Gosselin: Why the Kansas City Chiefs are the anti-Cowboy

[DenverChief]

Good read - don't know about a lot about the Cowboys - interesting that their front line is missing so many players hopefully Charles has a career day.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the anti-Cowboys.

The Chiefs run the ball by choice and believe it all starts up front. So they invest in their offensive line. Kansas City will line up two first-round picks, two seconds and a fourth-rounder there Sunday against the Cowboys. All are under the age of 29. Four of them are under the age of 26.

In 2011, the Chiefs released their aging Pro Bowler Brian Waters thinking he was no longer the answer at guard. Two years later, the Cowboys signed Waters hoping he can be their answer at guard.

The Cowboys have an undrafted college free agent at one guard (Ronald Leary), a player they can’t wait to replace with Waters at the other guard (Mackenzy Bernadeau) and a right tackle (Doug Free) whose contract was cut in half during the off-season, a $3.5 million shaving.

With the arrival of a new head coach (Andy Reid) and a new quarterback (Alex Smith), the Chiefs believe they have a formula in place to return to playoff contention. Reid believes games are won in the trenches, and he has a quarterback who doesn’t make mistakes.

So if the Chiefs continue handing the ball off to their Pro Bowl halfback Jamaal Charles, they have a chance. This offensive line can block for Charles and protect Smith.

That blocking front features a pair of first-round picks at tackle (Branden Albert, Eric Fisher), a second-rounder at guard (Jeff Allen), another second at center (Rodney Hudson) and a fourth at the other guard (Jon Asamoah).

The Chiefs finished first in the NFL in rushing in 2010 and fifth in 2012. They tumbled to 15th in 2011 when Charles missed 14 games with a knee injury. The former Texas Longhorn finished second in the NFL in rushing in 2010 with 1,467 yards and fourth in 2012 with 1,509.

This is Kansas City’s best blocking front since 2003 when they lined up Hall of Famer Willie Roaf, veteran Pro Bowlers Will Shields and Waters and won the AFC West with a 13-3 record.

The Giants didn’t spend a whole lot of time last Sunday night handing the ball off. So a Cowboys defensive front weakened by the injury absences of Jay Ratliff, Anthony Spencer, Tyrone Crawford and Ben Bass wasn’t tested. It will be tested this Sunday. To beat the Chiefs you must stop the run.

Listen to Rick Gosselin at 10:50 a.m. Tuesdays on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310) with Norm Hitzges.

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