Are the Chiefs different this year than last?

[dhitter 1,424]

I watched a video where Kurt Warner was asked "is this year's Chiefs different than the team we saw last year?" And his answer was, "no not really". Then he went on to give his reasons.

 

But truthfully...this team is very different than last year's team. First of all, until this year no one thought the Chiefs (read Alex Smith) was capable of coming from behind late in a game when down by more than 1 score. But this year's Chiefs did that more than once.

 

Secondly, the Chiefs were a team that dinked and dunked and was not capable of the big play. Chiefs had more big plays this year than I can recall in recent memory. 

 

Those two reasons are not all of it but those were the things that struck me and how come it is getting swept under the rug by the media? Although I thought it was funny that Dave Dameshek hosted a panel discussion on NFL network talking about the Steelers Chiefs game and who they were picking and 3 of the 4 picked the Chiefs with Dameshek being the lone Steeler guy.

[KCSLC2008 606]

I watched a video where Kurt Warner was asked "is this year's Chiefs different than the team we saw last year?" And his answer was, "no not really". Then he went on to give his reasons.

 

But truthfully...this team is very different than last year's team. First of all, until this year no one thought the Chiefs (read Alex Smith) was capable of coming from behind late in a game when down by more than 1 score. But this year's Chiefs did that more than once.

 

Secondly, the Chiefs were a team that dinked and dunked and was not capable of the big play. Chiefs had more big plays this year than I can recall in recent memory.

 

Those two reasons are not all of it but those were the things that struck me and how come it is getting swept under the rug by the media? Although I thought it was funny that Dave Dameshek hosted a panel discussion on NFL network talking about the Steelers Chiefs game and who they were picking and 3 of the 4 picked the Chiefs with Dameshek being the lone Steeler guy.

Warner has said some positive things about Smith in the past and has listed him as one of his "top five quarterbacks of the week" a few times. It doesn't mean that it was the fifth best quarterback overall, just that week, but I don't see him biased against him.

 

I think Reid is respected by former players and coaches.

 

So therefore when he says that the team is the same, maybe he already believed that the Chiefs could come back from multiple scores, have big plays, etc.?

[azchief21 5,278]

How can this team have Tyreek Hill and not be different than year's team? The guy literally took over a couple of games. Warner whiffed on this one.

[jetlord 10,209]

Hill and the breakout of Kelce are big pluses over last season.  The disappearance of Maclin and the loss of DJ wipe some of that out, but Maclin couldn't play in NE last season and other injuries piled up.  I'd guess the Chiefs are better prepared this game but it's not like it could be if DJ and JC were playing. 

[dhitter 1,424]

Hill and the breakout of Kelce are big pluses over last season.  The disappearance of Maclin and the loss of DJ wipe some of that out, but Maclin couldn't play in NE last season and other injuries piled up.  I'd guess the Chiefs are better prepared this game but it's not like it could be if DJ and JC were playing. 

Maclin started to show up in week 17. Maybe with the extra rest and preparation he will emerge as the threat he once was. If he does than that makes the Chiefs offense even more dangerous and comparable to what Pittsburgh can throw out there.

[DefensiveMan 758]

Maclin started to show up in week 17. Maybe with the extra rest and preparation he will emerge as the threat he once was. If he does than that makes the Chiefs offense even more dangerous and comparable to what Pittsburgh can throw out there.

Maclin, will have a TD catch in this one.

[Chiefsfan1963 1,101]

With Maclin, Hill, and Kelce the Squeelers will have to respect the pass which will open up the running game.

 

The Chiefs defense will need to be patient, clog up the running lanes and tackle. Pitts has won many games by defenders over shooting the holes and not wrapping up the ball carrier. They must also bring Ben down when they get to him.

 

I know it's easy for us to say this from the comfort of our homes but it's the basics everyone who has ever played the sport knows.

[WichitaZRide 321]

Lets break it down:

1.  Alex Smith, Career high in Pass yards, even while missing a game and a half, while increasing his accuracy a few points as well.

