Chiefs at Broncos - Week 17 - In-Game Notice

Nice tight throw from Pat Mahomes to Demetrius Harris to set up Kareem Hunt's long touchdown run! Woo-hoo!

Right now it is close to the end of the first quarter, and I'm just sending out this notice to say I won't be posting on this one until tomorrow night. We'll be on the road in a minute, so we'll be listening to the rest of it with Mitch on the radio, which is not such a bad thing at all.

I do want to take some time to pound out a decent Chiefs playoff preview post, and that'll be the substance of this game's review. Right now it's all preview for next weekend anyway. As it is Kareem is now the NFL's rushing champion this year, and he can take it easy the rest of this game. How cool is that!

Anyway, again, look forward to seeing you just a bit later this week!

Chiefs Kingdom reign!
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Authentic Chiefs Enthusiasm of The Day

I can't help but pound out a post just about the news today that Andy Reid has indeed decided to start Pat Mahomes this Sunday in the Chiefs game against the Broncos in Denver. After his announcement my son texted me with the news, and I did then peek around at what people were saying about it. I simply couldn't help it.

I did come across this wonderful piece by a fellow Chiefs fan over at the fine Arrowhead Pride, a great narrative about what every impassioned Chiefs fan has all too much endured. I myself have tried to give some real perspective to the phenomenon with The Quarterback Project. And there is always this head-shaking elucidation of all this from the always excellent Jon Bois, this one even from way back in May of 2014, so it could use an update. Yeah, the Chiefs drought is indeed still in effect. Wow.

Which brings us to Mahomes' start this Sunday. If he should by chance win this game, it would end that drought. You know what it is. I know what it is. Every Chiefs fan knows what it is as does any generally knowledgeable pro football fan even if their affinity is not with the Chiefs.

Last win by a starting quarterback drafted by the Chiefs? Todd Blackledge, over the Chargers, September 13, 1987. The crazy thing is that it was the first game of the season, and it was actually a really crappy performance by Blackledge -- we just happened to win. The rest of that season was a joke as the strike hit soon thereafter and we never stopped stumbling and bumbling afterwards. Then came Steve DeBerg and the many many years of refusing to draft a quarterback who could win football games.

I've done the calculation -- it isn't hard, you can at this website -- regarding how long it has been. From September 13 1987 to this Sunday, 11,067 days will have passed. Yep, 30 years and a handful of months. Should Mahomes win Sunday, I've thought about bilging all the "There've been this many presidents since then and so-and-so wasn't even born and most vehicles on the road were still pulled by horse" kind of thing, but eh, we all know it too well.

And if Mahomes doesn't pull off the win? Then there'll be a whole offseason of days to add to the drought length until we can maybe perhaps finally with-our-best-chance-in-a-long-time see a drafted and developed pure-bred Chiefs quarterback -- ::Yowza!:: -- actually win an NFL football game.

The weather in Denver all this week and the week after will be mild, except for Sunday. High of 28, low of 6. The game will be from 2:25 to 6:00-ish Mountain Standard Time, so if the forecast is correct it'll probably be around 20 and dropping throughout the game. How will that affect Mahomes and the Chiefs? It may not be a bad thing because the Chiefs may have similar miserable weather at Arrowhead the week after, so they'll get a solid idea of how to play in it.

As it is, there is excitement in the Chiefs Kingdom right now, no doubt. We get to see Mahomes a bit in a very no-pressure situation, we can get ready for a playoff game at home.

Right now, it's definitely a blast to be dwelling richly in the Kingdom.
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Dolphins at Chiefs - Week 16 - Record: 9-6, Part II

Harrison Butker kicking one his five field goals
against the Dolphins December 24 2017

I started this blog venture with a Chiefs Game Today review of a Dolphins-Chiefs game. Back in 2005, right smack in the middle of the season, I realized I could blog about each game. Cool.

That game was played in very unusual circumstances, as there was a hurricane coming it was moved to Friday night -- I don't remember all the stuff about that, but I do know the Chiefs won and got two Lawrence Tynes 50-yard field goals. I remember back then I didn't write as much about the games, just a few notes and remarks.

