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

I never do my blog during a game. Well, not never, but rarely. But I'm starting this here in the 1st quarter, because, well, I have work early tomorrow. And I will preface all this with this: I will never give up on my team, ever. There is still lots of time left for the malevolent forces of the universe to be turned back for once and the Chiefs to overcome the curse once and for all. Maybe it will happen here in the 2nd quarter of this game. I hope. I always do, no matter what. But for now...

The Horse Curse is alive and well.

I did actually think we'd do well in this game. I actually thought we'd have a chance, that we'd have to beat an aging Peyton Manning sometime, that a banged up Broncos team would give us a little bit more of an edge.

Not.

Right now we're down 14-0, and it hasn't even been that close. Two three-&-outs for us, two slices right through our melted butter defense for them. We have an agile, mobile, smart quarterback who hasn't done squat. They have a quarterback who can't move an inch with his legs, but completes passes at will. Whoever Peyton Manning is against everyone else, he's twenty times as good against us. Third-and-long? He's just toying with us.

Thing is, this has less to do with Smith vs. Manning as it does with their O-line vs. ours. Their O-line is sharp, strong, and beating the tar out of us. They have a third-string running back in there who's running up and down the field, and it's because they're executing with an O-line that is, well, it is obvious. Let's give them their due.

It is also their wide receivers vs. ours. Don't laugh now, but the distinction is somewhat comical. Sure, we don't throw the ball, and it's not just because our pass protection is for crap tonight, but because our receivers just aren't up to the quality of Denver's, by light years. I hope and hope and hope and hope we can still be meaningful on the pro football field this year without wide receivers even remotely close to Denver's -- I hope and hope and hope...

Oh, and yeah, make that now three three-&-outs. Denver's resumed carving up the leftover turkey. The 2nd quarter has just started.

What happened to this team that beat New England and Seattle? Was it because those teams just had really down efforts those games to give us the terribly false impression that the Chiefs were anything? We looked very poor against the Raiders and I actually thought we'd step it up this time, make those corrections, play well and, yeah, even win this one. Show the league that we're for real.

But damn.

In fact, I noticed today the Raiders lost 52-0 to the Rams, who we also hammered. That's very scary. The Raiders beat us, but then they get utterly blasted today. Were we that bad against this woeful Raiders team?

Well here, we're not just bad but stupid. The Broncos just ran a fake punt for a first down. How do we let that happen? We missed a tackle there also, and really, we've been missing tackles all night.

They keep showing us that they've got this special "six-linemen" set. It works because we simply can't play eight guys up to defend the run, because Manning and his receivers are so good.

Thing is, the Broncos being banged up? Sorry, but it is really hard for us to get it done without Derrick Johnson, Mike Devito, Larry Allen, Eric Berry, and a host of other good players we have out for the season. Yes, all teams have their injuries, which says something else. The Broncos are just really good at getting the most from the players they have. As great as it is to have Andy Reid and his coaching staff, they just look completely overmatched by this team.

The Horse Curse is a mean mnnkin nfnkkll...

Ahh, just looking forward to the day when we can beat the Broncos with a team that's good enough to be destined for authentic Super Bowl contention. Yeah, it happened all the time in the '60's. Guess we're being punished for that now -- in the AFL's early years I think we went 25-2 against Denver head-to-head, go ahead and look it up, it's something like that. Now I'm pretty sure Denver has caught up to us, at least close to us -- through the awful Kansas City '70's, the strong Denver '80's, we did play Denver okay in the 90's, but since then it's still been pretty much all Denver...

::Sigh::

But then, I have faith.

Some day that curse will end. It will.

Oh, we got a first down! Awright! And right after that Jamaal got positive yardage! Awright!!!

And wow! Jamaal gets a clutch 4th down run! Then a long pass to Kelce, then a touchdown pass to Fasano! Yaaay! We do have a couple of decent tight ends! Coo-ell!

Second half starts, and YES. Houston gets to Manning and forces the fumble deep in Broncos territory. In fact the color guy announcing says what we've all been thinking when facing Manning, if we can just get to him after he waits that one more second, we'll stop him.

