Post Season Report - One Single Thing the Chiefs Need Most

I am a recovering Chiefs addict.

Because of that, I don't see, watch, read, or listen to anything other than Chiefs games on Sunday. While I've already shared some of the key parts of my sports celibacy, there are some reasons that rise above the rest that keep me from paying any attention to any sports things. One of the problems, however, is that my radar picks up sports things all over the place -- well, I really should say things-that-affect-my-teams type of things.

As far as the NFL goes, I only care about the Chiefs. But everything else in the NFL does affect the Chiefs. For instance, I would've only paid attention to teams like Dallas and Seattle to the extent that they shared the record for most consecutive playoff losses with the Chiefs. Now that the Chiefs are the sole holder of that distinction (with seven, see last post), I must now manage the serious disconsolation attending that fact.

I am also always picking up whatever the Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers are doing because whatever happens with our AFC West rivals affects how the Chiefs do through the season -- although again, I never deliberately pay a single lick of attention to any of their games or progress.

I can't. Knowing the things that so viciously rack the Chiefs just too deeply shreds my soul. So even though I step way back from all the Chiefsitude off the field, it is one reason I write about it. I admit this blog is part of the good therapy for a recovering Chiefs addict. But before you scamper away fearing this is just one pathetic whine session, please bear with me because it does get to a critical aspect of the Kansas City Chiefs and their future.

Yesterday was no different in the plain fact that my Chiefs-things radar locked on to two gnawing things that have happened with some regularity, and is certainly one of the most profound reasons this fan is so resolutely celibate. I don't have a clue as to what happened in these two events, because beholding them for any length of time requires enduring torment that is best avoided altogether.

Those two things were that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers won yet another playoff game. (I will tell you one reason I was eager for an Atlanta win was because I was really rooting for Tony Gonzales and hoping he'd finally get some Super Bowl glory. Sadly, it won't happen this year and probably never will.)

Here's the context, just so you know. I don't necessarily have any animosity toward the Steelers and Packers. My affection for the Raiders is miles beneath any consideration I have for these two teams. If it were any two other teams doing the same thing, I'd be just as jealous. It doesn't matter. (Oh, and yeah, the intense jealosy -- not good. Another perfectly fine justification for staying so far away.)

I will say the one key thing about them in particular is that they are small market teams and ones that are wildly successful. I've always lamented how the Chiefs are a small market team and as such will never get the advantages the Grand Sports Powers-That-Be afford the Patriotses and Giantses. I think the Steelers get a lot of recognition because they've had such a fine organization and a rich winnning history, and the Packers catch the media's eyes simply because they are in the smallest market in professional sports and have this small-guy darling status in the media, kind of like Notre Dame does in college football. The Chiefs have just been done in by poor front office management and wretched playoff stupidness (again, see last post).

So yeah, the aggravation stirred up by the intense jealosy in all of this is just too much. Please know that I'm terrific with small market teams doing great and sticking it to the Powers-That-Be who zealouly labor to manipulate competitive integrity! I just want it to be the Chiefs doing that, that's all.

I can't neglect to share the gory details with you.

Remember just before the '96 season -- I'm pretty sure it was then -- Sports Illustrated had on its cover three key Packers guys (in a spiffy fold-out front cover) right next to three key Kansas City Chiefs guys. "Next Super Bowl: Packers vs. Chiefs" or something like that. Well, the Packers did go on to the Super Bowl that year, and won it. But they did it against the Patriots, and that was even before they had Tom Brady. (Oh, and the Chiefs didn't even get to the playoffs that year, starting 9-4 but losing their last three games.)

Do you know how many playoff games the Packers have won since that SI cover? Eleven. Do you know how many the Chiefs have won since that time?  Don't bother, the number wasn't even invented until the Mayans did it. In fact the Packers have won a total of 14 playoff games since the Chiefs last one a single one. (Oh, don't worry, there's a very good reason for that, one which I'm getting to, stay tuned!...)

Then there is the Steelers. Remember when we beat them in the '93 playoffs? Saturday, January 8th (in 1994). What a wonderful, wonderful game. The Chiefs played them hard, trailed by a touchdown in the last minute, got a clutch pass from Joe Montana (what other kind are there?) to Tim Barnett in the back of the endzone at the very end of regulation, and then got a splendidly splendid field goal from Nick Lowery in overtime to win it.

Oh yeah, we were finally on our way. We were finally a perenniel contender. We were finally among the elite of the NFL. We were finally going to have playoff victory after playoff victory and be wonderful and splendid and all the rest of it.

Well, ahem. While we did win our next playoff game that year against Houston, that would be the very last playoff game we would ever win. Now, how many playoff victories do you think Pittsburgh has had since then? :: Gulp ::

Seventeen.

They've also had two Super Bowl victories, and one of the reasons the Steelers are so successful and the Chiefs aren't is demonstrated in what happened in those games. It is as if the Steelers have precisely the opposite what the Chiefs have, and that is beneficially opportunistically fortunate things. The Chiefs just have rotten stupid things anytime they're in a postseason game.

Remember, the '05 Super Bowl? The Seahawks dominated that game. But the Steelers won going away, 21-10. Huh? There were four amazing critical plays in that game that either went against the Seahawks dooming them and their intrepid play, or going for the Steelers and giving them the whopping edge. I don't remember all of them, but one was a play in which they had a fourth and 57 or something like that and QB Roethlisberger scrambled all around then heaved a pass on his back feet all the way across the field for a touchdown -- I mean it was something incredibly stupid like that. Stupid? Yeah, stupid because not only do the Chiefs never get these kinds of things happening for them in any playoff game, they are always victims of them!

Look at the Super Bowl win over Arizona. Everyone knows about the two plays that ended each half. The Steelers won the game on an incredible final-play tiptoe reception by Santonio Holmes at the side of the endzone. But they also got that interception return by James Harrison at the end of the first half that went all the way across the field, and he barely got into the endzone by the teensiest of margins with no time left on the clock.

I have to tell you: do you know what I was thinking after watching that? Here was exactly the very thought I had. Ready?

"That would never happen for the Chiefs."

That's what I thought. Yes I'm sure bazillions of fans of other teams felt the same way about their team, that's cool. But really now, seeing how the Chiefs play in the postseason over the few years they've been in it, we have proof: it really really wouldn't happen for the Chiefs.

Let's get right to the most practical reason the Packers and Steelers do so well. And I'm going to focus on one critically important thing, something I've shared before but again have to get off my chest.

Yes it could be said the Packers and Steelers just have excellent front offices. Well, we're working on that -- I do really like Clark Hunt, following the lead of his dad and having that bold commitment to the Chiefs. I also really like Scott Pioli's leadership and I have faith in his ability to get good players -- his last draft was exceptional. There is the idea that if we have people like that it'll be more likely we'll get the right mix of players to do well, precisely what Pittsburgh and Green Bay have been able to do for so long.

But there is that other major ingredient that the Chiefs have so sorely lacked, and it is indeed one I've mentioned often before. It is no surprise. You may have even guessed what it is through reading all of this sad Chiefs woefulness. What have the Steelers and Packers had consistently that the Chiefs have never had?

A great drafted and developed quarterback.

Yesteryear it was Terry Bradshaw and Brett Favre. These years it is Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers.

Both of those guys are truly great quarterbacks. Roethlisberger has been controversial for his off-field problems and on-field inconsistency, but when it comes to winning he simply gets the job done. He's gutsy and talented and has already won two Super Bowls. That says enough.

Rodgers is up-and-coming -- and I must say I take this from what I catch here-and-there because, again, I just pay so little attention to it -- but he is one of the very best in the NFL right now. Not only did he effectively send one of the greatest ever, Favre, packing, but he has led his team from the No. 6 seed in the playoffs to the NFC Championship game.

Now, this leads us to the Chiefs quarterback situation.

I promise I'm not going to rag all over Matt Cassel. Everyone knows what a stinky game he had against the Raiders, and what an even stinkier game he had against the Ravens. Everyone knows that he was one of the studlier quarterbacks before those games, even overcoming an appendectomy to return and play great against St. Louis, and then against Tennessee. Everyone knows he had a great year overall with the services of only one good wide receiver, and he plays with great dedication and intensity.

I like Matt Cassel.

But the fact is the Curse of Odin's Revenge is extraordinarily powerful. It must be overcome with something much, much more potent than anything the Chiefs have thrown at it in the past. It requires not just a very good quarterback.

It requires a great quarteback.

Now, I've written about this before. Just about everything that needs to be said about having a great quarterback is right there. I really don't need to add anything to it, except to amplify a critical point in this conversation: He has to be drafted.

The Chiefs have never drafted and developed a truly great quarterback. When you look at that list from my post in 2008, of the ten Hall-of-Fame calibur great quarterbacks, seven of them were drafted by the teams they took to Super Bowl success. Only Unitas, Elway, and Young were not, and Unitas and Elway didn't play a single game with the team that drafted them, starting their fine play with their eventual Super Bowl teams.

It simply comes down to this. It is as plain, as clear, as simple as this.

