Hammock Parties
09-16-2018, 08:43 PM
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article218500145.html
SHITTSBURGH
The Chiefs have had good teams, for brief moments great teams, and for memorable moments exciting teams. None of that is new. We have seen stars. We have seen Tony Gonzalez over the middle and Derrick Thomas around the edge and Priest Holmes behind one of the great offensive lines in league history.
But we’ve never seen this, and it’s worth noting up top here that we are so early in this journey. But still the question lingers:
Has anyone seen this? And either way, a more important question:
How quickly is this happening?
The Chiefs beat the Steelers 42-37 here on Sunday. They had not won in Pittsburgh in more than 30 years, longer than many of their players have been alive. The Steelers may stink this season. That’s possible, and one of many facts we can use to hold perspective.
But, also, “perspective” is going to have to know its place after a performance like this — 23 of 28 for 326 yards from the quarterback, with six touchdowns, no interceptions and no real limit on how far this can go.
“The possibilities are endless,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
He was talking specifically about play-calls, but really, he could’ve been talking about the Chiefs in 2018 or beyond. What’s possible has been changed by Mahomes and the talent that coach Andy Reid and a front office led by general manager Brett Veach have deployed to support an outrageously gifted quarterback.
The Chargers and Steelers each feature Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and offenses that were among the league’s five best last year. Each ran out of gas, losing a shootout at home against a team and a quarterback that will be among the league’s hottest stories until and unless we see another midseason slump.
The Chiefs’ quarterback is among football’s biggest stars, a young man who turns only 23 on Monday — what were you doing at 23? — and already is a central part of how the most popular sports league in the country will look this season and beyond.
“We all expected this,” defensive lineman Chris Jones said.
“We have a heck of a team,” tight end Travis Kelce said.
This has never happened before. The Chiefs have always been the team trying to convince themselves they can win with someone else’s backup, so long as the line is great, and the defense stiff, and special teams strong and, you know, a break here and there that hasn’t come for nearly 50 years.
Again, exhale. Relax. Perspective. Long season.
Now let’s start a new paragraph that gets back to the point.
These were supposed to be the tough games. Joey Bosa or not, facing the division favorite on the road in the season opener figures to be the toughest AFC West matchup of the season. A tie with the Browns or not, facing the Steelers here in Week 2, figured to be one of those statement opportunities, a chance to not only claim a possible playoff tiebreaker but also change what’s possible.
“We knew we had the threats, we knew we had the ability,” center Mitch Morse said. “It’s our job not to lull ourselves to sleep. We’ve had two games we executed enough to win. We need to build on that and keep it going.”
There are holes that must be accounted for, and questions that have not yet needed to be answered. That’s all true.
Kareem Hunt is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. The defense has given up more than a thousand yards already, and the 6.9 yards-per-play average the Chiefs are allowing is more than any defense gave up or any offense managed a year ago. They have committed far too many penalties, on both sides of the ball. Star safety Eric Berry has not practiced in more than five weeks, and outside linebacker Justin Houston has rarely affected the quarterback.
There are unknowns, too. Mahomes is a revelation, but how will he react when a defense is able to knock him down? His decisions have been terrific, but if he’s playing from behind will he push too far? Will defensive coordinator Bob Sutton be able to manage this season better than last, to manufacture more of a pass rush and keep his linebackers and more vulnerable defensive backs from extended coverage?
These questions and criticisms are high-level, and no more concerning than questions facing virtually any other team in the league.
But this is what happens when a boulder gets moving ahead of schedule. The Chiefs knew they had a star. They have been giddy about Mahomes since the day of his draft visit, with his teammates generally parading that excitement around like it’s show-and-tell.
They could not have expected this, though. The schedule was front-loaded, and with Mahomes still just three years into life as a full-time quarterback it figured to be better late than early.
That still could be the case. Reid’s teams have been metaphorically bipolar. One started 1-5, then won the franchise’s first playoff game in more than 20 years. Another started 5-0, then blew an historic playoff lead at home.
The truth is the Chiefs are still at least a year from being a more complete team. The front office and coaches could not do all that needed doing this past offseason. They need more of a pass rush, better coverage in the back. The offensive line could use more strength, and behind Kelce is an obvious lack of depth at one of the most important positions for Reid’s offenses.
But now we’re nitpicking.
Rosters can never be perfect, and the point right now isn’t what the Chiefs can be in a year.
It’s what they are right now — an appointment-viewing offense led by a star quarterback who just might be transcendent, a franchise hoping it can be enough to push forward faster than the front office planned.