Now I've gotten to needing to write much more, you know, for the therapy and all. You know you need it. I'm a big San Francisco Giants fan and for 50 years they'd aggravate the heck out of their fans, to the point where my good friend would frequently say, "The Giants are trying to kill me."

Well, you could sometimes say that about the Chiefs.

"The Chiefs are trying to kill me."

Of course any fan whose team fails inexplicably could bleat that, and every fan's team fails them far more frequently than not. But I'd say Chiefs fans have a really good case for getting the worst of those vicissitudes of misfortune interminably crushing our hopes and dreams.

For you see since the merger, since the 1969 season -- yes, a season that ended with a Chiefs Super Bowl championship we all know that -- since that year the Chiefs have made the playoffs 14 times (now 15), and reached the AFC Championship Game once. Among those 14 have been great teams, good teams, decent teams (and a couple just-alright teams, agreed), and in nearly 50 years of playing NFL football we've been summarily shoved right off the playoff game field before coming close to an AFC title game every single time but one, and we lost that one. Of the 14 so far, we won even a single game a mere three times ('91, '93, '15). We won two in a single season's playoff appearance once ('93).

That ratio is the worst in the NFL.

I bring all this up because right now my expectations for Chiefs success beyond the regular season have been permanently squashed. Please don't get me wrong (how many times have I had to say that after engaging in the therapy that is this blogging experience), ahem, please don't get me wrong: I am really really really really really thrilled with our success this season. I made a promise that I would work really hard to just enjoy the things we do out there no matter what (even though I confess it was really really hard to do that during our mid-season swoon).

And please don't get me wrong, I very very very very very much want our Chiefs to go on to Super Bowl glory, I veryveryveryveryveryveryveryveryveryvery much want that. I want to watch this Chiefs team do phenomenal things in playoff games, even if it means sweating through the closest nail-biters as long as we come out on top in the end. Ohh, that one of our playoff victories would be featured every other month on the NFL Network as one of the greatest games ever played. How many times do you see anything historically and superlatively CHIEFS on the NFL Network? Yeah. Huh.

I mean, really, aren't you sick and tired of seeing highlights -- as they gratuitously showed during this week's game against the Dolphins even though very timely we all know -- of that 1971 Christmas day playoff game? One of the greatest games ever, they say? As if any Chiefs fan thinks of it with any amount of fondness? Yeah, I was sick of it eons ago. We all know it wasn't the greatest because only Chiefs fans lament that Jan decided to have his worst game ever on that day, even to the point of looking so splendidly focused on that fake field goal attempt that long snapper Bobby Bell messed up the play seriously contributing to the disappointment that it was.

That's the Chiefs for you. Repeated over and over and over again through history.

So yeah, this is why to some extent my approach right now is, the season is over. It's been fun. It's been real. Now please, see the "really really really" and "very very very" above. Thing is I still can't get up for the postseason, I just can't. I will go over all those playoffy-type things in the next post when we find out who we're playing (it'll be Baltimore, Buffalo, or Tennessee), but for now, I'm just going to get to some of the fun things about this game.

First of all there's the achievement everyone's been talking about. Very sweet indeed. Smith with 4,000 yards passing. Kelce with 1,000 yards receiving. Hill with 1,000 yards receiving. And Hunt with 1,000 yards rushing. Only the 1981 Chargers did it, and they really should've gone to the Super Bowl that year except that they had to get past a Bengals team playing in subarctic Cincinnati, in what I think was the coldest game ever -- if not it was one of the top ones.

Anyway, I didn't catch this but I wonder if the Chargers team did it in 15 games, as we just did? Because yeah, here are the Chiefs, having done it with still a game left on the schedule. How great is that. That we do have these weapons does provide some legitimate hope for delightful postseason success, so there is reason for enthusiastic Chiefs Kingdomosity this week.

The Chiefs defense was opportunistic in this game, and how fun is it to watch Marcus Peters out there all over the field. Really, this guy is a defensive force, he really is. Even though everyone wanted to excoriate him for his meltdown in the Jets game -- for very good reason yes -- there was a play in that game that just demonstrated what a player he is.

