Fmbl2187

It's totally escapist for me. This is maybe the best of times in Chiefs history. Watching the news is depressing and makes me angry and sad, and the networks make money by doing just that. The Chiefs help me enjoy being alive, despite women being raped on city streets, children being shot down in school rooms, and slow poisons seeping into the air, water, and food. Despite war, pandemics, stupidity, and greed, the Chiefs keep a smile on my face and hope in my heart LOL.

Me, too. As long as I can watch them play, have a chance, and read about it, I'm good. Except if we lose. Then I feel depressed, morose and terrible all week and indulge in anger and self-pity and pretend it doesn't bother me in the presence of other human beings...except on this forum.

I read an article, I think on AP, yesterday, that tried to rate each position group compared to last year. It seemed extremely conservative and seemed to underestimate the improvement in many areas, especially on the lines.. Most of all, it seemed to completely disregard the improved youth and depth in nearly every area. Youth provides a hell of a lot. Experience and coaching often wins games, but depth wins seasons. I want to see us win 13 or 14 games, but mainly I want to see our young guys develop into real solutions to the dilemma of loss of many crucial players to free agency after this season. An awful lot of last contract year guys. Win the season but not so much that the young guys don't get the reps needed to keep us going beyond the end of 2021. Losing more than 2 or 3 games may be a necessity for securing the next several years after that.

Very good point.

One other thing about a front-loaded schedule is that the young guys on the front lines who are not yet used to such a long season of tough NFL football, will be strongest in the early part of the season. It is one more reason for me to predict. 14-3.

I think all but one of the season losses will be that tough stretch in the first 5 games. But that will be good. It will both put us under the radar a bit with some bad comments from the sports press that will give Chiefs a chip on their shoulder, but it will also give us a "pay back" mentality when we face them again in the playoffs. In terms of momentum going into the playoffs, this front-loaded schedule is the best of all possible worlds from the standpoint of team psychology. If backloaded, we will be beat up and worn out by playoff time.

That's where I am.

I'm not. He is good on ST's (and today, Gay has a bad toe that could be turf toe). DOD knows the defensive schemes. But it's mainly special teams.

I think we are looking at the red zone offense. 4 tight ends and a huge line. The tight ends will be running around in completely unpredictable patterns, and Mahomes will get it to one of them. Defenses will be dazed and disheartened. Every so often, it will be a decoy and either Mahomes will keep it or shovel it to Burton.

I think there was one in game 2. But it was one of our seconds or thirds. I was astonished at the discipline.

Absolutely. Some key plays in the playoff games are just plain lucky or unlucky. Some of them depend on the eyes and judgement of the refs. and all of those teams make it to the playoffs for a reason. One thing that really, really impressed me in the preseason was that I don't recall a single encroachment penalty by the D-line and I think only one or two false starts from that super young O-line. That is simply amazing to me. Somebody is coaching them right. That alone could make a big difference in a playoff game (Hello, D. Ford). I think there was only one PI penalty, though that depends a lot on the refs. O and D holding was pretty infrequent considering all the marginal players on an 80 man roster. Amazing. Maybe they just don't call those things on iffy situations as much during pre-season, but that is not my recollection.

Great posts to a thread of this title. My feeling is that our glass is close to full. No such thing as a completely full glass. But it is fuller than I can recall since I have been a fan. That is about 52 years. The glass includes the head coach, GM, owner, and coaching staff, not just the QB and current roster. It also includes the intangibles of team chemistry and motivation, youth, as well as leaders among the players at each position group. I would add fan base and fan knowledge. I have a hard time imagining any other team in the NFL having a glass quite this full. The one thing that will always worry me is the factor of luck regarding injuries or major illnesses, to key players. There is no preparing for that other than depth, and I will take our depth over any other team.

He shows up in clutch time and is a true assassin when that happens. I recall many monster hits in big close games. He hurts people. It's why they call him Dirty Dan. Its difficult to say whether that's worth keeping him, but that quality is really useful on special teams all the time. People can run away from him if they start with a little space, but that's the thing. Sorensen knows where to be, so there usually isn't that kind of space. Plus, he is a big "team" type of guy who is willing to do whatever role is asked of him without obsessing about getting a bigger role or more snaps on D. He is not early career with big dreams, so he is not a source for dissatisfaction. I would be sorry to see him go, but it could happen.

Don't lose any sleep.

Good ST guys. I don't mind them "on the field" for that.

But Clowney always has a smile on his face. C'mon.

Garrett and Clowney can make any defense look weak at times. Looking at the defense, I think we will get at least 2 more stops per game. With an improved O-line which will gel further and an improved D-line and LB's and better secondary, and with Mahomes and better depth everywhere, it is hard to see us losing more than a couple of games. We will also withstand injuries better than most teams because of improved depth. Our most difficult stretch will be the first five games, then smooth sailing. I haven't been more optimistic since our Super Bowl IV year, a half century ago. Even 2019 was iffy, because of the weak defense and the reliance totally upon Mahomes, Kelce, and Hill...and we only squeaked through the playoffs and were behind in the Super Bowl then. We won, because it was OUR time. Now, if we win the whole thing, it will be because we are truly the best. But the strongest thing of all is the cameraderie, youth, and fun. A good nickname would be "The Fifty-Three Musketeers." Must be a bad sign.

But I can't. Something must be wrong that I am missing.

Yep. The most amazing game I've ever witnessed. I wasn't there but watched every second, and that was a whole lot of seconds.

Ahhh! Thanks. Seems like that would make it hard not to keep him on the PC for development.

You mean you don't want to sing along with him?

I don't think they will just let Powell go after drafting him. They will try to stash him there. I doubt he would be snapped up. I forgot who that pick was compensation for. What did we lose to get that 5th round pick? Maybe that might factor in to the decision.