2.  Tyreek Hill - The seemingly "next big thing" in the NFL by all the pundits

3.  Dee Ford - Easily Twice the player he was the rest of his career

4.  Oline - Best arguably the best line we've had in a decade.  32 sacks given up this year compared to 47 last year.

5.  Offensive weapons.  We have them.  Kelce went next level this year.  Tyreek hill added a completely new dimention.  Running attack in many different forms.  Conley had a decent year for a 2nd year guy 

     with 55 catches for 550 yards.  He would have had more as well had not Hill emerged.  Its not obvious anymore whose getting the ball

6.  Ability to come back and win games -  We had a ton of games that we were down in the 4th quarter, multiple times by 2 scores, and came back.

7.  Health - Last year in the playoffs we were a mess.  So many key players going down at the end of the year.  While we arguably have more important people out, many have been out for a decent amount

     of time and our team has had the time to fill in the gaps and get some experience and guys that have really stepped up to make sure the team didn't drop off.

8.  Offensive playcalling - While there are definitely some issues with predictability(which wouldn't be different from last year), we are definitely being much more creative this year with misdirection.  While we

     may have been offended, we do run a bunch of "gimmicky" plays.  I have no problem with that.  So do the Patriots.  Every gimmicky play is more time the opponents has to spend elsewhere trying to

     figure out what we are going to do.

 

Lets face it.  At the end of the day, these media guys don't watch any tape on the Chiefs unless its on the highlight reels.  They don't see it.  They only  know we win the games and there are tons of turnovers.  Sounds like the same team to me if you aren't watching...and we know these guys aren't...

[FANATIC 852]

Lets break it down:

1.  Alex Smith, Career high in Pass yards, even while missing a game and a half, while increasing his accuracy a few points as well.

2.  Tyreek Hill - The seemingly "next big thing" in the NFL by all the pundits

3.  Dee Ford - Easily Twice the player he was the rest of his career

4.  Oline - Best arguably the best line we've had in a decade.  32 sacks given up this year compared to 47 last year.

5.  Offensive weapons.  We have them.  Kelce went next level this year.  Tyreek hill added a completely new dimention.  Running attack in many different forms.  Conley had a decent year for a 2nd year guy 

     with 55 catches for 550 yards.  He would have had more as well had not Hill emerged.  Its not obvious anymore whose getting the ball

6.  Ability to come back and win games -  We had a ton of games that we were down in the 4th quarter, multiple times by 2 scores, and came back.

7.  Health - Last year in the playoffs we were a mess.  So many key players going down at the end of the year.  While we arguably have more important people out, many have been out for a decent amount

     of time and our team has had the time to fill in the gaps and get some experience and guys that have really stepped up to make sure the team didn't drop off.

8.  Offensive playcalling - While there are definitely some issues with predictability(which wouldn't be different from last year), we are definitely being much more creative this year with misdirection.  While we

     may have been offended, we do run a bunch of "gimmicky" plays.  I have no problem with that.  So do the Patriots.  Every gimmicky play is more time the opponents has to spend elsewhere trying to

     figure out what we are going to do.

 

Lets face it.  At the end of the day, these media guys don't watch any tape on the Chiefs unless its on the highlight reels.  They don't see it.  They only  know we win the games and there are tons of turnovers.  Sounds like the same team to me if you aren't watching...and we know these guys aren't...

Great Take Thanks 

[DieHard 2,061]

One big difference is that this time last year we were without Houston, Maclin, Ware, LDT, Morse, and I can't remember who else. Plus we didn't have a Hill.

[PhataLerror 370]

One big difference is that this time last year we were without Houston, Maclin, Ware, LDT, Morse, and I can't remember who else. Plus we didn't have a Hill.

Didn't even have De'Anthony Thomas. Knile Davis was returning kickoffs. Davis was also responsible for the lost fumble early in the second half, which soon thereafter led to the Patriots securing a 15-point lead in a game that could have been tied by the end of the drive.

 

Even when we think we remember how beat up that Chiefs team was, we take another look and realize that we were too generous in our prior assessments.