Scott Pioli must draft the best possible quarterback he can, the Chiefs front office must do anything and everything to develop him, and the coaches must teach him how to deftly play the position at the highest levels of NFL competition.

Thuh end.

That's it. Right there. That's the secret.

Yes I know there is so much that goes into it. Yes, there are so many variables to it all. The Chiefs have even tried to do this kind of thing (Brodie Croyle, anybody?) This is exactly why the Chiefs have got to have the right mix of things going on. I've already shared I have faith in Pioli, I also have faith in Todd Haley -- it seems he's really learning and growing and as he gets there we'll have a solid foundation upon which to build our great quarterback situation.

This would require Matt Cassel to do well in the next few years so our guy can develop. Hey, maybe, just maybe Cassel himself can grow into being a great quarterback himself. That'd be awesome, I really hope it happens.

But the fact is this fan doesn't want to win just one playoff game over the next 17 years (oh that we'd have even one playoff win, how delightful :: whimper :: ) I want to have 20. With a half-dozen Super Bowl titles in there.

So yeah. We do need a bruising middle linebacker. If the best player in the draft at that position is available we've gotta snatch him. We do need another wide receiver. We still need offensive and defensive line help, no question, we have needs.

But here's the thing Chiefs fans. If we don't draft a guy who's going to be the next Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers right now and get going with this thing right now, we are going to have a really hard time overcoming Odin's Revenge. It is just never going to end.

And wait until you see the postseason stats then, in another 17 years. It's already brutally depressing. It's already blasted my red-and-gold-bleeding heart all over the place.

There's only one way that's going end.
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(A quick note about how I may note so much about all this when I've made a firm commitment to sport celibacy. As I've shared, when things happen here and there and my finely-tuned sports radar just picks it up. I may see something on a television at a restaurant, my son may simply have a game on in the other room, or we may be invited to attend a Super Bowl party. I am sports celibate, but I am not anti-social. I also do allow myself the privilege of scanning past sports information to augment the meaning of my blog takes.)
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Ravens at Chiefs - Wild-Card Playoff Game

It just doesn't seem to matter.

Do you feel that way any time the Chiefs get into the playoffs now?

Please know that I had no illusions about the Chiefs chances -- everyone and his uncle knew the Ravens were a better team. But I will tell you there was a chink in those illusions yesterday when the 7-9 Seahawks, a team we beat handily at their place, played inspired ball and took out the world champion Saints. I thought, yep, in the NFL anything can happen, the playoffs are always wide open, and we are so due to win a playoff game that our postseason losing just can't keep going like this.

But for the Chiefs, it just doesn't seem to matter.

No matter what, we just can't win a playoff game. Needless to say our cherished team now holds a quite ignominious record: longest continuous streak of playoff losses in NFL history. It is now at seven. When you think about it, this kind of record is very hard to get. If you are a playoff team it must mean you're pretty good, and you're going to win at least one playoff game every once in a while. But, yeah...

It just doesn't seem to matter.

No matter what we do we just can't shake the Curse of Odin's Revenge.

Here it is, in all its rotten colors. Since our glorious Super Bowl win in '69, we have hit the playoff trail a total of 12 times. 41 years, 12 times. That percentage alone stinks. Of those 12 times, we have had a one-&-out in ten of them.

Ten.

Ten TEN TEN one-&-outs. We're presently at six straight and still going.

It just doesn't seem to matter in any of them.

We could be better than the other team (Den 97, Ind 95 and 03) and it doesn't matter. We could be worse than them and hope for a good swing our way (NYJ 86, Ind 06, Bal 10) and it doesn't matter.  We could be evenly matched with them and at the end of the game just happen to golly-gosh find ourselves on the winning end (Mia 71 and 90, SD 92, Mia 94) and it doesn't matter.

We could be in close games (Mia 71, 90, and 94, Ind 95, Den 97) and it doesn't matter. We could be in blowouts -- naturally always be on the losing end (NYJ 86, SD 92, Ind 03 and 06, Bal 10) and it doesn't matter. We could even be home (Mia 71, Ind 95, Den 97, Ind 03, Bal 10) where the Chiefs are supposed to be so devastatingly invincible -- in the postseason we only play in feeble Arrow-through-the-heart Stadium.

It simply plainly utterly doesn't matter.

All of this putridtude comes with the services of six different coaches (three of them are or should be in the Hall of Fame -- Stram, Vermeil, and Schottenheimer) and eleven different quarterbacks who have in their resumes a total of 26 Pro-Bowl appearances among them (yes, 15 of them were for Len Dawson and Joe Montana, but did you know that Bill Kenney, Dave Kreig, Elvis Grbac, Rich Gannon, and Trent Green were also all Pro-Bowlers at least once?)

You may say "What about those two years in that time we did win?" I know. But there was only one of those games that I believe we actually played a really good solid game, and that was the Houston game in January of 1994, our very last playoff win of any kind. ::Sigh:: Our offense was pitiful in the Oakland game of 91 and we won mostly because the Raiders played so poorly, and we barely eeked out the 93 Pittsburgh game in OT. Yes we played well enough to win those games so those Chiefs teams wholly deserve the credit, I'm great with that and proud to chalk up those dubyas. The main point is this, again...

Of the twelve trips in, ten were one-&-outs. No matter what, it just doesn't seem to matter. The kind of playoff awfultude we endure just never seems to afflict any other team. Every team sometimes gets a nice playoff performance, things that happen in the game that are good and fun and result in a win. Just sometimes. The Chiefs just always have some kind of repulsive playoff-game leprosy.

Here's a key thing: all ten one-&-outs seem to have similar characteristics. Just lots of stupid wretched things that happen to us every single time. Let me regale you with some, things that wiggled their way into our game today big-time.

Stupid distractions. This whole thing with Charlie Weis leaving to be offensive coordinator at Florida. Not a distraction they all said. Of course it was! I know Todd Haley has to get a good feel for how he wants his coaching staff, I know he really wants to do offensive coordinator stuff and he wants to see how that works out with his staff and Weis just may not have fit in with that. Whatever all the reasons are, it just reminds me of when Paul Hackett said he was going to USC just before the Denver game of 97. It was just a stupid thing that got in the way of our 100% commitment to excellence by every one in the organization. Sorry, but I just never see this crap happening with other truly contending teams.

Stupid reffing. How about the overofficiating against the Chiefs? Yes, you are never supposed to complain about the officiating because often enough it comes back in your favor. I'm good with that, I really am, especially when it comes back in the Chiefs favor fair and square -- exxxcept that in the playoffs, it just never does. The Ravens just flat outplayed us today, but my goodness, Eric Berry was called for a phantom defensive holding call, Glenn Dorsey was clearly held on a key first down run by their guy, and on one of their punts a linemen barely flinched and they called him offside giving them a game-breaker first down. And those spots at the marker that went their way and didn't go ours -- I was pulling out so much of my hair that I had to get hair plugs at half-time, then resumed pulling them out.

Stupid really-stupid things. Needless to say there is all the head-shaking type of stuff that goes against us. The field-goals-bonking-off-the-uprights kind of things, you know those incessent misfortunes that keep your stomach twisting because they just never seem to stop. Off the top of my head, Verran Tucker today made a great catch and had his toe on one foot out of bounds. Here's another one, they punted the ball and got it to bounce at the one nanoinch line and dribble back to the one (and it didn't even count because they got a first down on that lineman offside call). When we punted it went down to the one nanoinch line where our downer had one of his butthairs barely in the endzone, in there enough to bring it back out to the twenty.

Stupid collapses in some key areas of our game that are not merely break-downs but catastrophes. Probably the worst of all is the axiomatic Chiefs playoff truth that however well we did something in the regular season we just can't do it in the playoffs. It's as if we leave all of our talent on towel hooks in the locker room. Happens every time we walk on the postseason football field. Every single damn year we get the chance.

So here is today's lack-of-what-we-did-so-well-in-the-regular-season:

1. Matt Cassel. He had been doing so much to prove that he wasn't some schizo out there, but I'm afraid I'm back to being very concerned. I actually thought our offensive line was going to a problem, but they actually played great. It was Cassel who really really sucked out there today. He had nothing, and he had absolutely zero confidence in himself. Sorry, but even the most vitriolic detractors have to admit that is just not like him. When he could throw the ball he didn't and got sacked. When he did he threw it poorly or right into the hands of the other team. I'm pretty sure he had more interceptions in the Raiders and Ravens games than he had all year. Check it out, I'm pretty sure that's a fact.

2. Holding on to the ball. During the year we had an extraordinarily low 14 giveaways. During the game broadcast they actually put up a graphic there with Chiefs alongside a few really great Super Bowl type teams who'd also had only 14 in their seasons. Today we had five. A lot of this was Baltimore's fine defense, which we knew was going to be a factor, but still! Couldn't we have protected the ball way better, like we did so well during the year? Why do we fail to do it so spectacularly now?!