And now, derrck. On third down Smith does his awkward throw to Bowe who awkwardly tries to catch it, with predictable results. This just isn't Manning to Thomas. It just isn't.

By the way, just looking here at that Broncos-Chiefs head-to-head history. Know that great Thanksgiving night win we had against Denver in 2006? Just a few weeks before Lamar Hunt passed away? That inaugural NFL Network game we won 19-10? It was a terrific win, one we needed and helped us later get into the playoffs by virtue of that miraculous New Year's Eve course of events.

That win was four victories over Denver ago. Just four. Since 2006. We've beaten Denver only four times since that game. Denver's already beaten us five straight times since we last beat them at the end of the 2011 season. Errrgh...

So yeah, it's now 20-10, not an insurmountable lead, but damn. We just can't keep them from getting 1st downs. Their O-line is just killing us. We're still not tackling.

Still hoping still hoping still hoping...

Urgg. After we stop them, they get an interception off a batted ball high in the air, deep in our territory. That's nice. We get a nice turnover early on, but they get one back here. Unlike those fine Chiefs teams of, say, the '90's, we are not being helped by the turnover this year. We stink at that. But then, I never want to rely on that. Turnovers are nice, but we've got to be good. We just need to be better than the other team.

But you know? Our pass defense has actually been doing a pretty decent job here against Manning. 'Course it's now 3rd-&-eight, sooo... Hmm! Manning misfires, and they have to go for the FG. Okaaay...

But, grahhh... what's with that. Alex Smith does a play action thing on 3rd down at midfield and the Broncos just stuff it. I mean that play wasn't even funny. It looks as if they know what we're doing. That curse is gruesome, it just makes it so the opponent's players have this extra sense. Figures.

Now we've lost Allen Bailey. But then, great play on a third down play by Phillip Gaines. We're doing okay with our pass defense against Manning, we really are.

Buuutttttt, what am I thinking. On another punt play by them, one of our guys accidentally, barely touches the punt down the field so the Broncos get it again deep in our territory. Ahem, curse. What am I thinking.

Damn it I'm sick of this crap.

Sometime it's going to end. Sometime it's going to end. Sometime it's going to end. I just know it...

Now it's the 4th quarter, when we've been pretty beast this year. Time for the fine comeback. I'm up for it. Smith's just completed two fine passes. We're down 26-10 but there's time.

Hoping hoping hoping...

Avent, then Kelce, now Bowe. My wife just said, "We should've been playing like this since the beginning..." What a crack-up. Now Smith runs for a 1st down... Oh, and that's nice, Von Miller just barrels into the back of Smith with his helmet to get the personal foul call. That's nice.

Oh yeah, take that. Smith comes back to throw a touchdown pass to Jamaal who stays on his feet to shoot into the endzone. 26-16. Still lots of time. Our pass defense has been doing well against Manning and his receivers, can we keep it up?

Nah. We still can't stop their run. They're back to carving us up. They've run for 200 yards, so, yeah, not having Johnson, Devito, and Berry is bad, very bad. Their O-line is still playing well. Oh well. And ya know, even though we are doing okay against Manning's passing game, we're still not getting picks. We have just got to intercept a ball here and there.

And Conner Barth kicks another FG. That's nice, another former Chief, just like Succop kicking a bunch of FG's against us in that first game against the Titans. That's nice. That's just like the curse, just like it.

And more curse: sure we're down by too much, but a blatant Denver pass interference isn't called, then we get a penalty against us for delay of game. Can't say the refs aren't a nifty part of the curse.

And a nice pass to Avent, then Avery, then the completely gratuitous fumble, and... yeah.

Nckkkgk. That's it. Done deal.

As it is, we'll just have to hope for another 2006, the way this is looking. We're suddenly at 7-5, seemingly out of it, really not as good as we should be, umm... What else?