The Jets were close to the goal line in last defensive catastrophe, and in spite of all the holding calls and the penalty flag debacle, we actually made some very good plays. This one stood out to me. The Jets runner was given the ball but he was stuffed by Jarvis Jenkins, Reggie Ragland, and Marcus Peters. All three of them just made a helluva play to make the stop well short of the goal line, and again it just showed Peters' value that defense.

The thing that everyone's been making note of also, something that I can't say hasn't been a critical element to getting Peters' head back in the game, is the presence of Eric Berry on the sideline. I guess I've always wondered why he hasn't been there throughout the season, but maybe lately he's just being more of a an industrious "coach" and "cheerleader," if you will, in inspiring these Chiefs. If he has indeed stepped it up these past three weeks, it sure has made a difference. The defense is looking much more robust, and more importantly getting the job done. Sure they had a major breakdown not tackling on the one play letting the Dolphins receiver break free for a long touchdown, but that should just get them to realize that they can't take anything for granted from here on out.

As far as our overall game plan we were able to do one of those things we can do well that helped get us the win, and that was late in the game grind grind grind. As I wrote in my last post it was a thing of beauty to watch Kareem Hunt run well throughout the 4th quarter and then when we needed it Alex Smith adjust for the defense and swing that pass out to Albert Wilson who redeemed himself for a miserable drop earlier by making the catch-and-run first down. Keep the drive alive a chew up more clock. Awesome.

There are a few things I've been chomping at the bit to share here, for the therapy yes, including addressing the whole Alex Smith question. I know we are all wondering if Pat Mahomes will play in a meaningless game Sunday against the Broncos as Andy Reid will surely rest Smith. We'll see.

In the meantime, there'll be commendations, concerns, and other notable items for playoff action in next week's post!
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Dolphins at Chiefs - Week 16 - Record: 9-6

We polished off the Dolphins today to win the division. And sure enough, for the first time ever in Chiefs history...

BACK-TO-BACK AFC WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONS!

Yay! Yes, I do indeed like this a lot, as any Chiefs fan would. We'll revel in the moment for a couple weeks and it'll be fun.

There are a number of critical things to address from today's game as we move forward, and I really want to get into those things, definitely. But I will not be able to get to those things now, we are simply too inundated with Christmas Eve preparation, we are entertaining family in our home this evening.

I do want to get to it so this entry will simply be a "Part I" and later this week when I've got lots of time to settle in and ruminate and scribbelate into a blog I'll put in a "Part II." It's all good.

For now I have to give a shout-out to one of the funnest plays of the day, it was the middle of the 4th quarter, we're up 26-13. We've been trying to grind this one down, but we're facing a 3rd-&-8. Alex Smith recognizes that he's got Albert Wilson way out on the right flat with single coverage deep. Sure enough he audibles, gets the snap, steps back and fires a strike to Wilson who himself steps back to get the pass and then runs for the first down. As Smith throws he's popped by a charging lineman, but he still makes the play.

Wow.

Butker comes in a few plays later and boots through the final points from 49 yards out, the ball actually banging in off the crossbar.

29-13, party over.

For all we screech about Smith, some of it still wholly justified, it is these kinds of plays that we can marvel at, plays that do indeed help get the Chiefs division titles, undeniably.

Nkay that's all I've got for now -- no time left today. I'll be back here in a few days!

For now...

Kansas City Chiefs 2017 AFC West Division Champions!
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Chargers at Chiefs - Week 15 - Record: 8-6

5:08 PST.

I'm writing a bit right before the game, but to stay true to my commitment as I do most times, I'm not writing again here again until after the game. But I can't help but put down what I think is the key to this one, a game everyone is justifiably calling a playoff game.

Yes, we have a chance with help to get a playoff spot if we lose this one, but it'd be best if we won today. We win out and get the division, we get a first playoff game at home.

A key could be how our offensive line gets Kareem Hunt untracked or protects Alex Smith. A major key could be how much Alex Smith doesn't do too much dingleberry failing to find receivers down the field. There are a number of areas where the Chiefs need to be the team they truly could be, and their offense is facing a really stiff challenge in a Chargers defense that is very good.

But the key?

Eighth play of actual game

Our pass rush.

