I usually wait until week’s end to do my predictions and talk about the Kansas City Chiefs…
But I know that after the last couple weeks of successes, area fans are excited again about our boys in red. Know what? They should be. The Chiefs are now No. 3 in the NFL power rankings, trailing only Seattle and San Francisco. And hard to believe as it is, Denver is No. 5. I don’t quite agree with that assessment, but it’s close.
After Jamaal Charles five touchdowns Sunday, he’s already being talked about as possibly the Chiefs best offensive player of all time. In fact, the words Hall of Fame are being mentioned. And while I think Charles is definitely an All-Pro, I believe it’s going to take a few more years before he’s anointed Best Chiefs Offensive Player Ever.
At this stage of the game, that title still belongs to two-time Super Bowl quarterback Len Dawson, with players like Otis Taylor, Tony Gonzalez and Priest Holmes also in the running.
What makes Charles really stand out though is the fact that he’s our entire offense, except for quarterback Alex Smith. Even though the Raiders and Washington were low-level NFL teams, you have to give Charles credit for running over them both. Even more significant is the fact that our offensive line isn’t the greatest and opposing defenses focus on Number 25 because, well, he’s really all we have.
It seems like Smith has just about given up on Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery.
Smith seems to only feel comfortable with Charles and Dexter McCluster. Sadly, Bowe and Avery have now been relegated to bit players on Sundays.
I know, I know, our defense is pretty lame.
But guess what? So are most defenses in the AFC this year.
It seems no lead is safe. Dallas had a huge first half lead against a struggling Green Bay Packers team that didn’t even have its franchise quarterback Aaron Rogers, under center. Yet the Pack came back and beat the Cowboys.
This is a strange year in the NFL. It’s turned into Major League Baseball where every game is up in the air. Practically any team can win regardless of their record. Look at the scoring totals in so many games. Over 50 points is the norm. The rules have been adjusted to help offenses score. That makes the games more exciting, but never before have we seen so many pass interference, defensive holding and personal fouls called; they come by the truckloads now. So in fairness to the Chiefs poor defense, it’s a widespread problem in the NFL.
Now that Alex Smith has arrived and is arguably the No. 3 best quarterback in the AFC behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the Chiefs have a much better chance of winning. However with Denver playing Houston and Oakland – both bad teams – and the Chiefs playing Indy and San Diego – both good teams – it’s likely Denver will win the Division and be the No. 1 seed. Which leaves the Chiefs pretty much locked into the No. 5 playoff spot, playing Indy on the road.
The Chiefs are a 6 1/2 point favorite over the Colts Sunday at Arrowhead.
That’s a pretty big number. I’m surprised. Even more surprising were ESPN’s on-air personalities who said this morning to a man that the only team likely to challenge Denver in the post season is the Chiefs. New England is too banged up and has no weapons, the Bengals are far too erratic and Indy is not playing well. That leaves the No. 6 seed which likely will be Miami, an up and down team.
So yes, our Chiefs are no longer a sneaky good team. Watch out NFL.
Watching a (supposed) playoff team, KCinderella, struggle beat one of the worst teams in the league, illustrates state the NFL, 2013: horrendous. The only thing that allowed the Chiefs escape OAK without a loss was the Raiders, who gave this game away, in no fashion due any evidence KC superiority; only magical thinking nee parsed logic would allow for said.
Two teams embraced mistakes, traded same & in the end the greater the two knight-errants succumbed it’s own self-inflicted wounds (this apparently lost on “touchdown Kan-sas City” guy who conveniently attributed OAK’s success 31 points to the refs/KC mistakes, but just as conveniently failed to acknowledge the Raiders mistakes likewise led to many Chiefs points same courtesy OAK ints, fumbles, etc; you can’t have it both ways, Homer Holtus.
Seems only yesterday that the ‘Swiss-Chiefs’ defense was labeled great according any number pundits; fact is, that “great” D has been getting abused weekly for awhile now, and it remains that they’ve not yet beaten a winning team this season when they faced off: 0-2 vs winners (DEN), 0-1 vs a sub .500 team (SD), 11 decisions vs lessers; a most hollow 11-3 the result, hardly the stuff which legend, let alone Superbowl appearance let alone a single post season win is built.