3. Smart, solid coaching. I don't think Todd Haley really knew what he had to do to beat Baltimore. When the score was 10-7 he went for it on fourth down deep in their territory when a field goal would've tied it and kept things really close. Instead we utterly failed and they took over the game at that point, simply because Baltimore is a team that can take over a game with a 10-7 lead. He also played his defensive backfield deep containment game far too long and far too softly, and their QB Joe Flacco just picked us apart underneath. Their tight end had ten catches, and at one point I saw Tamba Hali trying to cover one of their wideouts.

One of the key things we didn't really have at all in the regular season that was bad and was just as bad in this game was any kind of decent receiving situation to compliment the justifiably studly Dwayne Bowe. In this respect you can't blame Matt Cassel when a defense can so easily take out your only true threat -- I think the closest a football got to Bowe all day was when he walked past the encased signed one in the Hall-of-Fame room there at the New Arrowhead. The Ravens could swamp Bowe because we simply had no one else.

Here was the deal with the rest of our receiving core: Chris Chambers, benched for whatever reason. Verran Tucker, picked up off the practice squad earlier in the year. Kevin Curtis, a cancer-survivor signed on Tuesday (mind you nothing against him being a cancer-surviver, that's great, it's just that he was signed Tuesday). I didn't see Terrance Copper anywhere, but did it matter? You can't expect to succeed in a playoff game with that kind of wide receiver situation. Yeah, the eye-gouging stats here were brutal: our wide-outs caught a total of two passes for eight yards.

The fact is Chiefs playoff football is never being able to overcome our awful things like this receiving travesty, and never being able to take advantage of the good things we do do. Again, you simply can't feel any other way than

It just doesn't seem to matter.

I have to close this season with a kudos to the Chiefs for what they did accomplish. After all they did win the AFC West when everyone was just hoping we'd even come close to a ten-win season. This game was a good one in the sense that I continued to see great things from our getting-better youngsters like Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles. It was fun watching Tamba Hali play like a rampaging bull out there. And I was very encouraged by our offensive line, who in spite of some slip-ups by Branden Albert, upheld their end of the bargain today.

In a perverse way I no longer have to be stressed about the NFL record for most consecutive playoff losses. We already have it, so it's a done deal. Nothing anyone can do about it, and I know why it is happening. In that respect ultimately maybe it will then be the motivating factor that gets Todd Haley to hit the playbook that much more fiercely, that gets Scott Pioli to scour the draft boards that much more rigorously, that gets the whole team will step it up that much more because they are getting slammed with what it truly takes to be a champion.

This Odin's Revenge thing is truly awful. Maybe from all of this our top people will get it done to take it out.

Maybe something like this is exactly what we need.
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(A quick note about the above opinions regarding the nature of past games and teams. The Mia 94 game was a close one at a 27-17 final score because we were fully in contention throughout. The Ind 03 game was a blowout even at 38-31 because we were always two scores down and never able to really catch up. And briefly, the Mia 71 was at home but not at Arrowhead. One may argue about the team quality assessments, but I consider Super Bowl champion Den 97 the best team in the NFL that year, except for Kansas City. The Chiefs were just better, but were done in as usual by the typical playoff stupidness. And some may say that Marv Levy is one of the coaches who is/should be in the Hall-of-Fame, but I've only counted those who got to the playoffs. Levy did come close to getting the Chiefs in the playoffs in 1981. Still, if we count him that makes four such coaches and we still haven't gotten it done. Sigh.)
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Ravens at Chiefs - Playoff Game Preview

So now for the good -- what needs to happen for the Chiefs to beat the Ravens this Sunday. We already know that the Chiefs had a very poor game coming in and the Ravens are a very good team the likes of which the Chiefs have not faced this year. So let's just accept that going in and go over a bit of what the Chiefs genuinely do well that can get them the dubya.

They run the ball exceptionally well, this almost goes without saying. The Chiefs rushing game led the NFL by far. Jamaal Charles is an All-Pro who toyed with breaking Jim Brown's all-time NFL record for most rushing yards per carry. I didn't stay and see it, did he get it? He was at around that record of 6.4 throughout the game. Whatever the case, Charles is a game-breaker, and the Chiefs are a terrific big play team. They also get solid chunks of yardage from Thomas Jones, and coach Todd Haley uses the tandem very well. If the Chiefs can get that part of their game going and keep the game close so they stay a critical factor, they have a great chance.

I have to add that our offensive line has got to step it up. They have played extraordinarily well at times this year, particularly in games after poor showings. This game would definitely fit that description. The Raiders debacle may be a wonderful blessing if those five can pick out where they missed it and how they get back in it and open those holes for the backs. I also noted that Brian Waters was selected to another Pro Bowl. Kudos to Brian -- I'm looking forward to seeing him blow out some nice lanes for our backs.

That O-line must also play like maniacs in protecting Matt Cassel. He was smothered in the Raiders game, but I think at least some of that was Cassel just not doing things like stepping up and just flat-out getting rid of the football. That has been a tick in Cassel's game since he's been with the Chiefs, but the fact is, this year he has turned it around and shown he can play extraordinary football.

That presents another great thing about this team. Our quarterback. Cassel has really had a spectacular season. His phenomenal TD to INT ratio is a testament to his terrific decision-making. He is also a real gamer who will not tolerate losing. That intense fortitude rubs off on the whole team.

Cassel also has a receiver who is yet another Chiefs All-Pro, Dwayne Bowe. That combination is one of the best in football. And even though you gotta wonder when the opponent's defense will triple cover Bowe -- it just seems the other Chiefs receivers never get the ball -- the Cassel-to-Bowe connection has been reliable all season long. That long touchdown pass-play in the Tennessee game when Bowe plucked a strike from Cassel between five Titans defenders was a thing of beauty. It'll be a challenge against the very tough Baltimore defense, but if Cassel and Bowe are in sync we'll be fine.

Our defense has had those few awful games this year, but it has also had those several stellar games. It has ranked in the top half  of all NFL defenses through the year. Tamba Hali should have been an All-Pro, and by himself had, what, 14, 15 sacks this year? Remember when the entire team was at or near a record low of sacks for the whole year?

If we can get a good game from Derrick Johnson, we should be able to stuff the Ravens offense. He's always been inconsistent, but this year he's stepped it up and done splendidly in several games.

Our defensive backfield is one of the team's strengths. Brandon Flowers has had an off year, but he's still good. Brandon Carr can play great at the other corner. Our new rookie safety Eric Berry has learned and learned and learned some more, and he has become a true NFL player out there.

An added fine thing is the team's excellent turnover ratio. They haven't gotten a whopping number of turnovers, but they've rarely turned the ball over. When they're on, the Chiefs do a great job of controlling the tempo of a game. Get that awesome running game churning, mix in those crisp Cassel to Bowe passes, and play solid containment defense -- all things we've done really well -- and we'll win.

Our special teams have also done well, and I should add that it feels real good to have a very good punter to keep the offense on their heels, and -- yes, we can say it! -- a very dependable kicker whom we will really need when so many Ravens games come down to a field goal to win it.

Finally I can't neglect to comment on the coaching. Todd Haley is definitely a Coach of the Year candidate. He has steadfastly molded the character of this team, and he is a never-say-die tactician. Some of his decisions this year have been puzzling, but more times than not he's done some wonderfully innovative things and they've worked. He's not splashy, he doesn't overreach, and gets the most from what he has.

The main intangible is the New Arrowhead. If the fans can be in the game and roaring as they should be, that could be an extra little thing that could shake the Ravens. In what should be a close game, that notorious Arrowhead crowd could be a gamebreaker.

The best part is that if we can explode with three or four big plays like we are so capable of, it may not even be close.

Go Chiefs!
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Raiders at Chiefs - Week 17 - Record: 10-6

This is a playoff team?

I have to tell you there are a number of feelings that came back to me today. Feelings I've had in the past. Let me share each one with you.

1. This reminded me of the San Diego game three weeks ago, when we got shellacked there too. It was so similar to the extent that our line on both sides of the ball just got their asses stood up. It happened in the Denver game at there place where we also got blasted. Today the Raiders O-line and D-line just made silly putty with our guys. When we had the ball Raiders were all over us in the backfield -- our runners got nowhere and our QB's were sacked six times. When they had the ball our defenders looked like they were running backwards. This is a playoff team?

2. It reminded me of 2003 when we stormed outta the gate at 9-0, then just started to get really tired. Our defense was just not keeping up with the opponents' offensive weapons as the season wore on, and it really hit us in that first playoff game when a young Peyton Manning really took us apart and beat us at home. This loss to the Raiders, by the way, was our first at "The New Arrowhead." The way we looked today I just don't have much hope for next week's New Arrowhead game. We couldn't stop a very aggressive Raiders team that is generally mediocre, what on earth are we going to do against a really good aggressive team like the Jets or Ravens?

3. It reminded me of how much I loathe the Raiders. It's not personal -- it's just the Chiefs-Raiders thing. They've now beaten us four straight at home, and it was the first win by either team over the other by a score more than a scant touchdown or so for eons. The last big-scoring blowout was 49-31 back in 2000. (I should say the Raiders beat us 23-8 in '08, so there is that.) Hard to believe but the last blowout of any sort by the Chiefs over the Raiders, even with all our success against Oakland through the 2000's, was opening day of 1998, when we won 28-8. This was also the first time the Raiders swept us since 2001. It is just representative of the ugly truth that you can have wild success over a team for a long period of time, but sometime, somehow, it is going to come back around and they're going to kick your ass.