Last week our pass rush showed up against the Raiders, but they can be shaky out there. Yes we have Justin Houston, but we simply have not been using him effectively enough to put pressure on the defense. Yes we have Tamba Hali but it is clear he is a shell of his once dominant self. Yes we have Chris Jones but if a sharp industrious offensive lineman can take him down then... then...

Philip Rivers will have a field day.

Because the Chargers the last couple of years have not been as strong as they are now and because they've been plagued by so many injuries in the most recent games we've had with them, we have not seen the Philip Rivers who is notorious for shredding the Chiefs. His games against us when this team has been at their best are painful, painful memories.

Right now the Chargers are hitting on all cylinders, they are very healthy, and Philip Rivers has found his groove. If we don't employ a very effective pass rush tonight to shake, rattle, and sack him often enough, fughedabouddit.

This Chiefs team can do it. They can pull out a close one with all the things they do well, they can. But if they don't, then really, let's face it, they aren't for real enough to be playoff contenders.

Now, on to the game. What actually happens out there...

8:39 PST.

Well we did it. We beat a good Chargers team convincingly today, mostly with an offensive onslaught and a defensive shutout after they scored shortly after the start of the second half. At that time it looked like they would make it hard, put up some numbers and beat us, but after Philip Rivers hit Antonio Gates with a touchdown pass to make it 13-10 them, it was all us.

I'm peeking at the postgame NFL Network stuff, and the guy just said we had never won consecutive division titles. Wow. But yep, that's true, we've not won very many division titles at all. We're still only 8-6, and we still need to win at least one more to clinch it -- I dunno maybe this is a good thing, keeping us focused and playing hard.

The men of the day were Kareem Hunt and his offensive linemen. Hunt had to have had something like 150 yards rushing, he was juking and slipping and zagging and bursting all night long. The O-line was stout, not only giving Hunt room to roam but giving Alex Smith very nice protection. I honestly don't think Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram had a single sack on the evening. If either did it didn't mean much.

We turned it on in the second half when we needed to. The first half wasn't something to shout about. Our first time in the red zone we again needed to kick a field goal. Fortunately a bit earlier we got a sweet long pass from Alex Smith to a streaking Tyreek down the sideline for our first touchdown.

Harrison Butker missed a 51-yarder at the end of the first half, but later in the second half he made one -- that was cool.

Marcus Peters came back in a big way, getting two picks, one of which he persistently ran it back all the way down inside the 10-yard line so it'd be easier for us to score. How many times do D-backs make a pick then give up running much farther than they could? Peters also had an amazing open-field tackle for a clutch 3rd down stop and another of his patented strips causing a fumble -- I have to think the suspension was a good thing to get him refocused. And dang was he focused today. He had a couple fine pass defenses as well.

And what about the key I mentioned at the beginning of the game? Our pass rush?

How did Philip Rivers do?

I have to say we did contain him exceptionally well. We had a couple key sacks, Eric Murray with a terrific safety blitz sack at the beginning of the game, and Chris Jones with one to help make a series stop later. One of Rivers' picks was caused by a D-lineman smacking his arm as he threw. We harried Rivers all night -- it really looked like we won the defensive side of the line play and made it difficult for Rivers to get untracked. We had three interceptions and missed a couple more. There was even more: towards the end of the game the announcers said Rivers did not have a single pass completion of over 20 yards to a wide receiver or tight end.

Dang.

Which team is this Chiefs team?

Will tonight's team be the team that runs the table and wins the Super Bowl like we thought they would earlier?

They'd better be!
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8:33 PST Sunday morning

I had to add these notes thinking about a couple more things from last night's game, and sure, even though I should be putting these in a totally new blog post since it's the following day, I'm just going to tag them on to this post.

One of the reasons we did beat the Chargers did have something to do with a mention in my key to the game, and that had to do with the health of the players. One of the reasons Los Angeles had been doing so well was because they'd been reasonably healthy. Before the game the only player who was questionable was Casey Hayward, yet even he admitted Tyreek Hill's long touchdown against him was not because of the injury but because of his misplay on the route.

Thing is, Chargers were going down left and right last night. Their fine middle linebacker Denzel Perryman went out, and I can't help but think this helped Kareem Hunt a lot -- taking nothing away from him or our O-line. I didn't see until this morning that Keenan Allen had been ailing too -- Rivers and Allen are one of the best QB-WR combos in the NFL. Taking nothing away from our pass rush or D-back play, but that had to have helped too.

