MELLINGER: Dear Chiefs fans: C'mon, it's not that bad ...

[pugsnotdrugs19]

LINK: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/sp...223324950.html

ARTICLE:

Spoiler!

BY SAM MELLINGER
December 19th, 2018

This will be hard for some of you to understand. That’s not said negatively. Just factually. Because some of you came to follow the Chiefs because of Patrick Mahomes. Which is fine. Kansas City is not accustomed to rooting for trendy teams. These are strange times we live in.

But here’s a quick primer for those who started rooting for the Chiefs once they began playing a wizard at quarterback: Your new team is a habitual heartbreaker. The darkness in the stories you hear from your new brothers and sisters is real. They are not whining. They are speaking their truth.

And, you know, while we’re on the topic, here’s something for those of you who fell in love with this team long ago — you’ve never cheered for a team like this.

More specifically, you’ve never cheered for a quarterback like this.

You know that, of course. That’s been obvious since Week 17 of last year, if not earlier. But if last week’s loss shook your confidence, it’s worth pointing something out.

If this same Chiefs team — flaws and strengths, studs and duds — wore different uniforms and played in a different city, you would be jealous.

If this Chiefs team wore Colts uniforms, for instance, you would be terrified with all the scenarios of Mahomes driving a figurative knife through your metaphorical heart with a game-winning drive capped by a Tarkenton scramble with a sack-avoiding cartwheel and left-handed no-look pass threading four defenders.

This is, basically, what Kansas City has waited decades to see.

The Chiefs have the best quarterback in a league that’s never been more dominated by quarterbacks. They have the best offense in a league teaching fans who can’t remember the 2000 Baltimore Ravens that, actually, Offense Wins Championships.

These Chiefs have lost three games, by a total of seven points, each literally or essentially coming down to the final play. They are 3-2 against teams currently holding an AFC playoff spot, with two of those wins on the road.

The losses came against the New England Patriots, who have lost three of five, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who lost to the Chiefs at home and have led the Chiefs for just 4 of 7,200 seconds this season.

The Chiefs have flaws. Oh brother, they’ve got flaws. They have a defense fronted by Chris Jones and Dee Ford and Justin Houston with a solid group of cornerbacks and they’re still somehow terrible.

They have averaged 39.7 points in their losses. The defense scored or set up three touchdowns and the offense gave up two touchdowns in those losses, but still. If you can’t relax with 40 points, you can’t ever relax.

This team has problems keeping its quarterback clean, and has consistently amplified its problems tackling (worst among projected AFC playoff teams, according to Pro Football Focus) by being the NFL’s most penalized team.

So even without a playoff collapse presented in regular season form last week, you wouldn’t have to think too hard to come up with ugly scenarios.

But the AFC lacks a singularly dominant team. Usually, when that happens, the fallback logic is that the hottest team wins. Well, the Chiefs are well-positioned to be that team with a win this weekend in Seattle.

The Seahawks are a terrible matchup for the Chiefs, the league’s best rushing team against the worst rush defense. But they are also beatable, and a home underdog against the team so many here in Kansas City are freaking out about.

Win this weekend and no matter what the Chargers do the Chiefs can clinch another AFC West title and first-round bye with a win over the Raiders in week 17 (the NFL’s version of a layup).

Do all of that and they will be going into the playoffs with the league’s best quarterback and offense, and a defense that is at least getting healthier and presumably a little better with the return of safety Eric Berry.

That’s enough to fight with.

Look, the Chiefs might ruin your January. That is in play. Berry could be injured at any moment, a two-score lead disintegrated in 5 minutes, and a badly timed penalty or missed kick will stir up a lot of ghosts. The new fans will be quick learners on that. Welcome to the heartbreak, suckers.

But the longtime fans can learn something here. Meet in the middle. Open your eyes, and see a quarterback and team capable of scoring an average of 37.7 points against six projected playoff teams.

Unless you are old enough to remember 1969, this is the closest the team you root for has ever resembled the team you’ve wanted it to be.

If you’re giving up hope because of one loss in a year without a dominant team, well, nobody can fault you for protecting your heart. But they might also ask a simple question.

What are you waiting for?

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

So you would feel better if we had a different coach and only scored 28 pts a game on average instead of 37?

Dumbass.

Well that depends on if that coach could put together a solid defense.
Posted via Mobile Device

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by The Pest

Exactly how was that on Reid? He ran the ball on 1st down. Sure....you could maybe blame him for that. 2nd down was a complete pass to Hill. Third down was the penalty and then the sack. Maybe Reid made Harris jump....that could be a thing. Or maybe after that....Reid told the offensive line not to block when the Chargers rushed three. Or what happened was Harris and the offensive line ****ed up.