New season, names Keenum, Tuel & McGloin will be replaced Luck, Brady & Manning. Once the final two regular season games (KC L’s to IND & SD) are fini, so too ’13 Chiefs season; no more cupcakes appending playoffs. Is 11-3 2013 better than 4-12 2012? If the means to that end are beside the point, then yes the former. Everything is relative & style points do matter in post season, then no to the latter – double-digit wins mean only that the fall will be that much greater the pretender, lofty summit built upon sand come crashing down, nod 2010 same.
The present day NFL is not so very different than 1987 the replacement games, terms quality of product afield. Fact is, be no good teams today or complete ones, none, owing the modern formula for $urvival: parity. DEN is the best of a sorry lot, followed SEAT, then NO. Aft that the line forms to the right a motley crew of pretenders variously NE, CAR, KC and the rest; oh for the days of yore when legit teams proliferated pro football landscape, not the cubic zirconia abounds today.
Kerouac, man you are the best. I don’t totally agree but close. I’m not sure the NFL is horrible, just balanced. The new ‘rules’ are making it hard to have a consistent shut down defense. There are none. Maybe the Chiefs are simply just a normal 2013 team with a smart quarterback and one great weapon, Charles. They had a line up of wounded teams to beat and did, thats all. Seems based on whats left, they are decent. That’s all. Denver should get there in the end.
“I’m not sure the NFL is horrible, just balanced.”
– this case, “balanced” is just another word for equal mediocrity… I liken the current NFL to a football cartel of sorts, a one man autocracy (that’d be NFL Commissioner), the power a coup de tat residing in the hands 32 puppeteers (Ownership) having sole discretion and recourse, change$ of their elite heart (which resides back pocket/bottom line/a financial spreadsheet) impetus.
So yes, the Chiefs (sound a Hoover vacuum makes), same as all the others do NFL; having seen much better football over the course of my lifetime, cannot abide what passes today for ‘great’ football… it is anything but. One and done, 2013 Chiefs post season.
sheesh. quit whining about the good ol’ days when players played offense and defense and the game was played with skimpy leather helmets. you go 2-14 and the nfl rewards you with top draft position and a weaker schedule. that and, like craig said, add rules changes and BOOM you get parity. that’s the way it works now. still no guarantee that the chiefs would have a winning record this year, so why bash on them for what they have accomplished, cupcakes or not? no one is really expecting them to go to the SB and if they go one and done in the playoffs, they’re still miles ahead of where they’ve been the last couple of years. just enjoy the fuckin’ ride, man.
Maybe ‘all that’ sates you… does not come close floating Kerouac’s gridiron boat.
Why settle for less?
Never will.
well, maybe some teams and games will rise to your standards, and i hope so so that you’re able to enjoy your gridiron fix. meanwhile, jack, that’s all we got, not counting college ranks.
Well, as Mike T says, we do live in the present and may as well accept that.
However, it’s not so much just a sentimental journey to the way things were as it it a legitimate criticism of the mediocrity of the way things are.
Not sure what (if any) the solution would be. Baseball is one model. There are haves and have nots. Yet somehow some of the have nots rise up from time to time to keep things interesting.
Just imagine though if the Chiefs ended up being like the Royals and disappeared for like 20 some odd years. Would that be better?
Looks to me like the millionaire owners are too much in agreement that they should all thrive more-or-less equally. Which kinda does take away some of the magic.
Then again, it wasn’t that long ago that there was a New England.
Kinda lame though in a way the Chiefs going from worst to first. It’s hard not to think that it’s rigged just to keep people buying tickets and watching the ads on TV. Which of course it is, but does it have to be so obvious?
As you ascribe, yes. My only dissent: I exist in the present but prefer much as possible to live in the past… to each their own.
‘Sports’ (as society) has legitimized mediocrity, rai$on is clear (isn’t it always.) Wasn’t so long ago there was a 2o10 Chiefs; so much for all that/the sustained ascent since. This season is merely KC’s turn (again) “be great” NFL’s wheel of fortune… ch-cha-chang! go the turnstiles/all the re$t.
