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

[oaklandhater]

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.

[JohnV]

Originally Posted by stevieray

No, because you're a crow gurgling troll.

Crow gurgling? When did i say you guys would lose to Texans?

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by CapsLockKey

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.

Yep but no way we can beat Denver or New England though. Even though the last time we played each of those teams we absolutely destroyed them and almost put their first ballot HOF QBs out to pasture for good.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Mals

I wouldn't say the article is right but...it's not wrong. We had barely 300 yards of offense and only 4 third down converstions. That's not gonna get it done next week against a far superior opponent.

In fact we didn't have a passing third down conversion until the 7:03 mark of the third, and that was the only one of the game.

This is the thing the incessant detractors don't get. A different game is A DIFFERENT GAME.

What we did against the Texans, and our previous 10 opponents, is what it took to win that game. It doesn't mean a thing about what we're going to do in another game.

Also, the next opponent is always vastly superior, . . . until we beat them. Then they're scrubs, defined as scrubs by whatever means we use to beat them.

[Sandy Vagina]

Originally Posted by JohnV

That's the thing, their opinions aren't altered in any way. They see Alex for what he is. It becomes a problem when you guys get pissed that they don't wanna give Alex unjust credit.

Don't be stupid. You just posted this:

It's pretty much the guy's that followed Alex here that ruined it for Alex.

There is no obscurity in these words. So either admit that your statement was shit.. or admit that the Alex fans ruined any appreciation for Alex... which like I said.. makes such opinions of him pathetic to start with.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Same thing to an obviously lesser degree with Cassel. We had all these chowder eating asshats come here and tell us to about how obviously bad the dude was because the alternative was Damon Huard and how the Chiefs didn't have any good players around him.

I think my opinion of Cassel is clear, but those are valid critiques of the time.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by JohnV

Crow gurgling?

....and that's being kind.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by JohnV

I think some fans just want to enjoy this win without having to here people try to prop up Alex like you guys couldn't have done it without him. It's pretty much the guy's that followed Alex here that ruined it for Alex.

Ironic in a thread started about not enjoying a win because it wasn't quality and Alex is still an anchor around the team's neck.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

This is the thing the incessant detractors don't get. A different game is A DIFFERENT GAME.

So you're saying the fact that we scored all the points we needed to win in the first 11 seconds might have had some impact on our offensive play calling?

Bob Dole thinks some people here just like to complain.

[Eleazar]

We won by 30 points, and he completed 77% of his passes, was rated almost 100, his only turnover was a tipped ball that should have been caught, but Alex almost cost us the gammmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[JohnV]

Originally Posted by stevieray

....and that's being kind.

Quote me saying your defense would lose

[JohnV]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Ironic in a thread started about not enjoying a win because it wasn't quality and Alex is still an anchor around the team's neck.

Well those threads are going to come up after all the threads trying to praise Alex

[JohnV]

Originally Posted by Sandy Cheeks

Don't be stupid. You just posted this:



There is no obscurity in these words. So either admit that your statement was shit.. or admit that the Alex fans ruined any appreciation for Alex... whic

Yes, what I'm saying is you guys are all about Alex. Every thing that goes well is because of Alex, everything that doesn't is on everyone else. People are tired of it. Chiefs make all the plays, Alex just doesn't fk up. They willing to give him that credit, but with all the Alex turned it around and Alex is rated higher than these guys, it's like you guys want to turn all the attention back to your boy instead of praising the strength of the team. And i can see why that would make so many turn sour to Alex.

[mdchiefsfan]

I've never seen a team so consistent at scoring close to 30 points, but do it in such an unconventional way. Defensive TDs, ST returns, field goals, and the offense occasionally clicks and gets it in. Yes, the offense may stall and sputter, but I'll be damned if we don't get points on the board regardless. I dont think I've seen a more team-oriented team.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

No

via GIPHY

[Shekelsteinberg]

Originally Posted by Mals

I wouldn't say the article is right but...it's not wrong. We had barely 300 yards of offense and only 4 third down converstions. That's not gonna get it done next week against a far superior opponent.

In fact we didn't have a passing third down conversion until the 7:03 mark of the third, and that was the only one of the game.

>Far superior

Maybe they will be offensively but definitely not defensively.

You guys do know that our OFFENSE goes up against the opposing teams defense, right?

Bunch of geniuses around here.