13 Games In: Some Perspective

[Adamixoye 604]

Remember the panic (by some) in the preseason?  This offense showed flashes but overall was pretty average.  The defense looked like an absolute F-minus.

But what if I had told you that through 13 games...

• ...we would be 11-2?
• ...Mahomes would put up historic numbers and this offense would become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds?
• ...our only two losses would be by 3 points each in a pair of shootouts where Mahomes absolutely balls out but turns it over more than normal?
  • ...and furthermore, instead of criticizing Mahomes after either game the national media would be absolutely fawning over him almost as though we hadn't even lost?
  • ...and furthermore, those two losses were primetime road games against two of the 5-6 best teams in the league?
• ...we would have as many 4th-quarter comebacks as losses?
• ...we would lose a major non-Mahomes offensive weapon but still average 33.5 points in two games, one against a top defense?
• ...we would never score fewer than 26 points, and hold teams to 24 or fewer more than half the time (7/13)?
• ...when we don't look our best on offense against good defenses (Broncos, Ravens, early season Jaguars) we still manage to score 27-30 points?
• ...when people say we don't look good against a bad Oakland team we still stumbled our way into FORTY points?

I get it.  The defense is a dumpster fire, but all things considered (game pace due to the offense, the pass rush, turnovers, legitimate bend but don't break at times, etc.) I think you can make the case that it's only a D or D- instead of an F.  And honestly, special teams right now are a bit of a concern, because we've given up more big returns than we've made recently, and Butker is starting to scare me.

But this year was always about seeing if Mahomes is ready for the big time, and he is getting an A+ with extra credit.  The ONLY meaningful criticism is that he turns the ball over a bit too much, but we all knew that coming in, and it hasn't been terrible.  It's a side effect of his aggressiveness and it's more than manageable, especially when so many (not all) of those INTs have basically been like punts.  (I'm honestly a bit more concerned about his fumbles.)  In fact, this is a weird analogy, but this summer I took my seven-year-old son in for his annual checkup.  He is a July birthday, young for his grade, but he towers over his classmates like Andy Reid in that old punt, pass, and kick clip.  When I took him for his checkup the doctor, normally very professional, saw his height & weight percentile come up on the charts and broke character with a surprised curse.  Well, that's Mahomes - this year was about his progress and he's off the charts.

We probably won't win the Super Bowl with this defense, and that's a bummer.  Our only real shot is if Berry comes back and does a 2006 Bob Sanders impersonation, which we can't count on, but can't be ruled out.  But this season has been a TON of fun.  What I'm hoping for us in order for me to be MOSTLY happy (because anything but a Super Bowl will be a disappointment as always) is for us to (a) win a home playoff game, (b) don't get embarrassed via collapse or blowout whenever we do bow out, and (c) fire Sutton and work on the defense in the offseason.  Again, those things would make me as happy as possible in the non-Super Bowl winning scenario, knowing we have (hopefully) 15 more years of Mahomes to give us a shot at the big one.

/RANT

[Iluvhouse24 1,808]

Truth

[Gil 243]

Great post dude! Nice change from most of these “woe is me” MFs on here. 🍻   I predicted 11-5 and an AFC West title. I’m on cloud 9. You didn’t even mention losing our pro bowl RB and not having Watkins for a significant stretch. 

p.s. We wouldn’t have won today’s game with Alex at the helm. 

[Adamixoye 604]

9 minutes ago, Gil said:

Great post dude! Nice change from most of these “woe is me” MFs on here. 🍻   I predicted 11-5 and an AFC West title. I’m on cloud 9. You didn’t even mention losing our pro bowl RB and not having Watkins for a significant stretch. 

p.s. We wouldn’t have won today’s game with Alex at the helm. 

I did actually mention the Hunt situation, just not by name (one of the middle bullet points).  Fair point about Watkins, though...of course, the Negative Nancies around here just like to point out that he was a bad signing to begin with, blah blah blah...

I also totally agree with your P.S.

