West 6,713 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Chiefs preparing for a 'track meet' against AFC West rivals Adam Teicher ESPN Staff Writer AFC West rivals geared up for an offensive arms race during the 2020 NFL draft, and the Kansas City Chiefs took notice. The Los Angeles Chargers drafted quarterback Justin Herbert. The Las Vegas Raiders selected wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who at 4.27 ran the fastest 40 time of any player at this year's scouting combine. The Denver Broncos added wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who ran a 4.45 40, and picked up wideout KJ Hamler, who might have beaten Ruggs' time had he run at the combine. The Chiefs' reaction was essentially, "Bring it on." "I think teams certainly, they have to score some points against us," general manager Brett Veach said. "I think even if you have a really good defense, it's hard to stop our offense. So I think teams are certainly ready for a track meet when they play the Chiefs. "It's going to be an exciting time for our division, certainly some great players were drafted by the Chargers, the Raiders and the Broncos. Our division is always tough and competitive, and I think talent added to those teams will make this even more exciting for our fans.” The Chiefs' death grip on the AFC West has finally drawn some serious responses from their rivals. Since 2016, the Chiefs have won each of the four division titles. Since 2015, they are 27-3 in the division with two losses coming by one point and the other on a last-minute touchdown. The Chiefs were 6-0 in AFC West games last season and outscored opponents 176-66, or an average of 29-11. "Let's be honest, the entire league is chasing the Kansas City Chiefs,” Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said. "But we're in the same division. They keep getting faster and more athletic, more dynamic every time you turn around. Other teams have to do the same.” In the AFC West, rivals have determined it's better to counter the Chiefs' brand of bullying by trying to score with them rather than hold down the Kansas City offense, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were fifth in the league in scoring last season while the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos were 21st or below. "I think it's going to be exciting," Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. "I'm a football player. I love to play football. I love the competition. I love that part of it. I think any time opposing teams can have exciting players on the other side, I think it's going to lift us naturally. "I think we understand what teams are trying to do, what style of play they're going for. I think if we're able to see that writing on the wall, if we're able to accept it and then not as much understand them, more so just embrace ourselves. Just stay confident and understand that teams are doing certain things for a reason and I think we've got a little bit to do with that.” The Chiefs made draft moves of their own to counter their rivals. They selected a running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, in the first round. The Chiefs were 23rd in rushing last season and 25th in yards per catch from their running backs. "We've seen what the other teams in our division have been doing and we understand they're trying to come out there and compete against us and try to take the crown from us," Mahomes said. "So it's about us getting better within ourselves so we can go out there and play our best football. "For us, it's just kind of coming in with that mindset of being prepared for everything, making sure you really go into detail on the scouting reports and everything like that because you know you're going to get the best effort and the best changeup of every single team." In an indication they're preparing to face faster opponents, the Chiefs later selected two of the fastest defensive players available in the draft. One, Willie Gay, ran the fastest 40 time (4.46) for any linebacker at the combine. The other, L'Jarius Sneed, ran the second fastest time for a defensive back (4.37). "Every player we add to the team, we really analyze that player in the context of what he brings to our championship squad," Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. "When you have Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback it's a very comforting feeling knowing that you're bringing in players that can help this offense be better or help the defense put the team in a better situation. "It's obviously what we've worked for five decades to do is to get back to the top and to be the best team in the National Football League, to be the team that other teams and their fans aspire to be. It's a great feeling." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WichitaZRide 321 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 I think the one thing lost on this is that the Chiefs defense has practiced against the "Legion of Zoom" more or less for the last three years and already knows what its like going up against this every day in practice. And let's face it...none of the rest of the teams in the AFC West have a Patrick Mahomes or Alex Smith caliber QB throwing the ball... We'll be just fine... West 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer 8,684 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 13 minutes ago, WichitaZRide said: I think the one thing lost on this is that the Chiefs defense has practiced against the "Legion of Zoom" more or less for the last three years and already knows what its like going up against this every day in practice. And let's face it...none of the rest of the teams in the AFC West have a Patrick Mahomes or Alex Smith caliber QB throwing the ball... We'll be just fine... fify xen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhitter 1,424 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Track meet means nothing if you don't have the right guy under center to direct it all. Drew Lock has too small a sample to judge. Yes he looked promising but when he came to Arrowhead it was not pretty. Chargers may have a rook under center. Who knows? And we all are aware of Carr's struggles. Only 1 QB in the AFC West has an MVP and a SB ring. Might be only QB to play in the postseason to boot. Top