4. It just reminded me of all those games this year when I was just convinced we were just not a very good team. The ugly fourth quarter of the Houston game. The Buffalo game when we had to scratch and claw for a win. The San Diego game when I just knew we were not that good a team, after which I questioned my bad-team assessment when we beat St. Louis and Tennessee, but now am back to thinking we're just a bad team trying to wear a good-team mask.

The painful reality is that we have not had one single proven win against a good team like the Jets or Ravens all year long. We beat each team in the NFC West. Whuppy -- they all suck. We got clobbered in three of our divisional games, one by each team, Denver, San Diego, and now Oakland. The other AFC division we played, the South, also kind of sucks, with Indy right now barely trying to squeak into the playoffs.

Add to this the prospect of facing a couple of really awful stat situations, especially in light of how bad we played today. I do plan to preview the Chiefs playoff game later, but I just have to get all the bad off my shoulders now. Get it out of the way. Next blog time it'll be all good. For now, the brutal truth.

First, you must know that the Chiefs hold the record for most consecutive playoff losses in a row. Yes, the NFL record. They share it with Dallas and Seattle, by the way, at six straight futile postseason efforts. The trick is that Dallas' and Seattle's streaks both ended at six. The Chiefs' record is still active. Just for your information: If you remember, after we got wonderful playoff wins in 1993 against Pittsburgh and then Houston, we lost the AFC Championship to the Bills in Buffalo -- that was the first loss in the series. Then in 1994 we lost to the Dolphins, one and out -- two straight losses. In 1995 we lost to Indianapolis, one and out -- three straight. In 1997 we lost to Denver, one and out -- four straight. In 2003 we lost to Indianapolis again, one and out -- five straight. In 2006 we lost to Indianapolis again, one and out yet again -- six straight. Now, what is going to happen when we face a better Jets or Ravens team next week at an Arrowhead stadium that has probably been as cursed with rotten playoff luck as Marty Schottenheimer was? Get ready for sole possession of the NFL record for sustained playoff rottenness.

Second, do you know how many times the Chiefs have won the division and had a playoff victory? The answer is a whopping two. Yes, in the grand 50+ years of pro football wonderfulness in Kansas City, there have been exactly two years when the Chiefs have won the division and went on to win at least one playoff game. Just for your information: those years were 1966 and 1993. In '66 we beat Buffalo then lost to the Packers in the Super Bowl. '93 was when we beat Pittsburgh and Houston, the last year, by the way, we've even won a playoff game at all. Only Cincinnati and Detroit have longer streaks. I did once assemble the same number of playoff wins for the other three AFC West teams in years they won the division. It was a bunch. I've got the paper with that info on it somewhere and don't want to look for it, but trust me, it was a bunch for each. For the Chiefs, two. And what about the Super Bowl year of '69? Remember? We didn't win the division that year. We were the wild-card team from the AFL. Our overall postseason record since that Super Bowl win? Just for your information: 3-11. I call it Odin's revenge, the curse the Scandinavian god put on us for beating Minnesota. Yes, that's right, 3-11. Extraordinarily pukifying.

I know this is depressing, but I have to vent. Please, indulge me. Be a Chiefs fan with me. Thank you. Don't worry, there's more.

Third, if we do get the Jets, we are facing an 0-9 ongoing playoff record against teams from the old AFC East division. 0-9. After we beat the Joe Namath Jets in the '69 playoffs (the year before there was even an AFC East) our postseason losses against old AFC East teams has been in this order (its like a repulsively ugly tapestry, really): Mia-NYJ-Mia-Buf-Buf-Mia-Ind-Ind-Ind. All losses, to zero wins against any of them since. What's funny is none of the teams was New England. Think what it'll be like if we actually got so far as to face New England in the playoffs this year. ::Shudder::

So yeah, right now I'm kinda just coasting along, just shuffling through with my thoughts about how proud I am of this team winning the division. I mean that, after all that today's-game and yesteryears'-playoff blight, I can honestly tell you I am still really proud of these guys. They are a year or two away, during which we can hope for a couple more solid Scott Pioli drafts like he had this year and not like the one the year before when he drafted Tyson Jackson far too high. I hear rumers of an NFL lockout next year, but I know nothing about it because I'm only watching the Chiefs on Sunday. If there is no NFL next year, no big deal. I'd want to see my Chiefs finally start doing well for a while, certainly, to see them actually have a chance in the playoffs. But, whatever.

Yeah I know I'm looking past next week. Don't worry, next week I will be sitting eagerly in front of the television hoping like crazy the Chiefs' good team will show up.  It may be best that I think they'll suck so if they come away with a win, it'll feel great, the exact opposite feeling of those postseason instances when we should've won going away like the '98 Denver game or the '03 Indy game. And if we lose, then no big -- we're still that year or two away anyway.

I still have hope for this year though. Maybe we can be that team with the character to play well after having our faces planted on the turf -- we've done it a few times this year. Maybe Todd Haley will have the game plan to answer a horribly wretched loss -- he's done it before. Maybe the New Arrowhead mystique will be a significant part of turning away Odin's revenge this year. Maybe after all those pukifyingly rotten loss statistics, we're due. Maybe we'll just flat-out be that team that gets hot at the right time.

I hope. I really do.

And I'm also hoping to get to a preview this week, to simply go over what really must happen in real reality for the Chiefs to finally break the spell.
_

(1/7/11 note: I have to add that upon further review I saw that the Raiders also beat the Chiefs 24-0 in 2002. I'd forgotten about that blowout simply because it was a loss by a demoralized Chiefs team completely out of contention in wet rainy Oakland on the last day of the season in which the Raiders would go on to romp through the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl. Yhee. I can add, though, that it was nice when the Buccaneers whomped on them once they got there.)

Titans at Chiefs - Week 16 - Record: 10-5

Wow, are we really AFC West Champions? I am stoked that we are -- for indeed we are -- but I only ask because I look at that record there, you see it, 10-5, and am stunned. After each game of the past three years I had been pasting something like 3-9 up there at the top of each blog post.

Ahh, that I get to put the numbers 10-5 there is pure joy.

And of course to proudly proclaim that the Kansas City Chiefs are once again AFC West Champions!

I must also add that I'm sure San Diego fans are not at all pleased with my teams. This past fall my favorite major league baseball team the San Francisco Giants caught the San Diego Padres at the very end of the season, and went on to win the entire shabang. As the Chargers were nipping at our rear ends there for a while I was thinking about those roles being reversed, but a San Diego turnabout was not to be. Today the Chargers were walloped by the Bengals and yes...

The Chiefs routed the Titans.

A couple of posts ago I expressed concern that an opposing team could simply employ the "lightening strike" offense right outta the gate, as a ploy to take down one of the Chiefs best weapons, their running game. But today's game proved that if another team can do that, so can the Chiefs.

Before the Titans could sneeze it was 24-0. They managed a nice long pass play for a touchdown, but by the end of the first half we'd padded the lead to 31-7.

We got that fourth TD of the first half on a nifty pick and run by Eric Berry, who showed precisely why he was the -- what, fourth, fifth? -- pick of entire draft last year. He made a great play on a poor pass, then sped up the far sideline, made a great cut against the pursuit, and shot into the endzone. He even launched himself like a rocket as he crossed the plain -- tremendous fun!

I'm not sure because I didn't catch it, but I don't think we have a shot at a first round bye. We do get the home game no matter what as division champs, and I'm pretty sure we'll be playing either Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or the New York Jets in a wild-card game in two weeks. We'll look more at all of that when the time comes.

As it is we get the Raiders next week in a game that will be anticlimatic (kind of a bummer because I always like beating the Raiders in any game that is really meaningful for both teams) but a nice tune-up for the playoffs.

And for right now, no matter what happens, I have to say how amazing it has been to have a team that has been built and developed and managed and coached and led by the Chiefs ownership and front office personnel. From Clark Hunt all the way through everyone to Todd Haley, they have really done a phenomenal job to get our Chiefs from bottom feeders to title contenders. Kudos to all of them, what a job!

For now, it is all good. It is the best.

Kansas City Chiefs - AFC Western Division Champions!
_

Chiefs at Rams - Week 15 - Record: 9-5

What a contrast. What a contrast. Our quarterback situation with Matt Cassel in there is like the brightest daylight compared to last week. I must say it was wonderful wonderful wonderful to see him back in there leading the charge.

I know I've spoken of Cassel as schizophrenic, but that's only because the quarterback position is so critically important. Whatever my ambivalence, there is no question that Cassel is indeed one of the best signal callers in the game. This isn't just because he isn't Brodie Croyle, but he has indeed played extraordinarily well for most of the season. A TD-to-INT ratio of 2-to-1 is pretty good. Cassel's ratio is something around 5-to-1.

And you can't deny the guy is a proven leader. He's coming off an emergency appendectomy that happened just eleven days ago. That's just amazing.