[jetlord 10,210]

12 minutes ago, Gil said:

Great post dude! Nice change from most of these “woe is me” MFs on here. 🍻   I predicted 11-5 and an AFC West title. I’m on cloud 9. You didn’t even mention losing our pro bowl RB and not having Watkins for a significant stretch. 

p.s. We wouldn’t have won today’s game with Alex at the helm. 

With this defense, Watkins out for multiple games, and Hunt gone for the last two, the Chiefs would be lucky to be 7-6.  Smith would never have won the shootout in LA or NE but he would have lost several games where Mahomes brought them back.  Sure, he would have had four INTs instead of eleven, but he would have had at least 15 fewer TDs.  Most fun in a season since Montana and Mahomes will be here a lot longer.

[kcchief4lif 910]

16 minutes ago, Gil said:

Great post dude! Nice change from most of these “woe is me” MFs on here. 🍻   I predicted 11-5 and an AFC West title. I’m on cloud 9. You didn’t even mention losing our pro bowl RB and not having Watkins for a significant stretch. 

p.s. We wouldn’t have won today’s game with Alex at the helm. 

Wouldn't have won a few more of these games with Alex running the show.

[Calichief 3,024]

Great post 

[azchief21 5,278]

Well stated

[ATLchief 3,126]

Well crafted post.  Kudos.

[dksww 484]

Grand Slam walk off Home Run post.  

My thoughts exactly.

[Legend of AC 269]

Good post.  Thoughtful, well-written, and you make some excellent points.  I think we all just desperately want a SB.

[KCSLC2008 607]

2 hours ago, Gil said:

Great post dude! Nice change from most of these “woe is me” MFs on here. 🍻   I predicted 11-5 and an AFC West title. I’m on cloud 9. You didn’t even mention losing our pro bowl RB and not having Watkins for a significant stretch. 

p.s. We wouldn’t have won today’s game with Alex at the helm. 

Agree. We would have lost this game with a lot of different quarterbacks. Mahomes is special.

[Mloe68 1,521]

Greet stuff.  Unlike any other era since the 60s we have both an elite QB and he’s just getting started.  We’ve got some sh*t to work out to be a legit Super Bowl contender but the margin for error around the QB has never been larger basically in my lifetime.  And that makes us perpetually dangerous as well as one good offseason from being legit favorites.  How can any fan not be enjoying this plot twist. 

[robgar 1,046]

we can clinch the division next week, and the two best records in the afc, reside in the afc west.

all 4 afc west teams have beaten pittsburgh

the chiefs are seriously entertaining to watch.

[robgar 1,046]

and the rest of the world admits it as well

[Chiefsfan1963 1,101]

5 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

We’ve got some sh*t to work out to be a legit Super Bowl contender

Not sure I agree with that. I agree they can always improve but they are a legit SB contender. You don't go 11-2, currently hold the #1 seed, have the #1 ranked offense the #1 ranked QB, #2 ranked WR, #1 ranked TE and aren't considered a legit SB contender.

[Mloe68 1,521]

5 hours ago, Chiefsfan1963 said:

Not sure I agree with that. I agree they can always improve but they are a legit SB contender. You don't go 11-2, currently hold the #1 seed, have the #1 ranked offense the #1 ranked QB, #2 ranked WR, #1 ranked TE and aren't considered a legit SB contender.

I think we've proven ourselves capable for sure. But the defensive liabilities and loss of Hunt I think make us more fringe contenders if that makes sense. Not likely, but realistically possible. 

[Holmes4six! 974]

great first post. 

chiefs finally have a QB that elevates his game and his teammates when the game is on the line. he has a killer instinct that you cannot teach. the defense believes in him and that’s why they elevated there game yesterday in the final minutes. 

chiefs are SB contenders period. trust me, no other team in playoffs want anything to do with the chiefs. 

‘yes we have flaws but so does every other team. 

[Adamixoye 604]

On 12/9/2018 at 6:03 PM, Adamixoye said:

Remember the panic (by some) in the preseason?  This offense showed flashes but overall was pretty average.  The defense looked like an absolute F-minus.

But what if I had told you that through 13 games...