dogs until someone can prove themselves better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvhouse24 1,808 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 3 hours ago, oldtimer said: fify No shit. Why the hell would they be mentioned in the same breath? Smith hardly ever stayed in the pocket long enough to let a play develop where he could throw deep passes. And when he did it was just as likely to land next to the water cooler as it was in the receivers hands. He was an intelligent guy, and he did a good job protecting the ball. He had sufficient accuracy and zip on short and intermediate routes. But that dude was not built for a vertical passing game. Mentally or physically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamixoye 604 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Four straight division titles, plus KC hasn't lost a non-TNF AFC West game since 2014. Words like "track meet" and "competition" don't apply until those things change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WichitaZRide 321 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 19 hours ago, oldtimer said: fify So there's a team in the AFC west that has an Alex Smith Caliber QB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamixoye 604 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Just now, WichitaZRide said: So there's a team in the AFC west that has an Alex Smith Caliber QB? Derek Carr is a dollar-store Alex Smith. All the checkdowns without the athleticism and toughness. oldtimer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WichitaZRide 321 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 16 hours ago, Iluvhouse24 said: No shit. Why the hell would they be mentioned in the same breath? Smith hardly ever stayed in the pocket long enough to let a play develop where he could throw deep passes. And when he did it was just as likely to land next to the water cooler as it was in the receivers hands. He was an intelligent guy, and he did a good job protecting the ball. He had sufficient accuracy and zip on short and intermediate routes. But that dude was not built for a vertical passing game. Mentally or physically. Except for that fact that Alex Smith was one of the most successful QBs in the NFL in 2017 when the track meet chiefs started to take shape. Alex was near the top of the league in long ball yards and long ball completion%. Am I saying that Alex is in the Same league as Patrick? Of course not...i'm just saying that Alex is still a better suited QB for a track meet speed team than anyone else in the AFC West and had is best statistical season in the NFL as a result in 2017. West 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvhouse24 1,808 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 8 hours ago, WichitaZRide said: Except for that fact that Alex Smith was one of the most successful QBs in the NFL in 2017 when the track meet chiefs started to take shape. Alex was near the top of the league in long ball yards and long ball completion%. Am I saying that Alex is in the Same league as Patrick? Of course not...i'm just saying that Alex is still a better suited QB for a track meet speed team than anyone else in the AFC West and had is best statistical season in the NFL as a result in 2017. I'm so glad that dude is gone. I respect him working through this injury, but he had some of the worst composure in the pocket I've ever seen in a QB. I mean there were plays where the guy literally started panicking and bailed on a clean pocket when the pressure he was feeling wasn't even there. If I was a Washington fan and they traded for Smith giving up Fuller and a third rounder and then paid him that contract, I'd be ready to step off the ledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmes4six! 968 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Alex smith is a class act. He was the right guy at the time for Andy and the locker room ( not alot of choices at that time). He was part of building the winning culture. Most of all, he put his ego aside to teach Mahomes. Who the hell does that knowing he is your replacement. Hats off to him. As far as football talent obviously he is not in the same class as Mahomes, but very few are. We are so lucky to have Mahomes. Hats off to veach. A healthy Alex Smith would be a upgrade over Lock, Taylor, Herbert and shit scared Carr and I don’t think it is close. Smith wins games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mloe68 1,521 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 4 hours ago, Iluvhouse24 said: I'm so glad that dude is gone. I respect him working through this injury, but he had some of the worst composure in the pocket I've ever seen in a QB. I mean there were plays where the guy literally started panicking and bailed on a clean pocket when the pressure he was feeling wasn't even there. If I was a Washington fan and they traded for Smith giving up Fuller and a third rounder and then paid him that contract, I'd be ready to step off the ledge. The biggest difference between Alex and Mahomes besides the far superior arm is the instinctive pocket presence and ability to keep the head up and going through progressions. Alex was awful at it, PM15 is elite. That said he’s not wrong Alex would be the second best QB in this division. But in fairness two of the three teams have 22 year old unproven guys with superior arms but have proven nothing. Carr is indeed Alex minus the running ability. West 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhitter 1,424 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 One of the storylines I've seen tossed out on multiple occasions is "how much of a gap have the other teams in the AFC West closed with regard to the Chiefs?" I suppose it's a fair question. Seems some want to create the impression that the division could be tighter than we think...maybe even up for grabs. One sports talking head asked the question of Kurt Warner and I loved his answer. Basically he said any talk of closing the gap boils down to quarterback play and how much of a gap exists between Patrick Mahomes and the other starters. When he put it like that the story loses most of it's traction and seems kind of silly to even ask. The gap is actually pretty big. xen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiefmanzada 466 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 1 hour ago, dhitter said: One of the storylines I've seen tossed out on multiple occasions is "how much of a gap have the other teams in the AFC West closed with regard to the Chiefs?" I suppose it's a fair question. Seems some want to create the impression that the division could be tighter than we think...maybe even up for grabs. One sports talking head asked the question of Kurt Warner and I loved his answer. Basically he said any talk of closing the gap boils down to quarterback play and how much of a gap exists between Patrick Mahomes and the other starters. When he put it like that the story loses most of it's traction and seems kind of silly to even ask. The gap is actually pretty big. Yeah think about it. If Mahomes was in your division and not on your team. It's like, fuck it. We're done for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sith13 1,746 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 The one thing a track star doesn't need is an Alex Smith caliber QB. Hill against the Steelers was too tough to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mloe68 1,521 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 6 hours ago, sith13 said: The one thing a track star doesn't need is an Alex Smith caliber QB. Hill against the Steelers was too tough to watch. And it had zero to do with Alex’s arm. He just couldn’t buy time in the pocket to go through that deep progression if it wasn’t the first option. Mahomes is unbelievably intuitive on where WRs will be and instinctive on how to create time to get the pass off and avoid pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sith13 1,746 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 3 hours ago, Mloe68 said: And it had zero to do with Alex’s arm. He just couldn’t buy time in the pocket to go through that deep progression if it wasn’t the first option. Mahomes is unbelievably intuitive on where WRs will be and instinctive on how to create time to get the pass off and avoid pressure. Yep, any NFL QB (may be not Trubisky) could make those throws if he can just keep calm. Just a 20-yard throw and we are through. Watching the Last Dance now and Mahomes reminds me of MJ's determination to win. Very cool under pressure and shows the will to win as we have seen against the 49ers. That tenacity sure trickles down to the rest of the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mloe68 1,521 Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 8 hours ago, sith13 said: Yep, any NFL QB (may be not Trubisky) could make those throws if he can just keep calm. Just a 20-yard throw and we are through. Watching the Last Dance now and Mahomes reminds me of MJ's determination to win. Very cool under pressure and shows the will to win as we have seen against the 49ers. That tenacity sure trickles down to the rest of the team. Elite players have a resolve that bonds then all. Michael Jordan is the absolute best team sports athlete of my lifetime I really see some early similarity with Mahomes although it is absurd to compare the two right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WichitaZRide 321 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 On 5/12/2020 at 7:51 PM, Iluvhouse24 said: I'm so glad that dude is gone. I respect him working through this injury, but he had some of the worst composure in the pocket I've ever seen in a QB. I mean there were plays where the guy literally started panicking and bailed on a clean pocket when the pressure he was feeling wasn't even there. If I was a Washington fan and they traded for Smith giving up Fuller and a third rounder and then paid him that contract, I'd be ready to step off the ledge. Again...stay on topic...my comment was that AS11 was still a better QB than any other team in the AFC West right now. I don’t care about your personal feeling about the guy and how you feel about him not being in KC. o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvhouse24 1,808 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 1 hour ago, WichitaZRide said: Again...stay on topic...my comment was that AS11 was still a better QB than any other team in the AFC West right now. I don’t care about your personal feeling about the guy and how you feel about him not being in KC. o It's more than mutual. In fact I dont care how you feel about much of anything. And talking about staying on topic, you just responded to a post I made 5 days ago. oldtimer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkuenn 3,597 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 Funny thing is this is what the Raiders tried to do for years. They drafted for speed but that was all the guys could do. They hit on some but never had a qb either to take advantage of it. I see the same thing happening now so it might set the teams back if that is all they can do with it and not have a qb to do anything for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvhouse24 1,808 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 10 minutes ago, kkuenn said: Funny thing is this is what the Raiders tried to do for years. They drafted for speed but that was all the guys could do. They hit on some but never had a qb either to take advantage of it. I see the same thing happening now so it might set the teams back if that is all they can do with it and not have a qb to do anything for it. Back when skeletor was alive. He was GM and running drafts, signing free agents, hiring coaches...shit he even coached them for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen 1,010,219 Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 I always thought jerry jones was Skeletor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkuenn 3,597 Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Yeah good old Al was more of the crypt keeper look https://images.app.goo.gl/iN3vsqRWp6zvDUh18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen 1,010,219 Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 4 minutes ago, kkuenn said: Yeah good old Al was more of the crypt keeper look https://images.app.goo.gl/DPBp5yCanXAYtdNC8 Yep the Warparty and kkuenn 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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