Chiefs' Timid, Depleted Offense Needs to Wake Up Ahead of Divisional Round
 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...visional-round

n paper, the results from their Saturday Wild Card victory over the Houston Texans indicate that the Kansas City Chiefs are a force to be reckoned with entering the NFL's Divisional playoffs.

The Chiefs, after all, are coming off a 30-0 first-round win, extending their winning streak to 11. On the road against a division winner, that sure looks impressive.

Most lopsided road playoff wins
Year Game
1940 Bears 73, Redskins 0
1968 Colts 34, Browns 0
1987 Vikings 44, Saints 10
2015 Chiefs 30, Texans 0
1975 Cowboys 37, Rams 7
1978 Cowboys 28, Rams 0
1943 Redskins 28, Giants 0
Pro Football Reference

But don't be fooled, because this was the type of game in which the real winners were the rest of Kansas City's competition in the AFC.

The Chiefs were actually extremely lucky that the Texans didn't show up on Saturday.

Houston's best defensive player, J.J. Watt, wasn't a factor even before leaving with a groin injury, the Texans turned the ball over five times, and the Kansas City offense was buoyed by a way-too-easy 106-yard kickoff return to start the game.

Quarterback Alex Smith didn't have to break a sweat.

Against the Denver Broncos or New England Patriots, he won't be so lucky.

The Chiefs offense—which scored two touchdowns against a toothless Texans defense in the second half but went out of its way to keep Houston hanging around before that—lacked energy before and after losing star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to a knee injury in the third quarter.

That injury looked serious, which means Andy Reid's team—already without stud running back Jamaal Charles and starting center Mitch Morse—may not have its regular-season touchdown leader the rest of the way.


They're not out of hope. Kansas City's opportunistic defense—which ranked third in football in terms of points allowed in the regular season—still had to unwrap the gifts Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer was throwing their way.

According to the ESPN broadcast, this was the first shutout we've had in the playoffs in a decade and the third-most-lopsided playoff road shutout win in NFL history.

Worst home playoff passer ratings this century
Quarterback Year Rating Result
Brian Hoyer 2015 15.9 Lost to Chiefs
Shane Matthews 2001 17.9 Lost to Eagles
Donovan Mcnabb 2003 19.3 Lost to Panthers
Matt Cassel 2010 20.4 Lost to Ravens
Rich Gannon 2000 22.0 Lost to Ravens
Pro Football Reference

But Smith will have to do more next Saturday, and he'll likely have to do it without his only receiver who had more than two touchdowns this season.

Against Houston, especially in the first half, we saw far too many of those overly-conservative, short-of-the-sticks third-down plays the Chiefs have become famous for. And it was a flawed performance beyond that.

Smith missed on a wide-open deep ball that should have been a first-half touchdown and had an uncharacteristic interception in the first quarter, and they also settled for long field goals rather than gambling on 4th-and-1 twice, which actually defies logic and precedents and can cripple an offense under more difficult circumstances.

Next week, they'll undoubtedly face more difficult circumstances.

You'd be crazy to argue that a team that hasn't lost since the middle of October can't rise to that occasion, but Saturday's performance wasn't nearly as impressive as the final score might indicate.

"Confidence and momentum are real", Smith told Evan Washburn on CBS Sports following the game. And on Saturday, confidence and momentum were enough to beat a Texans team that did everything in its power to lose.

The Patriots will likely have more than 112 net passing yards next week, and it's been seven years since New England has turned the ball over as often as Houston did Saturday.

Denver's dominant defense will likely feast on an offense lacking its best two players, and the Broncos have lost just three home playoff games since 1997.

Pick your poison.

Hate to rain on a parade 22 years in the making, but if the depleted Chiefs want to keep rolling and resisting the law of averages, they'll have to be much better in the Divisional Playoffs.

Been saying this since the Ravens game Thank you media for finally saying something

Chiefs offense looked pretty solid in the second half.

"In the NFL, playoff games are hard and your team needs to play well to win."

- Bleacher Report

What sort of dick posts this shit? We just ****ing won and its cause the Texans lost? ****.

I trust the playoff version of Alex Smith. Even without Maclin, it'll still be a close fight.

Yeah **** off.

People bashing on Chiefs offense when they were productive against a highly rated Houston defense..

Every party needs a pooper.

Alex hater extreme.. wow.. classless.. clueless.. complete pussy ass OP. How you feeling after the first playoff win in decades??? Uh.. wow... seriously GFY loser. I am so pleased that the pain of a KC playoff win has you this upset.

Most of the media is bashing on Alex 1st half meltdown

And the more the media and assholes like "Walter football" keep shitting on the Chiefs, the more the Chiefs keep winning.

Bring on the diarrhea mother****ers.

Not upset at all its a win win for me if we lose It will be because of the offense if we win I get to enjoy a Chiefs victroy

Clayton?

The Ravens and Bucs won with Dilfer and Johnson your point ?

Bullshit. Either a Claynus/SDH mult or a bitter SF jackass that is not happy tonight at all. Either way.. you should die.

File this next to the people who argue the Chiefs are "lucky" in the way they win.

11-games doing the same thing isn't luck. It's the by-product of how the team plays. Period.

If KC keeps doing what they have done the last 11 games it won't matter what their next opponent tries to do.

The defense keeps playing at the same level that it has the last 11 games, it doesn't matter if the offense improves or not as long as they continue to protect the football. The Broncos and Patriots haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard lately with their offenses either.

You smell like a Jehovah's nitwit and your mother is a lesbian that wears the leisure suit in the family.