Above all the guy has guts and wants glory, and those are critically vital ingredients a QB needs if any team wants to by taken seriously in the playoffs. After a miserable first quarter (making it seven straight scoreless quarters) Cassel led a couple of great drives that led to touchdowns, putting us up 14-6 at the half. Just watching him do that nifty spin move out of a collapsing pocket then running for a first down during that second drive was just beautiful.

And then there is the defense. Last week they were simply abyssmal. This week they had someone tell them to tackle.

And they did.

They shut down their fine back, Stephen Jackson. They also held the Rams to a couple of field goals early when they ran all over us. As the game progressed they put more and more clamps on the Rams great rookie QB Sam Bradford, completely shutting him down after that depressing first quarter. Wallace Gilberry will be the guy with his name in the headlines, getting three sacks, each one critical to our victory. Early in the second quarter he put the Rams out of field goal range, and in the fourth he kept the Rams from sneaking back into the game late.

I didn't catch how Jamaal Charles is, because he was injured after a boffotacular 80-yard run to put the game away late. Even though he and Jones were stuffed for most of the game, he is showing that he definitely should be an All-Pro this year. He did walk off the field under his own power and he was sitting there on the bench with ice. I heard nothing about him after that, so we'll see where he is for next week.

Speaking of next week, we've got our last two games at home sweet home! We are so not-there yet. San Diego is still breathing heavily on our backs. But this was a crucially important win, getting it on the road and closing the road season with a 3-5 record -- that doesn't seem impressive, but it could've been a lot worse.

The team hasn't lost yet at the New Arrowhead and they plainly play better with the hometown fans right there with them. Their next two are against middling teams, Tennessee and Oakland, though both can be explosively surprising.

For now, a tough road win is sweet, and nice for a good boost of confidence.
_

Chiefs at Chargers - Week 14 - Record: 8-5

Yes the Chargers were playing like focused maniacs after looking uncharacteristically stupid against Oakland last week. Yes the Chargers were fighting for their playoff lives at home. And yes the Chargers are still a very good team, having stormed back into the division race with four straight wins before the Raiders debacle.

But I am not one to say this was coming or even that on any given Sunday your team can just not have it together. The real fact is

This Chiefs team does not look like a division leading team.

It is that simple.

It wasn't just that we didn't play well. It was mostly a complete and utterly horrific exposure of our quite extraordinary weaknesses. Let's go over them a bit, shall we? (Oh, don't worry, this game was already painful to watch. How much worse can it be?)

First, there is our backup quarterback situation. I was actually looking forward to seeing Brodie Croyle start, thinking that over the past couple of years under Todd Haley and now Charlie Weis -- and watching Matt Cassel make great strides in his development -- he'd mature and be confident and all the rest of it.

Not even close.

The guy is still awful. He has a great arm, great mobility, all that -- yadda yadda, heard it all four years ago. The guy still hasn't a clue as to what he's doing out there. He's now 0-10 as a starter, his last win was with Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.

We'd better hope nothing else happens to Matt Cassel.

As it was Croyle's complete ineptitude was the major factor in us coming that close to having our worst offensive performance ever -- it was a 60-something total yards game back in 1963 or something like that. Today we got something like 70. As far as I could tell we didn't have a single third down conversion, we may have when Chambers made that catch with a minute left, but whatever. We got into San Diego territory twice. Utterly pathetic.

Thing is, was it Haley or was it Croyle? Why wasn't Croyle just throwing the ball down the field early? Was Haley telling Croyle to hold back or was that just Croyle being very bad? Either way, it was all pukifying, abjectly pukifying.

Second, our tiring offensive line. The Charger defense just ran us over, that's all. As bad as Croyle was, our offensive line didn't help him. Yes our QB needed to just plain get rid of the ball. But if you're as nervous as Croyle was, you weren't going to get help from these guys. The run blocking was just as poor.

By the way, a little thing to add. Just a little thing, really, nothing at all.  Besides getting thoroughly and contemptuously shut out today, did anyone forget that we didn't score a single point in the second half of the Denver game last week? So, um, yeah, that's six quarters and counting of haplessly scoreless Chiefs football.

Third, our run defense. The D-line and our linebackers were just plain putrid. (Once again the call goes out: Scott Pioli! Scott Pioli! We need a Ray Lewis-type guy in the middle really really badly...) We faced another team that just knows how to stand us up. Not only that but I'm just flat ashamed at our unwillingness to fully pursue and truly finish. That last touchdown by their back-who-wouldn't-go-down was an embarrassment of epic proportions.

For those who didn't happen to behold it. San Diego had the ball deep in Chiefs territory for the 78th time or so in the game. Mike Vrabel had this guy, Ryan Mathews, dead in his tracks until he simply stayed on his feet while all the other Chiefs guys just watched. I guess they paid good money to come to the game to see this guy dance around and they just wanted to kick back in their lounge chairs and enjoy it.

On a more serious note, didn't these guys watch that same guy take the ball in the very first quarter and get hammered in the backfield, yet still stay on his feet for a few more yards? Didn't someone on the defense say the simple words, "Hey, no one stops until that guy's face is planted deep in the turf. Make sure you finish." Was there simply no Chiefs individual within a hundred miles of that sideline to tell all the other Chiefs quasi-defenders that? I mean, I was about 120 miles from there and I was screaming it into the television set, but, well...

Absolutely embarrassing.

Third, our receiving core. Now I can't lay it all on them because of Brodie Croyle, but still, where are these guys? Dwayne Bowe simply can't carry the load. Where is Chris Chambers? Do we have to rely on pick-up throw-in Verran Tucker? Why wasn't Dexter McCluster in the mix more?

Yes yes yes, Croyle just didn't know what to do with the ball, and that's not the receivers' fault.

But if our Matt Cassel-led team can't get the passing game to gel beyond Dwayne Bowe, we're in trouble.

Fourth, our precarious situation if the other team scores early. This relates to the passing game woes. In games when the opposing team scores first, or gets up by two scores, it is very scary because we've relied so much on the run. Regrettably, really good running teams like the Chiefs simply do not make good Super Bowl teams unless their passing game is stratospherically spectacular. It's like a rule.

I know, I know for sure that every team we play from here out -- and they are all still playoff contenders, not to mention those playoff teams if we ever make it there -- they are all going to employ the lighting-strike offense on their first possession to score quickly and take out our running game. Is our defense up to that challenge?

They weren't today, big-time.

No, it wasn't just a case of having a tough time of it today. No, this was not just a bad-day game. It was way way worse than that.

This was a bad-team game.

Sure we're still 8-5 and in control of our destiny. I know all that. But I will say it again in closing.

I only care about the Chiefs being a Super Bowl winning team.

And I really don't think this Chiefs team is even a division winning team, much much less a playoff game winning team.
_

Broncos at Chiefs - Week 13 - Record: 8-4

This was definitely one of those games in which an exactly equal amount of good things and bad things happened. A lot of very good things, and the same number of very bad things. The good things shout, "We're a true playoff contender with an actual chance to go far!" The bad shout, "We haven't a chance in the playoffs if we even get there!"

The best good thing is that we got a key, clutch, close win in December during a legitimate playoff push! ...BUTTT

We almost fell apart in the second half. We didn't even score a single point.

This means a very good thing was that our defense did the job! The D-line sacked Kyle Orton four or five times, forcing a key 4th quarter fumble after one of them. Branden Carr was spectacular out there, slapping away everything Orton did get off, resulting in a splendidly putrid 9 of 28 passing for the Broncos QB. What a difference from that last game in Denver when Orton torched us for 700 yards passing and 11 touchdowns (okay, it wasn't exactly that, but it was really bad)... BUTTT

Their running back, a not-even-close-to-Hall-of-Fame calibur Knowshon Moreno, went off on us for 175 total yards. So one week our pass defense is atrocious, another week it is our run defense. Sure our pass defense held this team to a very gratifying six points, the same team that put up 49 on us a few weeks ago. Think of what we could do if we put it all together.

A good thing was our continued expedient playcalling on offense. We had great success with those short West Coast offense dump-offs to our backs and tight ends, and the Charles-Jones machine was humming nicely yet again. (And I really should be saying the Charles-Jones-Cox machine because fullback Mike Cox is blocking like a maniac out there -- it is him springing them as much as it is the springees)  ...BUTTT

We didn't seem to do anything else with anyone not our backs. Fantasy league guys with Dwayne Bowe are as furious with him today as they have been ecstatic with him over the past several games. Today Bowe didn't just have an uncharacteristic zero touchdown catches, he had zero catches. Champ Bailey had him covered like a blanket on a sleeping baby, and the only pass Bowe caught was waved off because he was flagged for pass interference.

The most troubling bad thing about today's game was the penalties, and they were very costly and very much on the coaching staff. If it is a hold or clip it's on the player. We had our share of those today, don't get me wrong. A spiffy super-long run by McCluster was nullified by one.

