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

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

Courtesy ESPN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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