Dole needs to whack your ass again already.

Dinny

been here since before the 49ers trade and I live in the bay area and ripped on niner fans for my hate of Smith in the Giants playoff meltdown.

Texans were the toughest matchup defensively for this team in these AFC playoffs.

Denver is a better overall defense, but I this offense matches up better with them than Houston.

So, I can't give a rat's ass about this bleacher report shit.

Why do people keep posting shit from no-name websites such as "Walter Football".

I'm not saying we cant win a superbowl Ravens and Bucs did it but regardless smith should have to go.

If we go to Denver I won't even care what our offense does. I just want our defense to end Manning once and for all.

football is a team game and with this defense we can win it all

Its posts like these that need to get people tossed permanently from here. Just an absolutely stupid post.

I want to win it all but if we did/do Smith Goes in to the Dunce QB class with Dilfer and Johnson.

you should still die immediately. It is CLEAR that this great playoff win has ruffled your feathers.. so you are the enemy.. and should therefore be destroyed... may God have mercy on you.

WHO ARE YOU

Did you not watch the second half of the game?

Alex Smith led the Chiefs on two long TD drives.

Why because I don't trust the offense and have been beating the drum for weeks ?

GFY

An entire week before the game.

Houston, defense. Houston, defense. Man, those guys shut stuff down.

An hour after the game.

Gifted by a toothless Houston defense.

Get the **** out. Grab your shinebox.

What did they win? The SB? ORLY?!?!

in SB echelon Qb's yes, but Smith haas played his best football he ever has and has progressed throughout the season.

He is playing with confidence he has never had.

I have shit on Smith as much as anyone but credit where credit is due, he is the least sucky he has ever been through the last half of this season, and the offense overall is good enough to get the win.

This is the poster that Alex fanboi's expected.

No, because you ****ing post this shit after a play off win.

Are you on Meth?

Enjoy the win, miserable ****.

I am enjoying it :)

You got 4 more years of him, at least. Guaranteed.

Suck on it. Suck it HARD.

At least there fan bases knew they still needed a new QB THE YEAR AFTER.

The bottom will drop like it did with Johnson and Dilfer I can wait

You're enjoying being a ****.

Alex Smith completes 77% of his passes today against the 3rd ranked defense, leading the Chiefs to a 30-0 victory and the dumbshit OP is trashing him.

To be a blind hater is just as bad as being a blind homer.

You have lost all credibility with your pathetic display of hatred in this thread.

So because I don't enjoy our offense and point it out i'm a **** ??

Stop using 'we' and 'our'

And for God's sake, get your grubby mitts off Claynus' swimsuit area.

I second this.

Who is the little spoon, you or Clay?

Go shit in your ear, pusdick.

Bob Dole will rape his shit-infested skull. I have faith in that man.

I am not clay holy crap I don't root for loses or injuries.

I just posted the article I didn't even write it.

Yet you cry and complain like a little bitch after the team you supposedly are a fan of wins their first playoff in 22 years with a 30-0 beatdown.

You want me banned because I posted an article and agreed with it ?

Too bad no one cares what your dumb ass thinks.

I am not crying i am just pointing out a flaw ravens and bucs fan's did the same the years they won.

If the Chiefs win a Super Bowl, I couldn't care less how Alex Smith is categorized by anyone even though I think he's better than either of those guys.

your timing is stupid, and the article sucks.


No reason to be banned though. If anyone should be banned its Blackbob aka Tigeruppercut

You're not bright.

cue "Oh, if I show my ass, I'm not bright?'

I am not the oldman :)

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The Chiefs offense may not be good enough to advance further in the playoffs, but to use today's game as an example of that is beyond stupid.

I think the chiefs offense has the ability to wake up they were playing perfect there for a few weeks.

I don't care how we score 30 points, but it seems no matter what we put up damn near 30. It happens in different ways, but when your defense holds the opposition to as few points as our defense does, it doesn't matter. SUCK IT HATERS.

**** off

there

No, has been saying this for a while, and he is right on a lot of his takes.


This offense needed to step it up. They did the 2nd half tonight.

Yeah, of the offense wouldn't have scored 23 points today, they would have lost.

:rolleyes:

This is a dumb narrative.

punishable by banishment... sad sad day when every fan can not simply enjoy this.

Not today, the final weeks of the season.

The offense sputtered a lot, and the defense bailed them out.

It looked like it was going to happen again, but they flipped the switch (Thank goodness).

Claynus also said David Carr and the Raiders would win a playoff game before the Chiefs.

Stop quoting that dumb****, okay?

Yeah, I mean the Chiefs are doomed if they don't play offense like other playoff teams. No way they could keep up with the Bengals or Steelers high flying offenses and the 3 total points combined they've scored in the first half.

http://i67.tinypic.com/2z6ght4.jpg

Pretty much what sandy does everytime I say I don't think our offense is good enough.

Eh, that was Andy's design.

Plus, who cares?

It's playoff time.

*pre-game media talk*
"It'll be a defensive battle, the score right in the teens for both teams."

*after winning 30-0(!!!)*
The Chiefs are lucky the other team didn't even try.

It's so f**king laughable.

Hey, I learned to stop quoting those two... now a mult? yeah, maybe my bad there. :(

They are good enough, but they have sucked for a few weeks at the end of the season.


It's all about hitting stride in the end, and they found it the 2nd half today.

Oh yes.

And they brought the hurt tonight in every phase.

It was glorious.

in all fairness Cincy doesn't have Dalton right now.