BUTTT today we had a touchdown also nullified because of illegal motion or shift or something that happened more than once. The most blatantly telling aspect of this problem was the Barry Richardson meltdown on the sidelines, after he was called for a false start. This was unquestionably a product of his own immaturity and something which all Chiefs fans hope will be dealt with summarily by the coaches. Thing is a lot of that has to be the coaches looking at their own formations and other offense technicalities that have to be worked out or we'll be hammered by them in a crucial late season or playoff game. They happened far too frequently in today's game, helping make this one a nailbiter when it really shouldn't've been.

A good thing is that we're getting some of our key guys healthy again, and sometimes when you're playing well without them and they still get that undesired rest, they may actually play more rigorously in the late season because of that refreshment time. BUTTT

McCluster almost cost us the game when we gave him the ball and sent him through the line late, and he fumbled. We've turned the ball over only nine times this season, which is wonderfully wonderful. In fact we made up for it by getting a key fumble from them a bit later. So it is good we've got Dexter back with all his restored vigor, but it can also mean he and the rest of our returnees are rusty. Our banged up offensive line is also cause for concern because it seemed Cassel had to run around a lot more back there than usual.

The last good thing is that we still have a perfect record at the New Arrowhead, so that's very nice. Even nicer is that we have a two-game lead on the second place Chargers and Raiders with four left. BUTTT...

Errgh, the reality. We go on the road again for the next two. And next week we're in San Diego -- still solid and most likely really smarting from looking so bad against the Raiders today. I know I shouldn't be bringing this up, but remember the last time we were 8-4? It was 2005, right there poised to snatch a nice easy playoff spot, and then we refused to close in Dallas and refused to tackle in New York. Pittsburgh was 7-5 at the time and remember at the time thinking they were no threat. Well, they ran the table and won the Super Bowl, and we finished at a very respectable 10-6 although that playoff spot slipped from our grasp.

We've got to have a lot more good than bad in the last quarter of the season to keep that from happening again.
_

Chiefs at Seahawks - Week 12 - Record: 7-4

When seeing that half our defensive backfield was sitting on the sidelines nursing serious injuries, I really wondered today if we could do that one thing we needed to do to show that we truly deserve to be leading the AFC West... Win a November game on the road. The Chiefs were 0-3 in games when our All-Pro D-back Brandon Flowers has not played.

It was kind of dicey midway through this one. Even though Javier Arenas and Kendrick Lewis were also out there limping around, glory be: Our defensive backfield held their own. They did have a quite embarrassing blown coverage that allowed Seattle to get a make-it-mildly-interesting early 4th quarter 87-yard touchdown pass play, but they did a fine job of keeping Seattle's QB Hasselback from hurting us. They got some help from the Chiefs D-line who sacked him a few times, once causing a fumble that was sandwiched between two TD plays that put this one away late.

They had said this Seattle team was a big-play team, and sure enough they got us early by blocking a field goal attempt, then blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown.

But then there is this Kansas City offense.

Every time Seattle did something to make it close, our offense did the job. What can be said about the key performers.

Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe. These guys played like Hall-of-Famers today. They really did. This was an exceptionally standout performance by both of them. Twelve connections, three touchdowns, and the even better completions were those short slants to get those clutch first downs. 3rd down after 3rd down they converted and keep drives going. The troubling thing is that these guys are so in-sync that no one else in the passing game is getting in the mix. Moeaki is coming off an injury but he had only one catch, the final TD of the game. The other receivers -- Terrence Copper, Verran Tucker, and Chris Chambers -- didn't even have to be on the field. What's going to happen when we need them to produce?

Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones (and DE Shaun Smith with "The Refrigerator" blast into the endzone!) What else can you say that hasn't been said. These guys are still running over everyone. Jamaal Charles alone ran for nearly 200.

Three, the offensive line. Hey, all of this could not happen without an O-line playing their souls out, and playing well. Branden Albert was out, and there were some early critical penalties that could have really cost us. But they picked it up, dealt splendidly with the loud Seattle crowd noise throughout, and made it so the highly efficient Cassel-Bowe-Charles-Jones machine could keep humming.

We're at home next week against Denver where we should be focusing on exacting a bit of revenge for the debacle in Denver a couple weeks ago. But then it is on to San Diego, the road game that will not only show even more whether or not we're a contender, but whether or not we'd be a genuine player in the post-season.
_

Cardinals at Chiefs - Week 11 - Record: 6-4

Is this a schizophrenic team or what? We blow out teams at home, but struggle on the road. We are now 5-0 at home, 1-4 on the road. At home the team stats are eye-popping, on the road they are barely average. Who are we, really?

Today we pasted a very average Cardinals team whose quarterback seemed to be wearing glasses that made everyone appear two feet taller than they really were, so I can't crow too effusively about our team's performance today. But what I can say is honestly very encouraging.

Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe are showing that when they are on, they are one of the best passing tandems in the NFL. Last week they had fun out there in Denver, torching the Broncos with 400+ passing yardage after the game itself was decided. If you counted only the last half or so, the Chiefs actually won last week  29-14. But that was last week.

This week the Chiefs defense didn't allow the Cardinals to do much after they started the game again roaring down the field. Only yielding a field goal then allowed us to make great use of our running game. The dynamic duo Jones and Charles put up 159 on the ground, a grip of good yardage that is kind of the standard now for the Chiefs running game.

But then there is Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe. Cassel has 18 touchdowns on the season and only 4 interceptions. That is pretty danged great. I really like seeing our receivers get some real separation out there today making it easier for Cassel. Bowe for his part set a Chiefs record with his sixth straight game with a TD catch, and Bowe's  fantasy league owners have been in a state of nirvana thus far. Critical in this game was the Chiefs 80-yard drive to start the second half, and very nice mix of runs and passes that showed what we can do.

The bazillion dollar question at this point: Can we do this kind of thing on the road?

Next week we go to Seattle. The Seahawks are pretty good but can be beaten. I truly think this will be the test. Again, will we show we are true contenders or not?

Can our offense hum like it did today in someone else's yard?

Furthermore, can our defense play with steady, sustained effectiveness -- especially in someone else's yard?

I was beginning to wonder if Dexter McCluster was that much of a factor, since he'd been out for several weeks. We also didn't have Tony Moeaki or John McGraw for today's game, and we had a banged up offensive line. Branden Albert went out with some injury today, and that concerns me. So another very crucial question is, how will our injury situation affect this team?

Next week, on the road. In Seattle is where the real question will be answered.

Are we actually truly really actually contenders?

We'll find out.
_

Chiefs at Broncos - Week 10 - Record: 5-4

I'm just going to write this and get it over with. The fourth quarter of this game hasn't even started and it's over. In fact this was over after the first touchdown the Broncos scored in the first minute of the game.

They'd said as the game began that the Broncos hadn't scored a point on their first possession in any game all season. Today they had four touchdowns in their first four possessions. They'd said that the Broncos running game was crap. Today they ran all over us. They also said their run defense was also crap. Of course, what do you think happened? We couldn't get anything on the ground. I'm pretty sure we got our first seven-yard run, our bread-and-butter all year, after we were down 21-0.

I'd seen that the Raiders beat the Broncos in Denver a few games ago, something like 59-14. How in the world did that same Broncos team get the same kind of score against us today? Sure it's the NFL. Those guys aren't Pop Warner out there. "Any given Sunday" is always applicable. Sometimes everything just goes against you and everything goes for the other guys such as it was in this game today. Yeah yeah, I know all that.

But it is official:

This Chiefs team just hasn't proven it is a true contending team. We should have known it all along. Sure the very very very nice 3-0 start was very nice. Very exhilarating -- thank you Chiefs for that. It was very fun, I do mean that. But since then, let's face it.

Our defense couldn't seal the deal against a very mediocre Houston team. We lost a game we had in the bag.

We had to go five quarters before barely beating a very beatable Buffalo team, at home.

Last week the Raiders were falling all over themselves handing us on a silver-and-black platter yet another Chiefs victory in Oakland -- a splendid gift we simply spilled all over the place.

We simply cannot win a road game -- or even avoid getting get massacred in one such as today. Since our squeaker on the road against Cleveland in the second week of the season an eternity ago, we're 0-4 on the road. Can't win on the road? -- It's a rule: You're not a contender.

What is it that really gets me about this team?

One, Matt Cassel. He drives me crazier and crazier. Some plays he's great, other plays he's plain awful. He was sacked, how many times today? Four or five? To give him credit, our banged up offensive line was banged up even more. Still, when the opponent takes out your running game by taking a massive lead early, you gotta have a passing game. Has anyone been really really really confident in our passing game at any point in the year? (Oh, and please, do you really think 400+ yards of mostly garbage-time passing yardage counts?... Really.)

Two, our defensive line. What kind of imposters were those guys out there today? Or were those guys who played so well earlier in the season the real imposters? Dorsey, Edwards, Jackson, Hali were thoroughly stood up today. Correction, if they were stood up that'd be a compliment. Really, they were pushed, shoved, kicked, mauled, completely mowed over by the Denver offensive line. It was utterly embarrassing. If those top-draft-pick guys -- you know them, Dorsey & Jackson -- if they don't come out of drifting back to being frighteningly average, we're not even remotely close to being contenders.

