I will also add that in my final final remarks on the year, I am planning to post my own "Ten Most Memorable Chiefs Seasons" sometime within the week, looking at perhaps Saturday for that. And yes, the 2015 season is in there somewhere. Where do you think it should be? Visit me again soon to find out.
As for Saturday's affair, five things seem to be most prominent in Chiefs people's minds right now, and I'd like to touch on them. Actually, there're four that are on the minds of most, the fifth is one I don't see mentioned very much but I'd say there are a few who think about it a bit.
Please know that I looked at nothing about anything about the game once it was done. I read nothing, I heard nothing, I saw no postgame coverage from anywhere anyhow anyway. It is always too painful. If there is something of exceptional nature to look at, I will go ahead and find out what the story was with that. With that in mind my disclaimer is that if I say something here without knowing some important element that made things that way, please forgive me. I'm just looking purely at what I saw out on the field there on game day. This is the "Chiefs Game Today."
I do confess there was one exception to my Chiefs post-playoff game blackout, and that was that I did deliberately look at what happened with Justin Houston. That will be addressed in the appropriate item below.
Otherwise, I know nothing except what I think Chiefs people would right now be commiserating heavily about. Here're my five most significant takeaways.
One. Did Dezman Moses destroy our chances with the roughing the passer penalty? I agree this was a downright rotten incident that did not help our cause, I agree. But it was one play. The real issue that cost us will be addressed momentarily. If Moses' penalty was that critical, then the Chiefs leadership is also at fault for making sure our guys don't commit penalties like that. I must say it again, it is about the culture.
You can look no further than the Patriots to see how that all works, and how all that makes a team wildly successful. In fact, the Patriots are so good at it that they're accused of spying and deflating balls and all the rest of it. I do think Brady and Belichick should've been suspended for "Deflategate," but look at all that happened.
They are so good at working it that they got away with it.
I'm not saying it's right. I'm not saying they have the nicest kindest culture. I'm not saying it is okay to be a team of cheaters or anything like that.
I am saying that the Patriots are damn good with doing what it takes to win football games. I am saying that, like it or not, the Patriots are experts at pushing the envelope, and yes, perhaps even coming thaaat close to it all being criminal in some way. I'm not saying in any way that the Patriots are baaad people, indeed I am saying the Patriots are very good and work very hard to get their wins -- they did deserve to win today because they do what they do so well.
I have to tell you, I used to play city-league basketball when my knees held up. I would get so frustrated when the teams that won would do all kinds of nasty things -- fouls called against us that weren't, fouls not called for us that were -- but you know? It was the team's aura of invincibility that carried the day. The Patriots have that in spades, and have through the long Brady-Belichick era.
Should the Chiefs all learn to be mean ugly bastards so they can have things their way? No, but they do have to learn to carry themselves as if they know -- and please, I mean know -- they're going to win the game.
The Patriots had their own roughing the passer penalty that wasn't called. I know exactly why. It is, again, because they're experts at doing the things they need to do right up to the point when it is counterproductive. Sure they sometimes get penalties when they go past the line, sure. But they're so good at the craft that they can get away with it enough, and they make it so they have no more bad things happen than needed to get them where they need to be.
Here's to hoping the Chiefs soaked up all of that Patriots' Way in Saturday and have started working on it themselves.
Two. Did Knile Davis destroy our chances when he fumbled? Sure it was not good to have a turnover. But to Knile's credit, it was not a bad fumble, fumble-wise. He wasn't careless. He didn't just drop it -- much like Jamaal Charles did at the end of that second game of the season allowing Denver to pick it up and run it in for the game-winning touchdown. Here Davis was hammered by a Patriots defender in a vulnerable place for any ballcarrier while he was an inch from being down. It was just one of those unlucky turnovers that went against us.
Otherwise Davis played great. He ran exceptionally well considering Ware didn't play at all and West seemed to be getting banged up as the game wore on. The real question is, why do these kinds of unfortunate things always happen to the Chiefs in their playoff games, not to the other team? More on that in a minute.
But remember, everyone may pile on Davis for the fumble, but the thing that cost us more was having great drives into New England territory twice in the first half and coming up with zero points on each. Why put all the blame on Davis when the whole team failed to get the job done those two times?
Three. Was Alex Smith too much of a "game manager" during that last drive that simply consumed far too much time? No, no, again no. Several aspects of this need to be addressed.
The first is that this team should never have been in this situation. The offense played too well during the course of the game not to get the points earlier that would've made this academic.