SHITTSBURGH
The Chiefs have had good teams, for brief moments great teams, and for memorable moments exciting teams. None of that is new. We have seen stars. We have seen Tony Gonzalez over the middle and Derrick Thomas around the edge and Priest Holmes behind one of the great offensive lines in league history.
But we’ve never seen this, and it’s worth noting up top here that we are so early in this journey. But still the question lingers:
Has anyone seen this? And either way, a more important question:
How quickly is this happening?
The Chiefs beat the Steelers 42-37 here on Sunday. They had not won in Pittsburgh in more than 30 years, longer than many of their players have been alive. The Steelers may stink this season. That’s possible, and one of many facts we can use to hold perspective.
But, also, “perspective” is going to have to know its place after a performance like this — 23 of 28 for 326 yards from the quarterback, with six touchdowns, no interceptions and no real limit on how far this can go.
“The possibilities are endless,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
He was talking specifically about play-calls, but really, he could’ve been talking about the Chiefs in 2018 or beyond. What’s possible has been changed by Mahomes and the talent that coach Andy Reid and a front office led by general manager Brett Veach have deployed to support an outrageously gifted quarterback.
The Chargers and Steelers each feature Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and offenses that were among the league’s five best last year. Each ran out of gas, losing a shootout at home against a team and a quarterback that will be among the league’s hottest stories until and unless we see another midseason slump.
The Chiefs’ quarterback is among football’s biggest stars, a young man who turns only 23 on Monday — what were you doing at 23? — and already is a central part of how the most popular sports league in the country will look this season and beyond.
“We all expected this,” defensive lineman Chris Jones said.
“We have a heck of a team,” tight end Travis Kelce said.
This has never happened before. The Chiefs have always been the team trying to convince themselves they can win with someone else’s backup, so long as the line is great, and the defense stiff, and special teams strong and, you know, a break here and there that hasn’t come for nearly 50 years.
Again, exhale. Relax. Perspective. Long season.
Now let’s start a new paragraph that gets back to the point.
These were supposed to be the tough games. Joey Bosa or not, facing the division favorite on the road in the season opener figures to be the toughest AFC West matchup of the season. A tie with the Browns or not, facing the Steelers here in Week 2, figured to be one of those statement opportunities, a chance to not only claim a possible playoff tiebreaker but also change what’s possible.
“We knew we had the threats, we knew we had the ability,” center Mitch Morse said. “It’s our job not to lull ourselves to sleep. We’ve had two games we executed enough to win. We need to build on that and keep it going.”
There are holes that must be accounted for, and questions that have not yet needed to be answered. That’s all true.
Kareem Hunt is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. The defense has given up more than a thousand yards already, and the 6.9 yards-per-play average the Chiefs are allowing is more than any defense gave up or any offense managed a year ago. They have committed far too many penalties, on both sides of the ball. Star safety Eric Berry has not practiced in more than five weeks, and outside linebacker Justin Houston has rarely affected the quarterback.
There are unknowns, too. Mahomes is a revelation, but how will he react when a defense is able to knock him down? His decisions have been terrific, but if he’s playing from behind will he push too far? Will defensive coordinator Bob Sutton be able to manage this season better than last, to manufacture more of a pass rush and keep his linebackers and more vulnerable defensive backs from extended coverage?
These questions and criticisms are high-level, and no more concerning than questions facing virtually any other team in the league.
But this is what happens when a boulder gets moving ahead of schedule. The Chiefs knew they had a star. They have been giddy about Mahomes since the day of his draft visit, with his teammates generally parading that excitement around like it’s show-and-tell.
They could not have expected this, though. The schedule was front-loaded, and with Mahomes still just three years into life as a full-time quarterback it figured to be better late than early.
That still could be the case. Reid’s teams have been metaphorically bipolar. One started 1-5, then won the franchise’s first playoff game in more than 20 years. Another started 5-0, then blew an historic playoff lead at home.
The truth is the Chiefs are still at least a year from being a more complete team. The front office and coaches could not do all that needed doing this past offseason. They need more of a pass rush, better coverage in the back. The offensive line could use more strength, and behind Kelce is an obvious lack of depth at one of the most important positions for Reid’s offenses.
But now we’re nitpicking.
Rosters can never be perfect, and the point right now isn’t what the Chiefs can be in a year.
It’s what they are right now — an appointment-viewing offense led by a star quarterback who just might be transcendent, a franchise hoping it can be enough to push forward faster than the front office planned.