Amazingly they just showed the latest playoff qualification picture. We're still in the mix with a bunch of other 7-5 teams. Maybe we'll win a couple more games and get into the playoffs, maybe. We still have to face Arizona, Pittsburgh, and a phenomenally clutch San Diego who as you know is a vibrant part of the Horse Curse. Whew.

So, yeah. It'll end some day.

Maybe...

Just maybe...

It'll end soon.
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Eric Berry and the Chiefs Twilight Zone

Last night we went to see the most recent rendition of Twilight Zone cinema, Interstellar. Thing is, just an hour before the film started we arrived to meet up with one of my sons at the theater, upon which he told me and my other son the just-breaking news: Eric Berry has cancer.

Now, before I go any further, the overwhelming concern for Eric Berry is light-years above anything football or Chiefs. We are praying for him and for his healing, for his family and for the medical personnel, and for Eric's strength of which we know he has a great abundance. Eric, just Eric, is the one in our thoughts and prayers.

But the fact is, I only know Berry though my appreciation of the Chiefs. I don't know him personally, I don't have to know him personally to care about him as a Chiefs player, and as such I look at things in terms of the Chiefs. Again, I'd like Eric Berry to be extraordinarily healthy and successful at whatever he does even if he had nothing to do with the Chiefs, but because he's on the Chiefs his success and Chiefs success are in many ways one in the same.

This is where I just think about our Chiefs.

Yes, as you know if you've been reading this blog, I tend to be very intense and think of things in terms of great magnificent events and eventualities. I fastidiously try to figure out everything and try to get at what's going on with everything, and because I'm a passionate Chiefs fan, I'm always thinking about what this Chiefs thing is and what that Chiefs thing is and what this other Chiefs thing is, really, truly, actually. If you think this type of analysis is overblown or melodramatic or even rabidly obtuse, I can understand, I can.

With that in mind, you can probably figure where this is going.

What in the world is going on with the Chiefs and their tragic history?

I know I know, lots of pro football players have nasty injuries and terrible misfortunes. Every team has their own history of bad shit happening to players and all that, Yes, I know, at least the Chiefs have a Super Bowl trophy in their glass cabinet -- the Lions Browns Bills Chargers Eagles Falcons Vikings Jaguars Panthers Bengals Cardinals Titans Texans still don't have one. I know I know I know...

But damn.

The crappy things that happen to too many of the Chiefs players just seem to be so... I don't know, so... crappy.

What is the litany now? Stone Johnson Mack Lee Hill Joe Delaney Derrick Thomas Jovan Belcher... I'm probably forgetting some. Yes I know Eric Berry is alive and battling this and I know he'll beat it, I know. It's just that when I hear these things I go, what is the deal with the Chiefs?

Are we just not supposed to do well?

There is an old Twilight Zone episode that just makes me think about this. Three astronauts are in a hospital room, one of whom is lying in a bed recovering from something that happened on their spacecraft's re-entry. One of them is starting to freak out, convinced that all of what they're experiencing at the moment should not be happening, that somehow, someway, they all should've died. As the episode proceeds, each of the three astronauts "disappears" with no one believing they even existed at all.

It is a very weird, very odd, and yes, very creepy story.

Sorry, but I think of this whenever I think of the Chiefs.

We did win that Super Bowl on January 11, 1970, and deservedly so.

But damn, are we damned to never be successful ever again? Did it have something to do with Otis Taylor probably stepping out-of-bounds as he caught that pass from Len Dawson throwing from the end zone that got them a key 1st down in the 1969 AFL championship game against the Raiders? Thing is even if the officials rule the pass incomplete, that doesn't mean the Raiders should instantly assume they'd have done anything with that 4th down after that. Yeah, I hear Raiders fans say that would've shifted the game in the Raiders favor and all that. Hey, Raiders fan, remember, the Chiefs still won 17-7.

My point is, was there some crazy hex put on us because of something that happened that shouldn't have happened in some supernatural sense? Or something that did happen that shouldn't have? I've called it the Curse of Odin. Vikings, Raiders, something else, I dunno... But I do know this: Look at our postseason efforts since then. Abysmal. Look at much of our regular season efforts, except for the 90's and what could be a Chiefs renaissance right now -- also pretty abominable. Look at our drafted and developed quarterback situation, I've gone bananas detailing that and all the commensurate horror associated with it. I'm about to do the same with our wide receivers history. It appears very, very ugly.