The team is also built to do the grinding thing. To be honest with you, I wasn't as concerned about the time because Reid did have all his time-outs, and we did score with two minutes left. Yes, I do think Smith should've slinged that football more vigorously and had a more pronounced sense of urgency.
Thing is, Smith did do some amazing things during that drive. That one play when he bounced off four pass rushers and unloaded to Jason Avant, it was just a great play all around -- I mean, come on, Smith was actually doing wonderfully. The real problem with Smith was that he wasn't doing this earlier. One of the main reasons we didn't get those points is because Smith got into one of his typical Alex Smith-type funks when he just can't make a good throw. For a good chunk of the game early-on he was just pathetic making connections. That's the Alex Smith thing that cost us.
Then there is the coaching. Why didn't Andy Reid et al have ready and out there all the stuff the team needed with a good, what -- five, six minutes left? Again, why weren't the players already well-versed on what routes to run in what progressions -- bam, bam, bam, make the play then get to the line. If you're going to blame anyone, blame the coaches for not setting the team up for success in that circumstance. Really, was the Patriots defense that good? I don't think so. Give them credit, they played well, but we had these guys, we really did.
Where was Travis Kelce? Nowhere, that's on the coaches. Why didn't Jason Avant, who had the game of his life, get more in the mix? Aagh, coaches. Why didn't they have more faith in Knile Davis, a pretty good receiver, when that earlier fumble just wasn't really him -- why didn't he play a part in making things move along much more briskly? Errrgcchk, COACHES.
And one more facet that must be mentioned, one of those things that makes you crazy when putting all this together -- Smith misfiring and coaches being brain-dead -- is that our offensive line was playing splendidly. Their pass protection was solid, their run blocking was crisp. This offense had all the things in place for us to win!
Four. Here's the main thing that cost us. The main thing of all.
What in the world happened to our pass defense?
See, every time the Chiefs go into the playoffs, something they do really well just flat-out evaporates before our eyes. It is so typical: they play so well all year dominating in one area or another, and then come playoff game-time, and it's like we left it back in the locker room and couldn't find it. Remember that image of Thurman Thomas of the Bills looking for his helmet as that Super Bowl game was starting?
The Chiefs are always looking for something more important than a helmet, something they need every single playoff appearance, namely a critical facet of their game.
This time it was their pass defense. Oh my. Where was Marcus Peters? Where was Ron Parker? Where were our nickel safeties, who were out there almost the entire time because the Patriots could not run the dang football? Poor Eric Berry, yeah he foolishly bit on that touchdown pass from Brady to Gronkowski, but that play only made him the poster child for our complete ineptitude out there in the defensive backfield. Sean Smith was the only one who appeared to have a modestly decent game, but then to be fair to the Chiefs D-backs, and it must be said again, Tom Brady is a fantastic quarterback.
I must confess here, as I emphasized in my disclaimer, I didn't see everything. To the D-backs' credit, there're things those D-backs may have been doing that were terrific -- after all Brady did only get two touchdown passes, when in some playoff games he gets four or five. The Chiefs D-backs actually had to be doing something right for that to happen. I actually thought, wow, we held the Pats to 27 points total. That's actually not bad.
But still. Puh-lease. Once againfor emphasis:
The Patriots were not running the football.
In fact, the Patriots were almost screaming at the Chiefs, "Look! Look here! Just so you know: WE'RE NOT GOING TO RUN THE FOOTBALL. In fact, we might as well tell you: WE CAN'T RUN THE FOOTBALL FOR SHIT. Here watch: [They try a running play] See? See how miserable we are at it? I know! Pathetic! And just so you know we're not lying, here's a running play where we're really trying hard to get yardage on the ground. Go ahead and do your least to tackle us, go ahead! That'll prove it to you. Here goes. [They try another one that fails] See? So please you might as well know that all we're going to do is PASS THE FOOTBALL, THAT'S IT, okay?!"
Which means that, as much as you want to blame Dezman and Knile and Alex and Eric and whoever else you want, this one again is on the coaches. Once again, forgive me...
EVEN WITH TOM BRADY THERE IS NO WAY AN NFL TEAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WIN A PLAYOFF GAME WITHOUT RUNNING THE FOOTBALL.
And here's the thing. The only way they could've been successful with the run is if we made the decision to let them win the game with the running game, but not with Tom Brady. That's just the tremendously bewildering thing about our coaching. It was apparent this just did not cross their minds.