Has been a long time since January 11, 1970 however, the last time Chiefs truly were great, last time too they had an complete ‘team’ (for the record, 1971’s end Christmas Day wasn’t a case ‘bad luck’, it was a death rattle but that’s a discussion for another time.)
“Kinda lame though in a way the Chiefs going from worst to first.”
– none dare call it con$piracy (‘cept Kerouac and a few others)…
“It’s hard not to think that it’s rigged just to keep people buying tickets and watching the ads on TV. Which of course it is, but does it have to be so obvious?”
– BINGO
Pasteurized and homogenized for the public.
the “scribe” aka glaxer has to be the most wishy washy writer on the whole fxxking internet. after charles hurt his knee the scribe lol said he was done fini. now he says charles is one of our only weapons. wishy washy for sure. next time scribe just flip a coin. wishy washy.
Totally Gayhawk.
DUDE, eat some poo.
“NFL power rankings,”
Chiefs used to be number 1 earlier in the season. Hopefully they can climb back to the top.
Yes the Chiefs were anywhere from 3 to 6 on the lists, there are several, Fox, ESPN, so on…on one they were number 3, but most had them at 5/6…I think that is a more fair position, as I said…but in the end it matters not. Just who wins and who doesn’t. I like the Chiefs this week at home against Indy..in some ways both need it and yet don’t. Likely, barring an upset with Denver, the Chiefs are the 5 seed and will go to Indy and play them for the first round. Bengals could lose out and be the lower rated division winner and end up there. This crazy year who knows. Even if Denver loses the Chiefs will be hard pressed to beat San Diego next week there, unless the Chargers are eliminated and don’t play hard…which is possible. Or the Chiefs see Denver lose and have a shot…again, who knows.
who the hell’s “power rankings” are you looking at?
http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2013/week/16
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20131218/nfl-power-rankings-week-15-seattle-seahawks/?eref=sihp
nobody has us anywhere near that high.
Ok, I’ll be nice. There are many sites with rankings…some had the Chiefs number 2, like 12th man…NFL.com had the Chiefs number 3…SBNation had the Chiefs number 4…ESPN had them at 6..its all over the road..go to google and hit CHIEFS BEST POWER RANKINGS NOW…you’ll see all these…ok. happy now…thank you. I have them at 5 now..
Are these the same sites that have teaser bets on them?
No those are on Vegas boards…again if you don’t know that or what they are you have never made a real Vegas sports book bet in your life. Maybe a ten team parley for 25 bucks.
Chiefs number 1 on my list.
i love the chiefs, but they are not top 5.
here are the teams we’ve beat…
jacksonville 4-10
Dallas 7-7
Philly 8-6
NYG 5-9
Was 3-11
buffalo 5-9
Ten 5-9
cleveland 4-10
oakland 4-10
houstaon 2-12
in fact, the only teams on our entire schedule with a winning record are
the Broncos, the Colts, and NOW the Eagles. Lets face it, we’re not winning games because we’re awesome, we’re winning games because our opponents suck, and I will take that every single day of the year. A win is a win. but if we had played the NFC West instead of the East, that would be 4 Phat Losses right there. There are teams that are way better than us, and we haven’t played them. Andy Reid really picked a great year to become our coach because our schedule is CAKE. and a few of our wins this year, the close ones, were not because we played awesome, but rather our opponent screwed up. and that counts too, but don’t let it make you think that it’s because we’re a top 5 team. NOT a top 5 team.
Kinder, the ONLY difference between the Chiefs schedule and the Broncos schedule to date is the Broncos have played Indy, Patriots & Ravens. All others are common opponents. Denver lost 2 out of 3 of those games. After the Chiefs play Indy this Sunday, the only difference between their schedules will be Patriots & Ravens. Absolutely agree that the Chiefs have played a pretty soft schedule and have caught a few breaks regarding starting QB’s. But, Denver has caught those teams and those same breaks with the exception of 2 games.