Three, the coaching. Were Todd Haley and his staff really prepared for this game? What do you really think? Maybe they did their best, fine. But it didn't mean a whole lot -- Denver's coaching staff was way more prepared. This was just one coaching staff kicking the pants off another. For one thing Denver's coaches were getting the very best from their fine QB Kyle Orton. He started the game regularly doing play action with a supposedly awful running game and getting away with it. Yes, our defensive backfield is also banged up, yes, I know. But where was the rest of our defense? Oh yeah... They were replaced by imposters, fergot.

What a wonderful word.

Forgot.

Definitely something to do with this piece-a- ----.
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Chiefs at Raiders - Week 9 - Record: 5-3

I could say all kinds of things about the awful officiating crew covering today's game. We had some rotten calls against us, such as the completely meaningless holding call against Andy Studebaker that cost us three points. But the fact is we got some of those rotten calls to help us out. (We weren't even hurt by their total brainlock about what Chiefs down it was before our first touchdown.) This is what is really saddest: that the only reason we were actually in this game is that we benefitted from them.

Add to that this Raiders team was hopelessly abysmal in the first half, and still there is truly no reason we deserve to win this game. Both sides of their line were better than ours, and that alone made up for the fact that most of their play was completely inept. But they were a spirited team that got the job done when they had to. All I can think about is that third and long play from midfield just before the end of regulation with us up 20-17. We had a sure sack that we overran, then Brandon Flowers set up for an easy pick but he got bumped out of the way (very legally) by a more acquisitive receiver who snatched it from him. Next play, game-tying FG.

We'd beaten the Raiders seven straight in Oakland, and I just knew we couldn't keep that streak alive. This was as much the sports gods just making everything work for the Raiders when it had to as it was the Chiefs just not finishing -- yet again.

Yes, the Chiefs did finish last week against Buffalo, but we shouldn't have had either of these games be as close as they were.

Today Dwayne Bowe dropped another pass. Even Tony Moeaki dropped a pass. We had two or three dropped interceptions. Two long Javier Arenas runbacks -- one of them a touchdown -- were brought back by penalties. Our running game only got untracked in the second half. We still had far too many 3rd-and-1's that we just couldn't convert. We didn't have a single good, solid, significant drive that we could proudly say the mix of our playcalling and execution got the job done. Not a one.

And probably the most important factor in this mix is Matt Cassel. Is there a single Chiefs fan who isn't driven absolutely crazy by this guy? I'm in a complete schizophrenic state in trying to figure him out. He is a true gamer, a vicious competitor who you want leading the charge. But then he does things like float an idiotic duck into the end zone that gets easily picked off at the most inopportune time, with less than a minute left in the first half and a chance to get at least a field goal and go up 13-0.

Yes, there were a lot of stupid things that happened in the Raiders favor today, but you know? There were just as many for the Chiefs that kept us in the game.

We have a talented team. If we want a contending team our in-game minds had better be much more focused.
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Bills at Chiefs - Week 8 - Record: 5-2

Throughout the entire game I was sure this was going to be another one of those typically stupid losses we'd have to suffer at the hands of the Bills. Remember the latest ones? Last year when we couldn't get just one more touchdown and lost 16-10? The year before when the Bills put up a 50+ spot on us? A few years before that, in 2005, when we were true contenders and had one of the most wretched games we could ever play, flopping 14-3?

This was shaping into yet another one. Late in the 4th quarter Mike Vrabel misses getting a clutch fumble by the partially removed mole on his elbow. Then the Bills receiver gets a slant pass and he does get into endzone by what was left of his mostly removed mole on the elbow. Aaaaaagh!

And how many times did we come up a yard short to get a first down. I have truly lost the remaining hair I had in my head.

Amazingly the Bills-game stupidness that has so ravenously infected us went in our favor when the Bills kicker lined a long game-winning field goal through in overtime, but he did it just after the Chiefs called a timeout. He missed his next try.

Now, let me ask you. Is Todd Haley driving you as crazy as he is me? I think I am now officially sick of his vaunted four-down play calling strategy. He really really really really should have been kicking a field goal waaaaaaaaay earlier in the game when it would've been a chip-shot for Succop but instead, well, he didn't go for the FG. You know what happened. He went for it. We failed. We had to sweat out a full overtime before we could win it.

I'm also wondering where the heck our passing game was today. Yes, I know Charles and Jones continue to run over everyone. Our offensive line with a young Jon Asamoah replacing the injured Ryan Lilja was terrific today. But if we are that good with our running game which should open things up big-time for the passing game, then, ahem...

Where is the passing game?

Tony Moeaki caught three big passes, two of them to set up the game-winning FG, but he had only three. Bowe caught three for a grand total of 16 yards. Our leading receiver was Jamaal Charles yet even then Cassel woefully missed him on a long pass when he had his guy beat. Come on, guys, where are all our receivers? You know, the guys who spread out at the far ends of the line and jet out on the snap and run crisp routes and get open kind of down the field a bit? Oh, and yes, for the Chiefs especially: and they securely draw the passed ball gently into their sure hands?

And so yes, I'm back to being really concerned about Matt Cassel. In overtime we were at midfield on third down and Cassel had decent pass protection when he just didn't throw the ball. He then slipped out of the pocket with plenty of time to throw it again--and still didn't throw it. He tucked it in and ran in an obviously futile attempt to get to the first down hash.

So yeah, both Haley and Cassel have already made me lose all my hair. That we did end up winning with some very-late-in-overtime clutch play may enable me to grow some of it back before the next game, but what'll happen next week when we play in Oakland. The Raiders are a much improved team and we've won seven straight there.

If we don't find our passing game, do you really think we're going to keep that up?
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Jaguars at Chiefs - Week 7 - Record: 4-2

I have to open this post straight away with something that I want to say loud and clear is one of the main reasons we are playing so well. For the past four or five years I've been pulling my hair out about this facet of our game, and this year I am so pleased that I get to sing its praises. What a joy it is to say without equivocation that

It is back.

You know what I'm talking about.

The Kansas City Chiefs --

Offensive Line Is Back.

All you had to do was watch that early run by Thomas Jones that set up our first TD. A 70-yard romp that was split open by confident linemen moving people out with steady profeciency. Our running game ground out 236 yards today, again Jones and Charles popping for six and seven yards each carry. So right outta the gate a very high five to (from left to right)...

Branden Albert
Brian Waters
Casey Wiegmann
Ryan Lilja
Barry Richardson

Not only are these guys opening up those nifty holes for our backs, but they are doing a spot-on job of protecting our quarterback. Cassel was 13 for 18 today, which doesn't seem like much but most of those completions were critical in keeping drives alive or even going for touchdowns, and our running game is doing so well that he didn't have to throw a lot.

And how about getting some of those ball control drives. The Chiefs are now hitting on all the cylindars needed to have wholesomely sustained drives -- yes, wholesomely, not a word used too often in this instance but wholesome because those drives allow our defense to rest and keep a rhythm out on the field.

In the first half it looked like the awful second half in the Texans game was just continuing. The Jaguars would get the ball and just ram it down the field on us. But in the second half the offense got good at burning up clock and getting good yardage, allowing the defense to rejuvenate itself. After the Jags made it close in the third, 21-20, we didn't allow them to get another point. We shut down their go-to back, the very talented Maurice Jones-Drew, even before our extended lead took him completely out of the game.

We also didn't allow a couple of questionable pass interference calls from an overofficiating crew rattle us. And hey! Even though it was a gift, Eric Berry got his first NFL pick and put on a show running it back some 30 yards to put the nail in the coffin.

And we can't not say something about another phenomenal game from Dwayne Bowe. His fantasy league owners have got to be loving this guy a lot, especially after he dropped one of their touchdown passes in the Colts game. His first touchdown today was a terrific comeback to an underthrown ball from Cassel, followed by a number of splendid juke moves to get around Jag backs to scamper into the end zone. His second was vintage Bowe, a fantastic leaping grab and toe-touch to stay in-bounds for the score.

A couple of times I wondered what was going on down there with Todd Haley. One time he eschewed the field goal that at the time would've put us up by 11 but instead did his going-for-it-on-4th-down thing again, and this time it failed. He also called a couple of weird timeouts in early in the second half -- if this had been close at the end we'd've had only one.

But to give Haley credit, there are a number of stats that just show we are building into a really solid team, and much of that is because of his deft architecture.

The Chiefs are capitalizing on their turnovers, scoring on just about every one, while keeping the other team from scoring when they get the ball from us. We are also doing great at minimizing the loss plays -- I think I'd heard the Chiefs are one of the top teams in fewest loss yardage plays. Cassel's only been sacked a few times this year, which is again a testament to the awesome job -- oh what a joy it is to say that -- the awesome job our offensive line has been doing.

Every once in a while I'll see or hear some stat that is just so fun to hear, you know, the kind of stat that is indicative of a team playing really well. I can't remember them all, but it is really fun to hear them.

This is a very fun team to be rooting for right now
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Chiefs at Texans - Week 6 - Record: 3-2

Hello, Chiefs' young hearty defense.

Welcome to the NFL.