Why didn't they start rushing three? Why didn't they find a way to get our D-backs on track? Why didn't they try something a bit more radical to shake up Tom Brady? I mean they did blitz a bit at first but then they stopped cold and seemed to make everything predictable for him, and that just gives him even more invincible superhero powers! Come on, blitz as many as nine once or twice! Why not?! Then rush only two! Whuh, that's confusing! Shift guys around, in coverage! Mix up the rush package! You may tell me they tried it, but I sure didn't see it and if they did, they did nothing to make it work like they had before.
But then, that's the other facet of this that is so aggravating, the pass rush. It too was invisible. That's the Justin Houston factor, and it was huge. What for cryin' out loud was he doing not in the game?
You know, way back after the Bills game I was thinking, okay, he got leg-whipped, got his knee messed up, went out, they said it wasn't a big deal, but like you I'm sure: I wondered. I wondered yet hoped, hoped that all these weeks of just resting it and recuperating and getting it healthy and all the rest of it would be the ticket.
Not.
He went into the Texans game and even though he said he was just rusty, I think he messed it up more. And I think he did meet with Dr. Andrews because it was worse than we thought. Remember all that? "He's going to see Dr. Andrews it must be worse!" They then assured us, "No, no, no, it's just a precaution. Everything's fine."
Well, everything wasn't fine. That injury really cost us, because he wasn't in there in this game when we really needed him to put pressure on Brady. Even if it was one sack or one pass pressure or something that keeps them from getting one of their touchdowns means we win this game.
Turns out the excuse was that he was bothered by the knee brace. Whuh? Sorry, but this is one of the most exasperating things of all. Please Chiefs official people, just level with us. Did you keep all this from us, try to keep it secret somehow to try to psych out the Patriots? Ergh, you don't realize they can't be psyched out, they're too above that. And if he could play even though the knee brace annoyed him, why didn't he get out there?
I believe missing Houston was the biggest killer of them all. This all seems like I'm blaming Justin and the Chiefs -- nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything I'm just pointing out his value to this team. I like that he and the Chiefs wanted him to play in the worst way, and I agree it is stupid to sacrifice his health when he's not able to contribute as he truly could. I'm great with that, and it'll be good when he can get healthy and ready for next year.
Meanwhile Tamba was invisible, and I wonder if his career is over. Dee Ford made one fine play to get into Brady's face, but by then it was a done deal, the Patriots were comfortably ahead.
As I continue to write all this, I still come around to that one thing that just makes me shake my head every time this happens.
Thing No. 5 on this list. Here it is.
Five. That wretched, crappy, ugly, shitty, schmegmalous unluck.
I do have to begin by saying that I know every year 11 of 12 teams go home without a ring, and I'm sure the fans of those teams just scream about their wretched unluck, too.
But the Chiefs are different. They just are. And there is proof.
This now makes nine of the 18 playoff games we've had since the merger games that, by my own humble estimation, we lost when we clearly should've won.
Please, I'm great with seeing a game we lost when we truly should've lost. Oh I'm disappointed, but I understand, that's fine. Those games, by the way, were Jets '86 (season), Bills '91, Bills '93, Colts '06, and Ravens '10. There're five of the 18.
I'm very great with the games we won when we should've won, that's of course very very great. Those are all four of our wins, Raiders '91, Steelers '93, Oilers '93, and Texans '15. I know some may argue against any one or two of those being games we should've won and not them, but I truly think I have a good case for each. I'd blogged on these before with my arguments, and I think they're good ones. Anyway, that's four more for nine.
Needless to say, then, there are no games I think we should've lost but won... ::sigh::...
Then there are the games we should've won but lost. ::Deep breath:: They are Dolphins '71 Dolphins '90 Chargers '92 Dolphins '94 Colts '95 Broncos '97 Colts '03 Colts '13 Patriots '15.
Thar ya go.
Nine.
I know you may ferociously point at me and screech "Sour grapes! Sour grapes!" Okay, go ahead, I can take it. Go. Go ahead. Hmm-hmm-hmm-mmm... Finished?
Okay, you may say I'm bleating sour grapes regarding a couple of those games you may select and point out, in your estimation, "Nope, they should've won," and I do understand your arguments. And believe me, I know just about all the arguments, trust me. Some parts of them are valid, I confess. But even if I concede you two or three, this is still an inglorious panoply of the most abysmal unluck on the football field.
We can just look at the close scores of all the games. Let's do that, simply as a preface to the main point I want to make in this.
