Chiefs at Colts - AFC Wild Card Game

Okay, first the good things about this game. Finally, we are now officially, completely, mathematically eliminated. I don't take anything away from the enchantment that was the last day of 2006, it was magical, wonderful, rapturous, all the rest of the superlatives. But knowing what we knew from the 4th quarter of the Browns game on, there was just no way this team was going to go anywhere. So, yeah, no more banging around in our visceras the confusion of whether or not we were actual contenders for a title.

On a more genuinely positive note, I was very pleased with our defense. Quality-wise it wasn't great--it was very good, just not great--Indy stilled gained on us pretty well. But that offense was still Indy's, we actually stuffed them effectively considering it was that offense (the score was just 9-0 at the half!) The best thing about our defense was that they just played with such heart. Could you see that? Seeing the sustained highly energized play of everyone, and knowing we have such dedicated young new players like Tamba Hali out there-- it was fun to watch this in our team.

Now, alas, the bad. And with all due respect to those guys, we lost this game for one reason, and you may know what it was. I'd been speaking about it all year long, in the hushest of tones hoping it wouldn't be as bad as it was, but, ahem, it was. This game exposed it in all its bright, wretched colors.

The offensive line.

No, no, no, it was not Trent Green that was the problem. About half-way into the third quarter the TV camera started regularly showing Damon Huard, as if to say, "When is Edwards going to put Huard in?" Some of us watching the game even got the Huard bug, hoping the coach would make the switch. It was at that point when Green came alive and for three (and only three) glorious minutes at the end of the third quarter, he went 6 for 6 and drove us down for a TD and 2-point conversion.

But that was it. Green would've done fine throughout the game, if he wasn't rushing every play because he knew he'd get clobbered. He had no time to pass, and Larry Johnson had nowhere to run. I can't believe for two seconds we have two pro-bowlers from that line. I'm sure the Will Shields pick was a gimme for a career of greatness, but today he was pathetic, as was the others. It was just a catastrophe.

Hey, don't take my word for it. Here's why: (1) The game: We didn't get our first first down until there was 3 minutes left in the third quarter. That's 42 minutes into the game. (2) Our defense: It just started getting really tired in the second half, and that was solely because they were on the field for so much of the game. (3) The opponent: The Colts didn't just have a poor run defense, they had one of the worst in all of NFL history. How in the world can your top-of-the-league back gain only 32 yards against that? Well, you know...

I should mention that some of that definitely had to have been the coaching. Again, sadly, our game plan went back to being unimaginative. The first play from scrimmage was the ol' "We know you have a bad run defense so we're going to run our best back right into a pile of your guys." They kind of knew that was coming and put their pile of guys right in the place they knew our guy would run.

After the game Edwards blabbed the typically gratuitous "Give 'em credit." Ergh. If he was totally honest he would have said, "Our offensive line stank, and I didn't mix things up enough to take advantage of their weaknesses." That would've told the real story.

A while ago I mentioned that this year seemed a lot like '96. But after looking at things, I realized this year was almost a carbon copy of '94. Remember that year? We started off well going 7-4, then lost three in row late (a couple were abject heartbreakers to Denver and Seattle) to go to 7-7, then had to beat the Raiders in LA to get into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. We then went to Miami and lost there 27-17 in Joe Montana's last game.

This brings up what may be our most harrowing nemesis problem: the old AFC East. Do you know that since the old AFC East was formed in 1970, a year after the Chiefs beat the Jets in the divisional playoff game on their way to the Super Bowl title, we have gone 0-9 against old AFC East teams in the playoffs. Yes, that means any time we faced one of those teams in the playoffs (Bal/Ind, Buf, Mia, NYJ, NE)-- nine times it's happened-- we've lost. Every single time. And in none of those games did we ever face New England! Imagine what that would've been like.

Anyway, here's the sordid record, listed by rating of crestfallen-ness from 1 to 10, 10 being the result brought about the greatest despondency-- to me anyway (though of course all of them were devestating to some degree).

1. 1990 - to the Dolphins. We were up 16-3 in the fourth quarter and Albert Lewis is just a nano-inch away from picking Marino's pass. Instead it goes for a TD and they end up winning 17-16. Rating: 10

2. 1995 - to the Colts. This was pound-for-pound probably the best team the Chiefs ever put on the field, and Steve Bono has a miserable game, Marty Schottenheimer coaches a miserable game, and Lin Elliot misses three gimme FG's. Rating: 10

3. 1971 - to the Dolphins. Jan Stenarud missed three FG's in that infamous long overtime game on Christmas day. Rating: 8 (Not a really high rating because I was still only ten years old, so afterwards I still slept that night)

4. 2003 - to the Colts. We started 9-0 that year, but our defense just continued the slide it started late in the regular season and we just can't keep up with Peyton Manning. Rating: 8

5. 1994 - to the Dolphins. Our very best skill players, Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, and Derrick Thomas each make critical, costly errors. Rating: 7

6. 1986 - to the Jets. Our first playoff game in 15 years, we're just outmatched. Todd Blackledge finally shows he can't be a major league QB. Rating: 6

7. 1993 - to the Bills. Just because we got into the AFC championship game, and were that close. But Joe Montana was knocked out early and it was freezing there-- we were just outplayed. Rating: 5

8. 1991 - to the Bills. The Bills were just a better team. Again, whadder-you gonna do. Rating: 4

9. 2006 - to the Colts. Yesterday's game. Again, that we were there was a bonus. I'd just reveled in us getting there and being in the "Realm of Playoff Existence" for a week. Rating: 4

So there ya go. We continue to have the third longest playoff win drought among all NFL teams. That's hard to believe, but yeah: our last playoff victory was back in '93 when we beat Houston (um, the Oilers, that tells you how long it's been). Every other team but four others have had at least one playoff win since then. (The Bengals [last playoff win in '90] and the Lions ['91] are two, and the new Browns and Texans haven't been in the league that long.)

Where do we go here? The O-line definitely needs something, something major, that's a given. We have to get a new kicker-- alas, the kicking curse came back real fast when our only FG attempt boinked off the upright. Oh joy, that was nice to see yet again.

And the QB situation-- is Trent Green really our guy? If we have to wait for Brodie Croyle to develop, might we think about trying to get a Jake Plummer or Drew Bledsoe for a year or two? Would that work? What do you think?

But hey, I must add another good thing, I just have to say it... our punter is awesome. Really, way to go Dustin Colquitt. Yesterday he was booming punts. Another very positive thing to look forward to.

Thing is, maybe next year we won't need to use him so much if we can get our offense going. It'll be interesting to see what happens-- hopefully Carl Peterson will continue to be a deftly impatient manager and make something happen.