Next week we face a Dolphins team that looked really good last week against the Patriots. This has already turned into a year when again those AFC East teams just have our number. Losing to the Bills and Jets? Are you kidding me?

Anyway, another thing back to the Chargers. It was mentioned that this was our eighth win in a row against the Chargers. Doesn't it seem like only yesterday when we lost to the Chargers in a meaningless final game of the 2013 season? We were already in the playoffs anyway, but I can still remember listening to the terrible Chargers announcer Josh Lewin's call of Ryan Succop's missed field goal in regulation that helped get the Chargers the win that day, how awful it was because Lewin made it personal. Good announcers never berate the other team or make fun of them even if they're homers, and Lewin's whole approach was wretched in that respect.

Well, Josh Lewin, I wonder how you're calling Chargers games against the Chiefs now, eight games straight. I've never listened to him in that time because it is too intolerable, but I can't say I didn't hope the Chargers would lose just to make Lewin a bit more humble.

Now yes the Chargers are going to beat us in many games to come sometime in other seasons. And I really have no animosity to the Chargers themselves -- I admire players like Philip Rivers tremendously. If the Chiefs don't do well I honestly want the Chargers to do well -- especially against the Raiders! And maybe Lewin has softened up a bit since then, become more professional. Great. (Point of fact, I just looked it up: Lewin actually had been replaced just this year -- guess it had to do with the move to Los Angeles, or... well...)

But the history of the thing is this. Yes we've beaten the Chargers eight straight times, but do you know what we had been doing with the Chargers just before that winning streak started? We'd been 2-11 against them dating back to September of 2007. Before this nifty winning streak we'd been their doormat for years.

That's sports. That's just what you deal with. Anything can happen between two teams with fine players on each side of the ball, and really, that's what makes it compelling. As much as you have the heartbreak -- and Chiefs fans have had all the heartbreak they could ever want to have -- it's the only reason it is any fun.

Here's to hoping this Chiefs team and its big playmakers can make it really fun in the next several weeks.
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Raiders at Chiefs - Week 14 - Record: 7-6

Yes our defense got reeeally soft to allow the Raiders to score twice sandwiching an on-sides kick recovery in the 4th quarter, making things far too dicey for us today. We still pulled off the win playing three quarters (and yeah, a little bit of the 4th quarter) like we thought this team could play.

Yes there are a dozen crappy things we could say about this team and how it still has a long way to go to show it has enough got-it to make a nice winning playoff run, but we've been too shredded by crappy things for weeks and weeks and weeks now. It's time for some good things. Here they are, kind of in some kind of chronological order:

- Tyreek Hill. He had phenomenal catches, a nice punt return when we needed it, and was just all over the field today. After one catch his tremendous balance allowed him to tiptoe against the sideline, regain his position, and try to get more yards. His athleticism is amazing.

- Travis Kelce. The play just before Kareem Hunt scored for our first touchdown was a brilliant call -- a play action screen pass to Kelce that he almost pounded in. Kelce on the day was fantastic -- makes you wonder why we don't throw the ball to him every other play. BTW, just before that was yet another non-pass-interference call against us -- they just can't cover Kelce and half the time the opposing team needs the ref to bail them out.

- Harrison Butker. Four more field goals today, what a find this guy is (haven't we already said this a dozen times before?) Again, sure enough, every one of those kicks was important. And his regular booming kickoffs keep a team from making any meaningful returns.

- Albert Wilson. He made a number of critical plays, including a spectacular sideline catch deftly keeping his feet in bounds. The Chiefs offense hurried to run the next play so it couldn't be challenged, but they didn't have to worry, replays showed Wilson's catch was legit. Wilson also caught a clutch clutch clutch 3rd-&-5 pass very late in that 4th quarter when the Raiders offense was coming alive -- we simply could not give the ball back to them, and Wilson came through catching the crossing underneath route and shedding a tackle to get that first down.