This is what people do when there’s a narrative.

They stick with it even when there’s no evidence to support it. All I’ve heard all week from friends/media is that Reid choked and that’s why we will fail in the playoffs.

People are ****ing reeruned.

[RunKC]

This franchise doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. 50 years of failure and countless blown playoff games by this regime alone and our last game looked like the same script we’ve seen since 2013.

Win a playoff game against a real QB and fans will start to believe.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

That's not really how it went though.

-3, 6 yard completion, offsides, sack.

I don't understand how anyone can blame Reid for that.

Like I said in another thread, penalties are probably a bigger issue than the defense. I know some will blame Reid for that but Im having a hard time believing the OL doesnt know to not false start.

Reid runs one of the most innovative offenses in the leauge and we are #1 in scoring and peopel want to hang him over every little thing that doesnt go perfect.

Like I said Reid with his warts and a #1 offense is better than another coach and the #10 offense.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

37 points a game and people are saying the offense is having issues.

The offense going three and out on the key drive at the end of the game, allowing the Chargers to get the ball back and score the game winning TD/2 point conversion was an issue.

You are the drooling dumbshit who defends the likes of Orlando Scandrick so it is no surprise you can't see that.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by loochy

Well that depends on if that coach could put together a solid defense.
Posted via Mobile Device

This is what you can fault Reid for.

[Baby Lee]

I am not 'all out of hope' for the Chiefs, and Mahomes is indeed amazing. But my interest in the 2018 Chiefs is ENTIRELY because they are the Chiefs.

Were this the exact makeup of the Lions or the Cardinals, I wouldn't be seething with envy, nor would I be shitting my pants in fear of facing them.

There have been plenty of productive offenses hobbled by atrocious defenses over the years. Almost all of the time I take the balanced over imbalanced when the playoffs roll around.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by RunKC

This franchise doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. 50 years of failure and countless blown playoff games by this regime alike and our last game looked like the same script we’ve seen since 2013.

Win a playoff game against a real QB and fans will start to believe.

He pretty clearly states in the article they dont deserve the benefit of the doubt, he is just pointing out that having a franchise QB and the best QB in any game they will play this season makes a huge difference.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Sam's right. But this place thrives on angst and drama, so I'm sure most will disagree.

What has this franchise done, especially in the postseason for fans to not be angst-ridden and give them the benefit of the doubt?

[lcarus]

I agree with everything in the article besides that our group of cornerbacks are solid.

[Red Dawg]

We have had a hearts broken too much. This defense can't be trusted at all. Bob is a dufus and can't be trusted at all.

[Iconic]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I'll keep bringing this up until I'm blue in the face.

We've been flat out bad on offense all year long when we have a commanding lead. We can blame that all on defense. But it takes an offense to stop moving to allow teams to catch up too. Our bad defense shouldn't distract from the fact that our offense routinely fails in the same exact situational circumstance over and over again. I think most logical people know why this is. But let's just say... Until we fix this, the offense isn't without blame.

I don't agree entirely but there is a pattern of us stalling in our four minute offense at the end of games. That is the most common variable in all our losses outside of the obvious defensive collapses. We just have a problem chewing out the clock and closing out a game.

It's also worth noting one of our longest drives of the year was in the Chargers game, around 7 minutes, and it would have stalled as well if it wasn't for about 6 different penalties helping us along the way.

[Perineum Ripper]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

The offense going three and out on the key drive at the end of the game, allowing the Chargers to get the ball back and score the game winning TD/2 point conversion was an issue.

You are the drooling dumbshit who defends the likes of Orlando Scandrick so it is no surprise you can't see that.

That drive sucked for the offense, but to frame it like you are right now as entirely on the offense is wrong.

The defense could have stepped up and made a stop on the drive, could have stopped the conversion.

Laying the blame entirely on one side of the ball is short sided by everyone. The blame can be placed at both sides, excusing either side is wrong

[loochy]

Originally Posted by lcarus

I agree with everything in the article besides that our group of cornerbacks are solid.

Well, Fuller was GOOD last year
Scandrick was average/meh last year with Dallas
Nelson has shown signs that he's not terrible

But somehow when they get together here they are the worst ever
Posted via Mobile Device

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

The offense going three and out on the key drive at the end of the game, allowing the Chargers to get the ball back and score the game winning TD/2 point conversion was an issue.

You are the drooling dumbshit who defends the likes of Orlando Scandrick so it is no surprise you can't see that.

See, as ususal you dont actually understand the real issue at hand, just like the Scandrick thread. The offense is not this teams problem and I never said Scandrick was good.

You should stop posting on football related topics and stick to things like what shoe polish and elmers glue taste like as I am sure you are a subject matter expert on those topics.