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...
_
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
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?
_
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?
_
Monday, November 18, 2013
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.
_
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.
_
Monday, November 11, 2013
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?
_
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?
_
Sunday, November 03, 2013
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.
_
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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