Our draft classes as a whole? Most of them... ::Whimper:: Now to be fair, some of our recent draft classes have been pretty damn good actually. On the other hand, I've made special mention of the awful 2009 draft class. Well, you know who the only player we have that made the 2010 class anything worth a darn? Yeah...

Eric Berry.

Otherwise that one was pretty crappy too.*

You just can't be Super Bowl contending quality footballers when that is happening, you just can't.

I think the Chiefs will play inspired football Sunday, a lot because of Eric Berry. I also think they have enough talent and coaching to beat the Broncos, I really do.

But it just takes so much to beat that nfnking curse, I'm telling you.

By the way, as I said, we saw Interstellar, and it was fun, engaging, though there was the terrible issue of the time continuum paradox, which the movie couldn't resolve -- most movies can't. Kind of annoying.

It made me think of one thing related to that, and that was how the future humans could use their knowledge of multiple dimensions to allow present humans to rescue mankind from environmentally oriented destruction. One thing they did was put a wormhole in space so they could travel to other worlds to find good ones to populate.

Now, here's my question. If they could mess with dimensions of space and time, why didn't they just put the wormhole right outside the front door, here, on planet earth? Why put it way out next to Saturn? Derrr...

Well, yeah, the obvious answer is, there wouldn't be a movie, would there? Yeah, yeah, smart-aleck.

But the main reason is this.

If God made it so we just had everything, instantly, and we didn't have to lift a finger to do stuff --

How boring would life be?

It's why we compete in things like football games, and why we join up with other fans to root for our boys out there battling and battling.

It may also be why Eric Berry has this thing. I'm not saying cancer is anything good at all. I do struggle with the idea that hardships have to be in our lives so we can overcome them, I do, don't get me wrong.

But then...

Eric is going to battle now like he's never battled before, and whatever Chiefs are involved or anything, that's the part that makes him stronger and wiser and better, no matter what happens. And hey, we can pray like crazy for him too. That's a good thing. 

And maybe that's the good thing God wants the most insane Chiefs fans to get in all this. Yeah we want wins. Wins wins wins wins wins. Maybe even a playoff win. Ahh, a playoff win...

But maybe being best is about a lot of other things -- way more important things than we can ever know. Maybe we're supposed to know that.

Maybe that's what we're supposed to do well with.
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*To be fair, that class had Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas, Jon Asamoah, and Tony Moeaki, all good players at one time for the Chiefs. Thing is now they're all gone, so that 2010 class for the Chiefs at this time is pretty meaningless, except of course for Eric.
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Chiefs at Raiders - Week 12 - Record: 7-4

Gotta give the Raiders credit. Fine work today. They deserved to win. It is good to see a team that has played as hard as they have with the heart they have finally win a game in a season that has been a nightmare for them so far. I remember how that feels. Remember the horror of our 2012? No one should ever have to endure that, not even the Raiders and their fans.

Funny, 30 years ago, 1984, the Chiefs faced an 0-10 Oilers team -- and lost. That's nice.

I had no illusions about what could, and did, happen in this game. The Raiders are an NFL football team. The Raiders have been playing decent football in their games, most of them close affairs. Any NFL team can win on any given Sunday. The Broncos had a pathetic game on Sunday and we all thought, "Woo-hoo we're ready to take over the world!", but you know, the Chiefs aren't immune to not-so-great games either.

The Raiders had a bit of a wilting there in the middle of the second half and it looked like we'd actually take this game. But they came alive again, and in the 4th quarter did what they needed to win.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs. How many blown plays did we have? Off the top of my head, Husain Abdullah not making that interception late hurt us. That would've stopped that game-winning Raiders drive. In fact, how many interceptions did we drop today? A few. Yeah, coming in we had the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, but yeah, we kind of sucked today, and yeah, I saw a stat right after the Abdullah fail-to-pick that the Chiefs really suck at interceptions. Umm, No. 1 pass defense? But yeah, when you think about it, when have the Chiefs intercepted a pass? Hardly ever. It was never as ruthlessly costly as it was today. We had our chances.

