Packers at Chiefs - Week 9 - Record: 4-4

What is it with this AFC West? We lose and we're still in first place. Over in Minnesota Adrian Peterson runs all over San Diego-- despite (and I just have to mention it here, if you didn't see it--I just happen to catch it for the moment I had the TV on the other channel) the Chargers kick-return guy snatching a missed long FG from just under the cross bar and running it back all the way for a touchdown. And over in Detroit the Broncos were getting thoroughly pasted a week after Brett Favre did them in-- at least we're not the only ones.

With this game, we just got beat by one of the best QB's in NFL history. Late in the game the guy throws the ball deep off his back foot and he still gets it to his guy. I just don't think our D-backfield really knew what they were up against-- their receivers looked like antelope just roaming the wide open range out there.

Don't know what the status is on Larry Johnson, but (a) let's hope the ankle sprain is not so bad that it'll keep him out long, and (b) it just seems encouraging to have Priest Holmes there to spell him if he does miss some. We just have to see how much the early-2000's Holmes is in the 2007 version.

There is just another consideration too that may sound fatalistic, but I'm just thinking realistically. If Johnson is out for any extended period of time, no big, because that'll buy him some time, save him some wear and tear for a couple years or so down the road when we'll have a chance to be very good.

Come on, how many Chiefs fans right now are really going, "Woo-hoo! Four-and-four! Four-and-four! First place babeee!" I, for one, am so looking forward to the next draft when there will be a truckload of good O-linemen and QB's coming out. This team does have the foundation with Herm Edwards and a young enthusiastic defense, but we gotta have a top-class QB and some offensive linemen who fire off the line.

One other note that I just have to make. Did you catch this? Early on, our guy rushes the QB and barely slaps him on the head and gets a personal foul penalty keeping a drive alive after they had 3rd and long. They go on to get a FG, which, in this one, could have been the difference. A bit later their D-guy comes up the gut and pummels Damon Huard, full helmet to the head. No call. Of course, Huard doesn't complete the pass on a drive where we get squat. I rarely ever mention ref calls because they even out and yah gotta win yourself and all the rest of it. But this discrepancy was just too blatant.

So the great thing about this game was the play of Tony Gonzalez and the knowledge that we have a grip of draft picks coming up for the off-season!