of being developed for I think the first time ever for the Chiefs. And as I walked by the magazine rack, I noted that of the five fantasy football publications, Larry Johnson was on the cover of each and every one of them. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Is there a jinx to that? Or will he actually be as good?

Chiefs 2005 Season - The Spaghetti Western Take

I don't know anything about the Chiefs except what I see and hear during the three hours they play on Sunday. I read no sports page, I watch no sports news, I visit no sports website-- for any sports of anything. So in my year-end assessment, I have no knowledge of draft, trade, or retirement moves, which is not necessarily a good thing, but I also have no conception of what media Monday-morning pundits are saying, and that is necessarily a good thing. I will admit that for this post I did take a peek at the Chiefs roster, only to note how many years certain players have been on the team, because that bit of information is instrumental for my take here.

The Good. Our youth. We have some pretty decent young players that showed tremendous promise this year. Most times Kawika Mitchell and Derrick Johnson were terrific on defense. If they can just learn to tackle all the time they'd be great. It is obvious Jared Allen is a keeper but only if he behaves. Sammy Parker looked helpless out there in the first few games but came around and really shined a number of times. And of course Larry Johnson is nothing less than spectacular. The only real disappointment in the youngins department was punter Dustin Colquitt. When you draft a punter as high as third, you'd better see him make booming punts on at least a semi-regular basis. Really, he barely made it to mediocre, but maybe that's just because he was a rookie. He'll get a few more chances.

The Bad. Our age. Let's face it. We're ancient. Notice how short the "our youth" paragraph was just now? Let's start with the key to our game, the O-line, and it doesn't look pretty. Brian Waters and John Welbourn are mid-career vets, but the others damn-near senior citizens. Get ready to weep. Future Hall-of-Famers Will Shields and Willie Roaf were both playing in their 13th years. Roaf's return to the line sparked a great run for us-- I think we went 5-2 after he came back-- but there were still a couple of times when he got burnt badly. Trent Green is really pushing it at 12 years. Eddie Kennison, 10 years. Tony Gonzalez, 9 years. (As good as these guys are.) Our defensive backfield did fine with the additions of Sammy Knight and Patrick Surtain, but even those guys are getting up there. The only major player on the team who's in the middle of his service, right where he can be great (if he isn't already), is Dante Hall.

The Ugly. Our focus. Look at this team: 10-6. Ten-and-six record for cryin' out loud, and no playoff spot. This has happened to only one other team since 1991 (Miami two years ago). Certainly this was because there were six teams that just had better records in the AFC this year, but the fact is in a couple of those losses, when it came down to being clutch, we beat ourselves. The turning point in the season? That fumble just before the end of the half when we were really taking it to the Cowboys. We were about to go up 21-10, but instead they run the fumble back a long way, and then bop right in for a touchdown and we're down 17-14 just like that. Thing is, we still should have won, up 28-24, when a foolish holding penalty against us on a Cowboy 4th down for what should have been effectively the last play of the game gave them new life to score the go-ahead touchdown. Those kind of mistakes at just the wrong times betrayed what a fine team this was, but also demonstrated that you've got to be on top of it all mentally for the full 60 minutes of gametime. And that non-tackling thing? It's not that we can't tackle. It's that we overpursued and we ran around them and we bounced against them and they zipped on by. This is a problem of focus, not inability. In some ways, that made this season that much more frustrating.

I'd love to have a Dick Vermeil clone coaching us next year, but some part of me felt that too much of the Vermeil tenderness kept these guys from really keeping that focus. Let's hope for someone with the Vermeil heart, but with an added Lombardi boot so some of these guys can get kicked in the butt sometimes.

Bengals at Chiefs - Week 17 - Record: 10-6

Dick Vermeil surely couldn't be more proud of his team in this last game of his five year stint here, a 37-3 trouncing of Cincinnati. With Pittsburgh predictably winning, we're out, and I can't help but think that if we just tackled in the Giants game or we just put away the Cowboys like we should have or held that 17-0 lead against the Eagles, he'd get one more playoff game for us. But the "what if's" don't really bug me-- about half the teams in the NFL could say those same things about any one thing in any one game that could've gone just right for them to get into the post season.

Not too many teams finish with a 10-6 record and don't make the playoffs, and we certainly have reason to be proud. Larry Johnson and our offensive line is phenomenal, and I must say that our linebacking and defensive backfield had pretty decent years. There's a solid foundation for next year. We definitely need help on the D-line and we really really really need to look at developing a quarterback. Trent Green is wonderful, but how much longer can he go? Of course, developing a playoff calibur quarterback of their own-- an absolute requisite for Super Bowl contention, really-- is something we've been wondering for eons if the Chiefs can actually accomplish, since they have never ever done it. Think someone would take half our highest draft picks for the chance to pick Matt Leinart?

As for the new coach, let's hope we get somebody who has mastered the game like no one else and has a passion for his players that gets them to play at that top-flight level that makes it all worth it. Someone like, ohhh, Dick Vermeil. What a joy to have had such an amazing gentleman coach our team for as many years as he did.