- Terrance Mitchell. Why in the world did we give up on this guy earlier? I never could figure out why they benched him for Kenneth Acker or even -- ::gasp:: -- Phillip Gaines. I imagine he got the call because Marcus Peters was suspended for this game, but Mitchell came up big today a number of times. A nice bat-away, a tough interception off a batted pass, and a terrific defense of a long last-ditch pass at the goal line that Steve Terrell intercepted to end the game.

- Chris Jones. He has been invisible the past few games, but today he lit it up. He was all over the Oakland backfield making sacks and stops and generally aggravating the Raiders players. Our other pass rushers were decent today too, Jarvis Jenkins had a sack, Justin Houston did, maybe a couple others did, that was great.

- Derrick Johnson. He looked a bit like his youthful self at times today. Very nice. In fact, our entire defense played well -- the Raiders offense was completely stuffed for three quarters today and I'd like to think that it was our fine defense that was doing the work, not their surprising ineptitude. In fact my son pointed out that the Raiders offensive line is the highest-paid in the league.

- Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. The O-line played very well today, getting Hunt a 100-yard rushing day. They also gave Alex enough time to make some fine completions mostly to Hill and Kelce, a few to Wilson and others. The funnest thing they did was blow open a very nice hole for Charcandrick West to then zig-zag and power into the end zone for our second touchdown score making it 26-0.

- Dustin Colquitt. What can you say about him? How about this just for today's game. Late in the game he shook off a blocked punt when he got bulldozed by the Raiders rusher, and then he boomed his next one -- 55 yards with no return. There was still lots of time for Oakland to come back to score and get another on-sides kick recovery when Colquitt just demoralized them putting them back at their own 10.

- Luck. Yeah, just plain happy luck. The bounces and bobbles that you've got to have sometimes have just not been going the Chiefs way at all, for a long time. Today we seemed to have the edge in that. Really, let's face it, a lot of enjoying the team of which you're a fan is just enjoying those breaks that go your way and you can feel favored by the gods however that is. Oh that that would happen for us in the playoffs sometime.

I'm sure I didn't mention a number of other players who did amazing things today, but I tried to give credit to some of them in the mentions above. No disrespect -- indeed today's win was a strong team effort. It looked like the Chiefs were fired up to play well today, and it showed.

So yeah, for now, whew, very nice win for once, we're still in first place in the West, yay, and we get to enjoy a week of enjoying that for a while -- that's nice.

We play Los Angeles at home next Saturday, a game that will essentially be for the division title. So yeah so yeah so yeah -- right now we're all BRING IT ON!!!

Something fun to feel for once.
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Chiefs at Jets - Week 13 - Record: 6-6

The nightmare continues. It's just like 1998. We had a decent team and looked the part halfway through the season, then we imploded. Or you know? I'm thinking too it is like 2011, when we just had so little discipline. That's one of the horrific features of this team, it is just not very disciplined. And I thought Andy Reid was all over that. Guess not.

I really like Marcus Peters, even his passion for the game that gets him in trouble. I wish more Chiefs players had that fire. But that episode at the end of the game when he left because he thought he was ejected but wasn't is inexcusable. Please, Marcus Peters, keep fighting the good fight, but please, Andy Reid! What is wrong with you that you can't control these guys, get more of them to play with that kind of passion, and for cryin' out loud move an entire team to play to their potential?

I didn't see any of the 1st half of this one, and I came in with a few minutes left in the 3rd. Right when I turned on the television Smith hit Hill with a long 70+ touchdown pass. Yay. Thing is, later when we needed a crucial 3rd down -- with only a yard to go, Smith through an incomplete pass to the offensive tackle.

That's what this team has become. It really hurts to see this team has become the top embarrassment of the NFL. Remember just a few weeks ago? 5-0 record? High atop everyone's power rankings list? We're all Super Bowl-bound and all that? ::Sigh::

In fact I was thinking, since I started this blog in 2005 I've never missed watching a Chiefs game except for a handful of times. I missed a game in 2008 because of a Thanksgiving week vacation with extended family. I missed one in 2012 for the same reason. But I've pretty much seen in some form every single game.

Right now I don't care to see any of them until we put Pat Mahomes in. Seriously. This has just become preposterous -- it is just painful to watch these guys. I haven't any idea what we did for two-and-a-half quarters of football today, and I don't even care.

