Ten Things About Today's Game

[gblowfish]

Ten Things About Today's Game

10. I'm not going to dwell on this one. Here's why: Yesterday, my wifey directed a free Children's play for a bunch of little kids. The show is held every year in a library in a small Missouri river town. The kids show up, most are between the ages of four and eight. They get to see Santa and get free candy, and there's a drawing for free toys. Most of these kids are from dirt poor families, and they were so happy to see Santa and get a bag of free candy. A lot of these kids literally get nothing or next to nothing for Christmas. There was a morning and afternoon show, both shows were full. I help out with the heavy lifting. The smiling faces on the kids make all the hassle worth it. I kept thinking after yesterday's shows that nothing that would happen today could ruin my yesterday. And I didn't let it. Now that it's December, I've become impervious to Chiefs pain. I saw exactly what I expected to see today, a post-funeral mail in letdown game. A complete sleepwalk. A complete French Surrender Monkey embarrassment festival.

9. I have a running joke with my friend Gary. Seems like every time I go over to his house in Lee's Summit to watch the game, the Chiefs get killed. Not just beat, but killed. I was running a little late. Charles breaks the very first play of the game for 80 yards and a TD while I'm pulling into his driveway. I get out of my car, go in Gary's house, Cleveland scores 30 unanswered points. So blame today on my bad luck at Gary's house. We need an exorcist.

8. For the next year, the Chiefs have no right to make fun of any other NFL fans. None. Not the Raiders, or Cleveland, or Jacksonville, or Dallas, or anybody. We ARE the joke. If you don't believe that, you're delusional.

7. How does Charlie Brown Brian Daboll get NFL employment? Today Cleveland has twice as many first downs. Chiefs had 180 yards rushing -80 of that on the first play of the game. Chiefs averaged five yards per pass play, and Quinn was sacked five times and had a pick. Here's the stat that kills me: On third and fourth down, KC was one for thirteen. A junior high school QB could do better at play calling. Can somebody find me the stat on how many negative plays from scrimmage KC has this year? It has to be astronomical.

6. Charles got his hundred yards today, and dropped the only pass that was thrown to him. Hillis, with his chance to go back to Cleveland and stick it up their ass, rushed for eleven yards on five carries. You can see why his teammates in Cleveland said he was gutless. Bowe caught two balls, got hurt, then Terrence Copper became our most dangerous receiver. Moeacki did nothing. Baldwin had zero catches. Both were as absent as Steve Breaston. At least Breaston had an excuse. He's in Scott Pioli's doghouse for saying he didn't feel much like playing last week after one of his teammates murdered somebody. Brady Quinn goes from being AFC Offensive Player of the Week to a Matt Cassel clone. That's on Daboll. He should be the third guy booted out the door come January. You already know who one and two should be.

5. This was one of the worst special teams days I've seen since the last time Cleveland embarrassed KC at Arrowhead in Haley's first season. Succop doinks a extra point sized field goal. Colquitt gives up a punt return for a TD - on a play where Cleveland was actually trying to BLOCK the punt. And if you go back and watch that play, look at the effort Colquitt makes to stop the return. It looked like an effort one would make in the Pro Bowl. The "Don't touch me, it's my contract year" kind of effort. Colquitt gets a big Pro Bowl fail, based on that play alone. Then, only down by three to start the second half, Succop kicks off out of bounds, giving Cleveland primo field position. Three minutes later, game has gone from 10-7 to 17-7, and the day was over. Special teams coach Tom McMahon should be the fourth guy kicked out the door. He's approaching the Mike Stock Gold Standard for Special Teams Suck.

4. I know it's been discussed in other threads, but WTF with our time out management in the first half? They strategically burn all their timeouts to get the ball back inside two minutes, only down by three, with plenty of time to move the ball twenty yards into field goal range, and then run a draw play that goes nowhere, then they just kill the clock, so they can kick off to Cleveland to start the second half? That's French Surrender Monkey tactics. Either this team is gutless, or this is a diabolical play to guarantee the first pick in the draft. It's hard to be a fan of a team that lays down like that on purpose. At least TRY to score. Throw a pick if you have to. What's one more pick in a season like this?

3. Only positives today: Flowers and DJ played on one leg each. DJ was especially gutty today. I saw him get hurt close up last week, and I'm sure his hammy is sore as Hell. Jackson played OK today, but Houston disappeared again. That's kind of troubling. Houston tends to just disappear some weeks. Sometimes they were using him on pass coverage. That's BS. He should be rushing the QB 90% of the time. KC dropped probably three picks today. Berry is playing with a huge cast on his left hand, so the one he dropped was understandable. This team has no real depth at any position. Hard to see where the "right 53" figures in. How can it on a 2-11 team?

2. In the paper this morning, Covitz was implying that the way Pioli and Crennel handled the Belcher confrontation in the parking lot might force CHunt to leave both in place. The cynical Blowfish says, "Well, they really didn't handle it that well. Belcher ignored the coaching advice, and Pioli couldn't negotiate a positive settlement." So it really didn't go all that well at all, dude still blew his brains out. I have a sick feeling that Pioli has already signed his extension and will be left in place. Crennel might get bought out and take an early retirement. Couldn't really blame him if he did. He's old, he's tired, and he's been through a world of shit the last two years here. Why would he want to stay? If Pioli is left in place, next year will be another version of this year. None of us want that, but that might be what's cooking.

1. I have some dental work coming up at the end of this week. I tell you that because, if I'm heavily sedated, next week's "Ten Things" might read like a Unibomber Manifesto, so beware. I put my Christmas Lights up today after the game. I'm comfortably numb to losing -8 of our 11 losses this year have been of the "blowout" variety. I just refuse to let these bums harsh my holiday buzz. I suggest you follow my lead. Put up some lights. Hang a wreath. You'll feel better.