As it is, I could remark about this Chiefs blap or that Chiefs blap, eh, whatever. We showed we could do some things with our passing to our receivers, but not a lot. I'm still very concerned. We got untracked with our usual 4th quarter push, but today our 1st to 3rd quarter game was pathetic. Yeah, it was raining, but when we're that far behind (14-0 score) we absolutely have to have a passing game.

Will this game get us untracked to know that nothing is a given? Yeah, that'd be nice, that we really step it up against Denver, that'll do it.

But then, does this reveal that we are not as good as our record? Damn, we not only have Denver next, but we also have Arizona (9-1 record) and Pittsburgh (with an unconscious Ben Roethlisberger at QB) coming up on the road.

We'll just have to see if we're for real.

Everybody has a poor game.

But will we get back up and be for real?

We'll have to see, that's what it is all about.

It only counts if it is for real.
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Seahawks at Chiefs - Week 11 - Record: 7-3

This team comes through big-time clutch again.

A back-and-forth affair the Chiefs worked their ay-snnns off to win. This Seattle team was as good as advertised, the Super Bowl champions still with many of their key guys workin' us over in this one. Their running game immense, their D still stout as ever. But in the end, the grinding Chiefs took it.

We started with two very nice drives, one a long one another a short one, both ending with touchdowns (Jamaal TD runs, what else?) Then it started to get dicey. The Chiefs actually could've done more to put this one away early but two fumbles on two possessions in the middle of the game really hurt us. The Seahawks actually went ahead early in the 3rd quarter with a touchdown pass to -- OUCH -- former Chiefs tight end Tony Moeaki.

Also nerve-wracking was Russell Wilson's running. Where was Eric Berry or someone to shadow that guy? He seemed to wiggle his way out of every pocket collapse, and scamper for far too much yardage. The good thing was that Wilson's passing accuracy was just not fully there today.

But then, damn, this pass defense. Who'd've thought these guys would be so smothering? No Brandon Flowers, no Eric Berry for much of the season -- the guys we have out there are Ron Harper, Kurt Coleman, Husain Abdullah, Phillip Gaines... Who are these guys? Good thing Berry is back, and there is veteran Sean Smith playing big. Whoever they are, they work to make this team the one with the best pass defense in the NFL. Whuhh? Yeah, how about that.

Thing is, as I look at this pass defense, these guys are really all over those receivers. Know how in years before the other team's receivers would get great separation on us? How annoying. Meanwhile this year, our guys are a rancidly wet blanket on their guys. That game against the Broncos, second game of the year, the one we lost by only a touchdown? I see that as a key game, because we learned how to blow up the opposing offense's pick and misdirection routes. Our D-backs are very good at helping one another out, no receiver getting too untracked to make any destructively big play. We do get a little soft sometimes -- we gave up two receiving touchdowns, but that was it.

And it helps with our run defense being beast too, yet again another day without allowing a rushing score. Twice close to the goal line Seattle sent Marshawn Lynch into the line, and we stopped him both times. Twice Seattle had a fourth and very short, and we stopped them both times, the last one late in the game when our D-line stood them up.

Our play was terrific in the trenches, and it is a cliche, I know -- this is where football games are won. On offense Jamaal got untracked with the help of that O-line. But you have to give a heads-up to Alex Smith, who I'm watching a bit more closely and realizing how slick he is off the snap. He beautifully ran that quasi-option pitch to Jamaal for that one-yard touchdown run.

And one more shout out, this to the special teams. First we had great runbacks, two of them from Davis and Thomas, each one preceding the two costly fumbles from Jamaal and Travis Kelce. Secondly, when we had 4th down with three minutes left holding that four point lead, we really needed to pin the Seahawks deep. Sure enough, there was the great punt by Colquitt, and as the ball headed into the endzone, there was Junior Hemingway to leap at the ball, grab it, and toss it back for Albert Wilson to bat it down keeping it from being a touchback.