Games decided by a touchdown or less, by scores of seven points or less:
Chiefs wins - Raiders '91 (4 points), Steelers '93 (3). Tha's it.
Chiefs losses (brace yourself) - Dolphins '71 (3), Dolphins '90 (1), Colts '95 (3), Broncos '97 (4), Colts '93 (7), Colts '13 (1), Patriots '15 (7).
I agree most NFL games are close affairs, I got that. But the things that happen to the Chiefs that put them on the losing side of all these games are things you can point out and go, "Guh?" and it happens so often it just makes your stomach turn. I've blogged about many of them already, and I'm sorry but all I just shared above is just more evidence.
When this game against the Patriots was well on its way, towards the end of the first quarter or so, and I was watching our offense move the ball surprisingly well and beholding the Patriots inexplicably refusing to run the football, I actually thought, This game is ours. We will win this game.
But, nnmffnmf, sure enough, way back deep in the back of my mind was the thought about the unluck. I'm hearby calling it that because I'm tired of even calling it "the curse." No more of that. I don't even want to give it that credibility. (Another reason has to do with my last remarks here, in a moment...)
It is still a profound unluck just the same, and I knew the only thing that could deny us was that. Everything lined up for a Chiefs win, except there was that.
For you see, a team winning a playoff game simply must have at least some luck if it hopes to be successful, especially teams that are reasonably evenly matched. In the NFL both teams are always very talented, both teams have worked very hard to get where they are. Most games do turn on the lucky things that happen for one team or the other. This is often why considering the outcome of a game between two fine teams, when asked who's going to win the answer is invariably, "It'll be decided by turnovers."
This year the Chiefs did well with the turnover game. They won games being opportunistic, getting the turnover edge, having a tough swarming defense against both the run and pass. Once again, where was that in this game? How does it vanish so easily once we get into the playoffs? Happens over and over and over again.
Point belabored: Chiefs fans knew all too well what happens in a close playoff game. Over and over and over again, we simply can't get that critical break to gives us a delightful clutch win. And in most of those games it is the other team that gets it. ::Sigh:: after :: Sigh:: after ::Sigh:: The New England game was no different.
The following play is the epitome of this destitution at work. It says everything.
The Patriots had a 2nd down at midfield, with just under two minutes left. We had just scored to make it 27-20, and we had all our timeouts so we could burn them all and force them to give us the ball back, if we could stop them. Remember, they simply could not run the football. On 1st down they did, and got stopped. 1st called timeout.
Now, if we stopped them twice more, we get the ball with about a minute-and-a-half left. That's something, not much, I know. Thing is, that's not the unluck thing, that's just being stuck deep in your own end with no timeouts and needing a touchdown. Happens all the time, okay.
No, the unluck thing had to do with what happened on 2nd down. Do you remember?
Brady passed the football. And guess what.
It was tipped. Tipped high in the air right behind the receiver no less. AND GUESS WHAT?
Marcus Peters picked it and ran it back for the game-tying touchdown!
NOT.
It was caught by another of their receivers for the 1st down that sealed the win.
Yet another game with grief that causes the most violent head-shaking any fan could ever have. I'm pretty sure those days we lost playoff games we should've won by a touchdown or less are the times nearby hospitals had the highest incidences of neck injury treatments, I am sure of it. If they looked it up they'd find it happened on those nine dates in January. Somebody oughtta look into that, seriously.
Maybe with this year's overload the hospitals will.
You see, if the Chiefs actually had the luck, that would've been the play right there. 97% of the time that pass gets picked, and if anything we get the ball with an offense that, while it took its time the last time, still just got a hard fought touchdown to get within a single score. And even then, even if we only got down to midfield after a fortuitous interception, why couldn't we get a hail-mary pass to tie it, then get the game-winner sometime in overtime? The extraordinarily always-lucky Packers got a last second game-tying hail-mary touchdown against a far-superior Cardinals in the game that followed the Chiefs game, and even though they didn't win the game, still...
I'd like to think the Chiefs saw some stuff out there at the Patriots place that will give them encouragement for doing the things they need to do to be at a point where you could just practically will yourself wins like the Patriots can. It is a measure of Got-It that comes with staying the course, building on the culture, constructing an exceptionally quality football team top-to-bottom so the unluck becomes incapable of hurting you.
I really think we're doing that, I really do. That's why I look forward to this offseason when I can more fully appreciate what we did and where we're going to be next year.
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