For four-and-a-half games this year, we had all reveled in our stalwart Chiefs defensive exploits. Both Brandons covering receivers like shrink wrap. Our swift linebackers eagerly devouring runners. Our resolute D-line standing people up. The whole bunch never allowing more than two touchdowns in any game.

But then they face a never-say-die excellent offensive machine.

Houston torched these guys for four touchdowns in four final possessions, making our D-guys look like a Pop Warner B-team. This was an awful loss, a win that the Chiefs had in the bag until Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and their valiantly persevering offense made them look silly.

And here's the thing. We all like that Todd Haley is ambitious with his play calling. He has made this team a fun team to watch.

But he really needs to know how to finish by just flat-out getting the job done.

There was simply no excuse, no excuse in the universe for him to pass on 3rd and 2 with two minutes left, needed just one first down to really put the Texans on their heels. We'd been running all over these guys, gaining 6 or 7 yards a pop, and we throw a pitifully incomplete pass to bring up a 4th down and running no time off the clock. This gave their stellar offense tons of time to continue to roll over us.

There was simply no way we could have let them back in it.

Yes, there are all kinds of great things to say about our Chiefs performance today. Our 3rd down conversion rate was a wonderful surprise. I mean, really, we've been justifiably ripping the passing game, but today it was great. When we get our passing game and our pass defense together we'll be a genuinely contending team.

Yes, I do question if we are true contenders. We have so much promise -- hey, for the first time in years our offensive line is something that we can be extraordinarily proud of -- Charles and Jones each got nearly 100 yards again. And Dwayne Bowe had another of his games when he shows us how great he can be.

But the most positive thing about this game may just be that we lost so horribly. Maybe this is the wake-up these young kids need to have to know that in the NFL you can't just waltz right over people.
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Chiefs at Colts - Week 5 - Record: 3-1

Ya know? Really. We do have a pretty darn good team. Before the game I was really thinking, as I'm sure many were, that we'd get our comeuppance in Indy. Here is this young team facing the great Peyton Manning and the vaunted Indianapolis offensive machine, and they'll really know what the NFL is like.

We didn't win, but we held our own. Our defense really clamped down on that Colt offense, and only bent a bit too much when allowing a touchdown with a scant minute left. Our running game still churned out good yardage keeping solid drives going.

But then...

There is that passing game.

And the one pile of refuse that I was really hoping was finally taken to the dump and left there once and for all: dropped passes.

It is also still obvious we are not getting our routes run out crisply, Matt Cassel is just not getting the ball where he needs to as often as he must, and come on -- those dropped passes. What is this? You just can't have guys dropping passes in the NFL. You just can't. I'd like to think we are contenders, I really would, and looking at a lot of the positives today I think it's very reasonable to think so.

But this passing game does indeed cause me great concern.

I mean, on the one hand you do have those instances when a Chris Chambers runs a nice route underneath and follows it with a nice run to get a clutch first down at the end of the half. But on the other hand you get Dwayne Bowe getting just open enough at the side of the end zone to haul in what was nicely becoming his patented TD grab, but he drops it. Come on. We've got Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe as our top receivers. These guys should be studs. But then...

On one hand you've got Tony Moeaki making nice grabs for good yardage. But on that other hand you've got too many blown opportunities where our passing deficiencies really kill us, like the time we had a fourth down and Cassel just threw the ball into a crowd at the goal line.

Next week it is Houston who looks very good this year, from the little that I've picked up.

Back to the drawing board for Charlie and the passing game guys.
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49ers at Chiefs - Week 3 - Record: 3-0

Is this team fun or what?

For all the crazy Chiefs gymnastics out there that made Arrowhead -- err, 'scuze me, the NEW Arrowhead -- the place to be Sunday, I will tell you that the most satisfying thing was simply that

We got our first long sustained drive to result in a touchdown.

This offense is showing promise. Now yes, everything fell into place in this game. That just won't happen every game. We also benefitted from some spectacular big plays, so let's just get right into them.

- A phenomenal interception by Brandon Flowers -- the tip, the bounce off the foot, then into his hands while lying flat on his back.

- The screen pass to Dexter McCluster -- this guy in the open field is unbelievable. And the flyyy-ing into the end zone. How great is this! This is not even to mention his scintillating punt returns to set up great field position.

- The flea flicker out of that wildcat formation. Thomas Jones to Dexter McCluster to Matt Cassel coming from the wide receiver position. And Bowe with the nifty catch in the end zone -- too much!

- The one handed grab in the back of the end zone by Tony Moeaki. Please know that no Chiefs fan will every say "Tony who?" when it comes to Tony Gonzalez -- in fact he had a nice TD of his own for Atlanta today I found myself cheering for -- but is our new Tony great or what?!

I always glow about good Chiefs things in my classroom, and last week one of my students mentioned that we are getting great work from our rookies. No kidding. And we haven't even heard much from Eric Berry yet. Thing is, he is still part of a defense that thoroughly shut down San Francisco. Frank Gore, nothing until the second the last play of the game when it was meaningless. Victor Davis, one catch on the day. Alex Smith, every other pass an incompletion and he was constantly pressured. In fact I'm pretty sure we are already getting close to the number of sacks we had all of the season two years ago.

And our offense really shined today. Yes, again, those big plays were a part of it, but Haley is coaching this team to have a tremendous amount of confidence in their athletic abilities. He's really taking advantage of it. The key is our running game. Jones and Charles each had over 90 yards, and that tandem is gelling wonderfully. The Chiefs offense had 16 -- count 'em -- 16 plays of ten yards or more. What a splendid change from all those three-and-outs we've suffered through for years.

That means, yes, finally, we can give a rousing cheer for the offensive line! Hurray! Ahhhh... Not since the Willie Roaf Will Shields days can we do that. This new guy Ryan Lilja, what an addition. Brian Waters is still a stud. Branden Albert coming into his own. And how sweet is it to have Casey Weigmann back anchoring the line and standing people up.

All around, just a wonderful day for the Chiefs.

3-0 baby!

Bye week next week, so we can relish this for an extra week! We got Indy the week after, at Indy, so we'll see then if we're really for real. For now...

This was just pure fun.
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Chiefs at Browns - Week 2 - Record: 2-0

How sweet that is, to write "2-0" there at the beginning of a "Chiefs Game Today" blog post.

I will tell you that I'm still out here visiting my mother who has been in the hospital, that is why my post of last week was so abbreviated. I will say she is doing much better, and I have a minute to share some Chiefs oriented thoughts for this week.

I will say, however, that when I wanted to get over an watch this one at the local sports bar, I was completely occupied in being with my mom at one of the more significant junctions in her recovery, so I only caught snippets here and there. I did catch the highlight reel, as I must sometimes do, and caught some of the vital statistics, so I can offer a bit of a take.

I am extraordinarily impressed with our defense, which is the one thing that I didn't see much of at all. What I did see was Eric Berry chomping majorly on a play-fake allowing the Browns to go up top and get a long TD pass. At that moment I thought, "Wow does this rookie have a lot to learn." Apparently he learned quick because the Browns did not score a point for the rest of the game. Oh how I wanted to see that!

The offense did much better as well. Not only did Cassel engineer drives to get us field goals a number of times, but he made those clutch third down completions to keep the defense off the field enough to be rested to shut down the Browns offense. Oh oh oh how I wanted to see that!

Thing is, we did not score an offensive touchdown today. Yes, I did see Brandon Flowers' beautiful come-back-on-the-ball interception and TD return, but that's just another big play that helped get us a win. We absolutely must have sustained touchdown drives on a regular basis if we hope to be contenders. Two games so far -- zero sustained offensive drives resulting in touchdowns.

The fact that they mixed Jones and Charles up is a great thing, but that passing game has to click even better for us to get those drives. It was good to see the improvement after that wretched passing day against San Diego, but we still have a long way to go.
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Chargers at Chiefs - Week 1 - Record: 1-0

The Chiefs are vibrantly important, certainly, but there are other things that rival and indeed surpass the Chiefs. Major stuff happening now precludes me from putting down the typically vast amount of Dave take on the Chiefs even with our inspired New-Arrowhead play Monday night.

With that in mind, here are the bullet takes of my myriad thoughts:

- Exhileration. A big-play Chiefs win on national television was definitely fun.

- D.J. That's two games in a row now that Derrick Johnson has been a beast on defense. (Remember last year's final game in Denver?) How great would it be for him to be coming into his own.

- The Dee. The whole defense was stellar. They all were beasts out there, really clamping down on a strong San Diego offense. That last minute stop was simply splendid.

- The passing game. Yeah, what passing game. It was shameful to say the least. Matt Cassel and his receivers should be apologizing profusely to the defense for never getting a first down to give them a rest in the second half. (I mean, really, did they even get a first down in the second half?)

- Dexter. Let's hope Haley can finally figure out how to use this guy.

- Injuries. Good to hear Tyson Jackson will be okay. I know Brandon Flowers was down but back up again, I just don't know what his situation is though.

There are a few other scintillating things I could punch in here as well, but I've got to move out. Next week should be better. Look to see you then.
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