Seahawks ball at their four. Bah-bam. What a play.

And it was those receivers who made the play.

They weren't out there actually catching the ball. Did you know of our pure wide receivers, meaning not tight ends or scatbacks (namely De'Anthony Thomas), only Dwayne Bowe had any catches. And even then, only a couple. And still none of them touchdowns. And we still didn't have Donnie Avery. And A.J. Jenkins was out injured. I mean, did any wideouts besides Bowe even line up today? Weird: our D doesn't allow a rushing touchdown, still, but our O can't get a wide receiver to score. Still.

But then, I wonder...

I keep hearing -- of the little I do hear about -- I keep hearing about the job Andy Reid is doing. Because our running game is so efficient, because Alex Smith is so smooth out there with the short passing game, because we can play grind-it football so well...

Is that such a big deal?

Is Andy Reid doing such a fine job that he doesn't even have to worry about a wide receiver game?

That question just scares me. Yes, I'd love for it to be true. I'd love for us to find that splendid wide receiver package when we need it, but for now we're doing fine. But... what about when we really need those receivers to show up? I'd love for that to happen. Are they for real and just being kept in Reid's back pocket for now? Hmm. I'm just not sure.

For now, Reid is proficiently leading a squad deftly executing well at every other facet of the game.

I can go for being 7-3 and now tied with Denver for the top spot in the AFC West.

I can go for that.
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Chiefs at Bills - Week 10 - Record: 6-3

Know how cursed we are in the playoffs? Year after year after year after year we're in the playoffs, everything that can go against us, does go against us.

But I have to say after watching this one, there are those times during the regular season when we are the ones who are charmed. This game was definitely one of those games.

Really, we had no business winning this game. The Bills just looked better, played better, looked sharper, played with more skill and athleticism. We bent and bent and bent on defense, and we slogged and slogged and slogged on offense.

We're No. 1 in pass defense in the entire NFL? It looked like Sammy Watkins could've had his way with us if he wanted. We have the fewest penalties in the NFL? I think I'd heard an announcer say that -- that's amazing if you ask me. Our D has still not allowed a rushing touchdown? Bryce Brown was on his way until a wonderfully opportune strip by Ron Harper. We have very few turnovers? Knile Davis had a fumble that was really more their D stripping it, but still. We average 25 points a game? Are you serious? We had only three by the end of the 3rd.

I also heard that we have allowed the fewest 4th quarter points in the NFL, and that is one stat where our team clearly excels. Today they allowed zero, and Ron Harper was the man of the quarter. The Bills had the ball deep in Chiefs territory with lots of time left, and a 1st and 10. Harper batted down three passes in the series, twice while covering Watkins. The first of those was his best play, almost intercepting a perfect pass from their QB Kyle Orton in the end zone.

Meanwhile, Alex Smith is driving me crazy. If you recorded the audio in our mancave from 10:00 am to 1:15 pm Pacific Standard Time, here is what you would've heard.

"Throw the ball." "Throw the ball." "Throw the ball." "Throw the ball." "Throw the ball." "Throw the football." "Throw the damn ball." "Throw the ball." "Throw the nfnking ball." "THROW - THE - FOOTBALL." (That last one accompanied by the standard thrashing body-writhing on the couch.)

I think Smith was sacked 57 times today, maybe 58. And I honestly would say that only about a third of those was because the O-line just couldn't hold it. No, I really think the reason he's not throwing the ball is that one thing that is still driving me crazy crazy crazy.

Our receivers.

Every time Smith doesn't unload when he just dang-well does have enough time to get a pass off, I wonder. Is it just that our receivers are just not getting untracked? I know, you may be wondering why I'm complaining -- Smith was still 17 of 29. And Dwayne Bowe made some fine catches running some terrific routes. There was even one long pass play down the middle of the field to a wide-open A.J. Jenkins -- that was nice to see.