• ...we would be 11-2?
• ...Mahomes would put up historic numbers and this offense would become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds?
• ...our only two losses would be by 3 points each in a pair of shootouts where Mahomes absolutely balls out but turns it over more than normal?
  • ...and furthermore, instead of criticizing Mahomes after either game the national media would be absolutely fawning over him almost as though we hadn't even lost?
  • ...and furthermore, those two losses were primetime road games against two of the 5-6 best teams in the league?
• ...we would have as many 4th-quarter comebacks as losses?
• ...we would lose a major non-Mahomes offensive weapon but still average 33.5 points in two games, one against a top defense?
• ...we would never score fewer than 26 points, and hold teams to 24 or fewer more than half the time (7/13)?
• ...when we don't look our best on offense against good defenses (Broncos, Ravens, early season Jaguars) we still manage to score 27-30 points?
• ...when people say we don't look good against a bad Oakland team we still stumbled our way into FORTY points?

I get it.  The defense is a dumpster fire, but all things considered (game pace due to the offense, the pass rush, turnovers, legitimate bend but don't break at times, etc.) I think you can make the case that it's only a D or D- instead of an F.  And honestly, special teams right now are a bit of a concern, because we've given up more big returns than we've made recently, and Butker is starting to scare me.

But this year was always about seeing if Mahomes is ready for the big time, and he is getting an A+ with extra credit.  The ONLY meaningful criticism is that he turns the ball over a bit too much, but we all knew that coming in, and it hasn't been terrible.  It's a side effect of his aggressiveness and it's more than manageable, especially when so many (not all) of those INTs have basically been like punts.  (I'm honestly a bit more concerned about his fumbles.)  In fact, this is a weird analogy, but this summer I took my seven-year-old son in for his annual checkup.  He is a July birthday, young for his grade, but he towers over his classmates like Andy Reid in that old punt, pass, and kick clip.  When I took him for his checkup the doctor, normally very professional, saw his height & weight percentile come up on the charts and broke character with a surprised curse.  Well, that's Mahomes - this year was about his progress and he's off the charts.

We probably won't win the Super Bowl with this defense, and that's a bummer.  Our only real shot is if Berry comes back and does a 2006 Bob Sanders impersonation, which we can't count on, but can't be ruled out.  But this season has been a TON of fun.  What I'm hoping for us in order for me to be MOSTLY happy (because anything but a Super Bowl will be a disappointment as always) is for us to (a) win a home playoff game, (b) don't get embarrassed via collapse or blowout whenever we do bow out, and (c) fire Sutton and work on the defense in the offseason.  Again, those things would make me as happy as possible in the non-Super Bowl winning scenario, knowing we have (hopefully) 15 more years of Mahomes to give us a shot at the big one.

/RANT

Thought of something to add.  Only once* has Mahomes NOT brought us back to at least a tie when the team has fallen behind:

• Late deficit @ DEN
• Brought back to tie vs. NE; didn't have last possession to finish the job
• Early deficit vs. DEN in KC
• *Got us a late lead vs. LAR, then couldn't in the final two possessions
• Late deficit vs. BAL

I could add the way he "closed," to varying degrees games @ PIT, vs. ARI, and @ OAK.

[KCSLC2008 607]

http://www.espn.com/blog/kansas-city-chiefs/post/_/id/25647/andy-reid-has-waited-his-entire-career-for-the-2018-chiefs

I haven’t read the article yet and I understand that it is homerish of me. I’m sure I would have the same bias if I were a Philadelphia fan. However, I do feel that despite all of McNabb’s success, making the Super Bowl, etc., that all the success he had seem to be consistent but not this good. Of course, that doesn’t mean we are going to win the Super Bowl no matter what. It doesn’t guarantee that we will be perennial contenders forever or that Reid will coach for a long time after this, it just seems different. (I’m not saying that Reid’s going to retire. I just don’t think we can think beyond four to five years at a time.)

[DieHard 2,061]

Loved this post. I am surprised that the Oline has been riddled with injuries between the tackles. Not. The D needs some serious upgrade, but I am really worried about Pat taking all this punishment. Protecting him protects the future. 

I have defended Sutton but would love an upgrade. Need better D personnel or the new DC is screwed. Give me some BFF and in the draft on both sides of the ball and I can live with the CBs LBs and Berry plus a middle level FA.