I mean I think back to 2012 when I saw every game except that one I just mentioned. We were horrible, it was a horrible horrible season, but I watched them all just the same. Just to see if we could do anything well for once -- just to cheer to the few unexpectedly fine things our Chiefs did. I have to admit that win in New Orleans, one of only two we got on the year, was actually memorable, pleasantly so, it really was.

I think to 2011 when we started gruesomely, but then picked it up a bit. We finished 7-9, amazingly, with that team? At least there was that tough grinding game late in the year when we splendidly beat an undefeated Green Bay team, remember that?

There is just no reason to watch the Chiefs right now. I just don't care.

They are a train wreck. I will always root for my Chiefs and watch them when I can however I can, but this is a severely underperforming team in so many ways. I'd love to do the standard -- well, what was good about them. Why. Doesn't change the reality of where we stand.

And for those who'd scream in their abject denial in that we're still in first place -- well, after today tied for first after Oakland beats the New York Giants 87-3 and Los Angeles beats the Browns 102-0, all sporting pathetic 6-6 records I might add -- I could rattle off a dozen different things in this game that prove that this team is a slow-motion train wreck happening before our very eyes.

I mean really, I just don't know, I mean I really don't know what all those wins from when we were 1-5 in '15 to being 5-0 in '17 really mean. Were they just a fantasy? Were they just setting us up for the time when we'd be exposed as not much of a team at all?

There are dozens of things we could say about this or that, certainly. Much more will be said, and I fully appreciate those who will be honest and not try to sugarcoat it. But again, it comes down to two characters, and we know who they are.

Andy Reid and Alex Smith.

I confess there have been a lot of times we have mentioned -- me in this blog before for sure -- what to do about those guys when they've inexplicably messed things up badly. But really, this was the year they were supposed to be decent enough to win and win well. We all saw the talent this team had. I mean, Andy Reid - Coach Extraordinaire! And Alex Smith - Spectacular Quarterback Finally Coming Into His Own! After a 5-0 start we all thought yeah! Finally!

But what we all saw on the field today simply can't be lost on Clark Hunt.

What'll he do? Not only has Andy Reid not gotten Alex Smith to win, not only has Andy Reid not gotten Alex Smith to get the job done in the clutch when it is most needed -- like today, and last week, and yeah, the week before that -- but he has lost control of the team, has lost the confidence of a team that recognizes he just doesn't put his faith in them to get the job done. Of course I don't know what's going on down there on the field directly, but I see it in their eyes -- you can just see it.

These players loathe how things are progressing. You can't miss it! The exasperation, the aggravation, the resignation -- right now it is smothering the Chiefs Kingdom.

So bottom line, just like last week's assessment, it can't be all bad. For review:

1. Smith stays in and actually wins games -- not a bad thing in that we're winning games.

2. Mahomes goes in and wins games -- the best of them all because we can then see he's a fine quarterback -- drafted, developed, youthful and athletic with a bright future of winning games.

3. Mahomes goes in and stinks -- not a bad thing in that he'll get reps, get that feel, get the experience to win us a Super Bowl later -- that's cool if we see it start to unfold now.

4. Smith stays in and stinks -- not a bad thing in that there'll be more proof that Mahomes must be in.

Thing is, this last one took a huge hit because our defense played so awfully today, sooo what's Reid going to do? You know what he'll do, and it makes you want to pull your hair out if you have any left. He's going to go to that lectern after the game -- he's probably doing it right now as I write -- and say "It's not Alex Smith's fault, it's the fault of all of us and we need to step it up."

::Ker-blyahh::

So yeah, it seems the only thing left to be said is when is Pat Mahomes going in, again, when is that?... When -- today? Okay is it today, huh huh huh? No, okay HOWABOUTTODAY???

Except that the other thing that must be being thought about more, and more and more and more -- and I simply can't believe this isn't on the minds of, oh, say, 99.4% of Chiefs fans at least the ones not in denial, is, when is Clark going to take care of business and summarily address Andy Reid's train wreck?

Could it be, could we possibly see what could be called the "nuclear option"?

Hello, may I speak to Matt Nagy, please?...
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