Or... hrmphh... could it be that Smith just cannot throw the accurate ball as often as he must?

Really -- what do you think?

This is why Smith drives me crazy.

Happy as happy can be: Smith runs for the late go-ahead touchdown on a read-option, even plowing into a defender at the end zone.

Head-shaking dejection: Smith actually attempts a deep throw and badly misses a step-ahead Jenkins.

Happy as happiness of all happinesses: Smith improvises, keeps his head in the game, then whips that clutch pass to someone like Travis Kelce as he did to get that key first down very late in the game.

Head-shaking-off-my-neck from the dejection: Smith just flat-out doesn't fire that precise pass to that receiver precisely running that precision route that a precise pass requires... and then he goes down.

They showed us all that Smith had a 66-point-something passer rating at the end of the 3rd quarter. Just so you know, that stinks, and they said as much. Then he went off and led a fine 4th quarter Chiefs effort. Whaddya do with that.

Yeah, I know. We're 6-3. We've won four straight with a decent combination of skill and guts. We got the job done. Luck doesn't come without the requisite preparation and continued tough play. I can only think of that tackle by Albert Wilson plowing into the punt returner leading to the fumble and recovery that set up the critical final touchdown.

And not enough can be said about Andy Reid and his coaching staff and the job they've done. You can see it in their playcalling, you can see it in their adjustments, you can see it in how they keep this team fired up for every play. I mean, talk about big-time Chiefs highlights: the call on 4th-and-1, the pitch to Jamaal he goes on to take to the house. I mean.

We're in good shape for Seattle next week, a very tough game no matter how many keep saying "Eh, Seattle's not the same team as they were last year." Yeah, right.
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Jets at Chiefs - Week 9 - Record: 5-3

What a weird team this is.

We have this terrific running game, but we have no touchdowns by receivers. We're last in all receiver categories, fewest yards, zero touchdowns, that kind of thing -- yet we're winning games without them, and a lot of that is because of our tremendously resourceful quarterback and a pair of bruising tight ends. Fasano and Kelce each scored a touchdown today, the former with the help of a batted pass that ridiculously landed in his hands while laid out on the goal line.

Then there's our defense. We haven't allowed a rushing touchdown all season, the only team in the NFL with that distinction. Yet the Jets' Chris Johnson ran all over us today. Now the Jets are not world beaters, and the Chiefs may have been doing a bit more toying with them than bending a bit too much. But then on today's broadcast I also heard, at least I think I heard, that we had the No. 1 pass defense in the league. Are you kidding me? Today Percy Harvin caught everything and seemed to run for miles on us. But then again, we got Eric Berry back today, and there was that game a few weeks ago when we did mess with Peyton Manning enough to keep the Broncos to only three points in the second half.

Since that Denver game we're 5-1, but it looks like we are getting a lot of breaks. But then, is this team authentically making things happen the way they want them to happen so those breaks fall our way? I can't think that they aren't, the Chiefs have got fine talent in a number of areas.

But just as much I wonder how long we're going to go before our deficiencies hurt us big, I mean, we beat a struggling team today at home only 24-10. Was this because we let up a lot or just couldn't put them away like we should have?

Eh, this is just NFL football. It really is just that.

Weird too that we are dominating the AFC East this year. It was the total opposite three years ago when we faced all four teams through the season and were outscored in all something like 417-3. This year we hammered what has still showed itself to be a terrific Patriots team, we strangled the Dolphins at their place for our first win and it was actually pretty convincing, and we took out the Jets today. Next week we're in Buffalo, and we all have very painful memories of our recent meetings with them. I mean, last year we barely beat a third-string Bills quarterback who gave us a gift 100-yard pick-six.

Wonder if we'll be looking ahead for that Seahawks game two weeks from today?

At the beginning of this season I thought there were good reasons we could be 16-0, and others that portended an 0-16 team. Here we are at the halfway point and we're 5-3, blistering good teams and waddling about with poorer teams.

Weird.

But, well, NFL football you know...
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