Ahh, hmm. Luck. Wow. Could it be that the Chiefs right now are playing, ahem...
Charmed football?
Yes, I don't think we aren't. But yes, we are doing some fine things off of our talent.
I just want to see some of that talent-coupled-with-charm football to show up in the playoffs.
To wit:
It's fine to say, oh, third-string back doing well -- must be the O-line's doing. But dang. Today we lost Eric Fisher for the game, Mitch Morse for the game, and Jeff Allen for half of it when he went out for a bit but was able to come back in. We had Zach Fulton for cryin' out loud coming in at guard then forced to move to center.
And still Ware rumbled for 100.
Alex Smith is classic example of a half-talent, half-getting-away-with-things-because-of-the-luck. His running is as always a critical part of the Chiefs offensive success. He doesn't make mistakes -- he has the longest active streak of whatevers without an interception. And sometimes he throws beautiful strikes like his touchdown pass to Kelce in this game.
But then... there's the touchdown pass he didn't throw to Kelce, simply because, yes, you got it...
HE DITCHES HIS PROGRESSIONS TOO SOON.
Early in the fourth quarter with a chance to put the game out of reach, Smith had Kelce open down the middle of the field close to the end zone. And, excuse me, but Kelce was WIIIDE OPEN. I think the nearest Bills defender was in Overland Park. But Smith just didn't wait that 0.4 seconds more to see it and fire it down there.
He started running.
That running thing. Great, awesome, fantastic -- but it only works if he's making those passes. Otherwise he's just Steve Pelluer. Now Smith does make those passes, he does. But ergck, it'd be nice if he did it just a liiitle bit more. Another pass to a step-ahead Chris Conley at the goal line was overthrown.
The Chiefs got a lot of help from the Bills in this game, so yeah, cynical me, we lucked out big-time because of the things about the Bills themselves that made this win happen. The Bills already have a fine defense, but they were still without Mario Williams. They also had a bunch of penalties that didn't help them -- a graphic in the game showed they do commit a lot of penalties. Thanks Bills.
The coaching staff of the Bills gave the Chiefs a big boost, too, by refusing to challenge two plays they would've won. They did challenge two plays that were confirmed in our favor, so overall they were really crappy in that area. Thanks for that too, Bills.
There was another very good thing for us, but also another very bad thing that needs mentioning.
Let's do bad thing first. Justin Houston. Knee injury. The early word is that it is a hyperextension and may not be a big deal. Let's really really really hope it isn't. It was so obvious that Frank Zombo is not Justin Houston. Remember when we lost Houston for a lot of games late in the 2013 season? That really cost us.
That other really good thing? Ahhh, I like mentioning this, I really do. You'll get really warm good-feeling fuzzies when I mention him, you will. Just savoring it right now.
Really. How much are your insides jumping up and down knowing we have this guy catching passes for us? He was terrific today, snatching everything around him, one of which was a really nice, smooth, deep touchdown pass reception. You were certainly thinking what I was thinking, I know it:
Didn't have that once last year -- not a single wide receiver touchdown catch.
Ahhh, we get to have a few of these this year with that guy out there.
I have to add one more thing about the Chiefs that was very nice.
The adjustments.
Got to hand it to the coaching staff. The Chiefs started flat on both sides of the ball, even going down 10-0 to the Bills early. They were being pushed all over the place in the trenches, and it was very ugly.
But they adjusted.
The Bills terrific receiver Sammy Watkins ate us up in the first half, but in the second -- I don't know what the Chiefs did, skill, luck, what -- but Sean Smith was better able to bottle him up in the second half. Without Watkins as a weapon our defense could key on other things the Bills were doing. This enabled us to control the tempo and pull out the win.
And that kept that silly offsides on a Bills punt mid-3rd-quarter from hurting us. I mean, how apoplectic can a mancave full of Chiefs fans get? That was us when the Bills were given new life and got a touchdown as a result. Thing is, our newly revitalized defense was able to hold after that.
So yeah, talent and luck. I imagine every team needs both to win.
And ya know something interesting? Just something to point out. I know I risk jinxing everything, but then, that's the way it always is, so what of it. I mean, we'll lose eventually, some time, some game. But hey, could be a charm thing that favors us -- why not? I've always spoken of that time when the curse will finally not kill us -- that time when we win some clutch games because we're clutch, when we win a playoff game finally because we've truly got got-it.
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| Wembley Stadium, London, November 1, 2015 |
Since that game, both the Chiefs and Lions have not lost a game. Since they entered Wembley stadium the Chiefs have gone 4-0, and the Lions have run the table except for their loss to the Chiefs in that game. The Lions even miraculously won a game against the Packers at Lambeau, where they hadn't won since 1991.
Yeah, I know, luck is a bitch -- okay, don't we Chiefs fans know it.
That doesn't mean we can't have fun enjoying our team right now, enjoying the hope we have to get into the playoffs and get that win, those wins, there. For now we can enjoy holding on to that final playoff spot, knowing that we control our destiny. I'm great with that right now.
Let's see if our smarts and talent can get us the distance no matter what luck does.
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