We had an in-service day at work, which means we have meetings all day and my afternoon obligations are dispensed. In and around the meetings I'd gotten in the midst of some football conversations, ones in which I'd like to allow you to partake right now.
One gentleman was regaling us with his appreciation of the 1986 New York Giants, pointing out that the team really got it in gear when Bill Parcells allowed quarterback Phil Simms to call his own plays. I'd never heard about this and don't even know about its veracity, but I wouldn't doubt it. Parcells had a phenomenal feel for the game and how to win it with the best that he had, and Simms was good, and very smart.
Kind of like Alex Smith.
See, that's what I thought when he said that. Hmm, why the heck doesn't Andy Reid just do that. Let Alex Smith and his versatility and athleticism and smarts go out and take care of business.
The other conversation involved the news that the Steelers have about had it with Mike Tomlin.
Guhhh?
I'd just seen Tomlin school Reid -- well, not exactly, really, Tomlin was helped by the idiotic things that always happen to the Chiefs in the playoffs, but still. I'd made the point in this blog thread that Tomlin's organic approach allowed him to get his team matching up well against the Chiefs throughout the game, while Reid's cerebral obsession unnecessarily constricted us.
Turns out, apparently, the Steelers were upset that Tomlin's rigidity against the Patriots cost them yet another playoff game to those guys. Um, no, I can't see how anyone would not know the Patriots are a lot better than the Steelers -- I know nothing about the game but I'd have to say the Patriots just flat-out beat them. Yeah, I did think the Chiefs were the better team and should have been there anyway, giving the Patriots a better game on the face of it.
But then, there ya go.
Against any team the organic approach wins. Yeah, you need the cerebral too, but I'm sorry, I've been told over and over and over again that Alex Smith is probably the smartest quarterback in the NFL.
Um.
Okay.
Now what are you going to do with that, Kansas City Chiefs brass?
Sorry, but I'm going to belabor the point.
The Chiefs had no business not being in the AFC Championship Game.
Thing is, is Smith getting the clutch pass to Maclin merely a fine result of the exceptional Reid proficiency, or is he simply unable to best utilize his best weapons like Hill, Maclin, Kelce, Ware -- these guys are terrific players -- simply because he's not allowed to let go?
Or, is it possible Smith just doesn't have it in him to do that?
I mean, why can't we see the Alex Smith we saw in New Orleans (with the Niners) in that amazing 2011 Divisional Game, or in Indianapolis in the 2013 Wild Card Game (yes, he had a terrific day in spite of the horror)? Indeed Smith has never had a really bad playoff game, except that we're 1-3 in playoff games in the Reid-Smith era. That's a .250 winning percentage in the playoffs, while at the same time we've been sporting a .672 in the regular season (43-21).
I mean, what would happen if our top on-field decision-makers genuinely combined the organic with the cerebral, with this talent -- really?
Last night I happened to turn on CBS to see if 60 Minutes was on, the time was 6:57. No 60 Minutes, instead I came in right as the television people were going to officially crown the AFC Champions, the Patriots, and sure enough, right then -- you know --
They were being awarded the trophy.
I literally watched two minutes of it, that's it, two minutes, and heard them mention the name of the trophy three or four times.
::Whimper::
You know the name of it. You know what it is...
The Lamar Hunt Trophy.
Ya know, I was thinking about that one stat, about the Chiefs, one of the several that shows how good we actually are -- the one about us beating Super Bowl teams in the regular season.
Five times.
Well, I was thinking, which Super Bowl teams have we not beaten in the Reid-Smith four-year tenure? I thought. And discovered...
None. There have been no others. Only five teams have even been in the Super Bowl over the past four years.
Yeah, the Chiefs have beaten them all.
Just so you know, in 2013 it was Seattle beating Denver. We beat Seattle in 2014 and Denver in 2015. Yes, I know the Denver win was two years later, but it was still very much the same team, quarterbacked by Peyton Manning who did take his Broncos to the Super Bowl that year.
In 2014 it was New England beating Seattle. We blasted New England that same season.
In 2015 it was Denver beating Carolina. We took down Carolina this season.
And this year it's going to be New England playing against Atlanta, and of course we beat Atlanta on that 2-point conversion return by Eric Berry.
Oh, and three of those five wins were on the road.
Did you catch that? Did you see that just there? It is just another evidence that
There - is - no - way - we - should - be - losing - a - single - playoff - game.
Don't worry. I'm good. There're very good reasons why I'm good, and I'm going to get to them as we continue this endeavor. There is more, look forward to joining you for it.
Very good Chiefs things, too, coming up...
__
No comments:
Post a Comment