Ten Things About Today's Game: Week 6
 

Ten Things About Today’s Game: Week 6

10. When I was a kid, I used to sleep walk a lot. Sometimes I’d literally walk outdoors into the back yard, and my parents would have to gently lead me back into the house and put me back in bed. I don’t walk in my sleep often now, but sometimes I roll around a lot. At 3AM I had a dream that I was being chased across a parking lot, like a stadium parking lot, by a bunch of thugs. I saw a ten foot high chain link fence in front of me. I thought I’d leap up on the fence, scale it, and get away. So I lept as high as I could. I was shocked awake when I hit the floor by the side of my bed. I fell out on my right elbow. I didn’t break it, but bruised it up pretty good. When I realized where I was, my first thought was, “Damn, I done broke my arm and I’m gonna miss the Raider game!” But I iced it, and today it’s sore, but still works. I didn’t know at the time if that was an omen or not. The thing about Chiefs-Raiders games are, you never know what’s going to happen. After two weeks of having a stale, nasty Heinz Pickle taste the mouth, Andy and his coaches pull out another win after a bye. Andy is now 16-2 after a bye week, and that’s pretty amazing. The Chiefs have had their ass kicked in the rain in Oakland on other occasions. The only thing worse than the Black Hole is a wet, stinky, slippery Black Hole. That stadium is an upholstered septic tank. The field is below sea level, and sewage literally seeps from the facility. How the NFL can allow a team to present a field like that is beyond me. When the Raiders came out and smacked us in the mouth right off the gun, I thought “Oh Boy, here we go.” When the Midget missed his PAT, I thought, “Oh Boy, here we go.” When he missed a field goal, and then Sutton went all prevent and gave up an easy three to Seabass - a six point swing right before the half- I really said “Oh Boy, here we go.” But credit where credit is due: The Fade got shut down on their home sewage field, in front of their wet, stinky Black Hole fans; and there’s great satisfaction in that. Here’s the breakdown:

9. Peters pick in the first half was an important momentum changer. That pick was totally on Carr, as the ball was woefully under thrown. But it was important to kick start the offense with a short field, and get them out of chasing a lead early. Early impressions in the game included Charles fighting for yards between the tackles, not going down easily. On the catch Albert Wilson made, Charles picked up the blitz and stoned the oncoming linebacker like a boss. His return as an authentic Charles really set a tone for what the offense could do. It opened up the possibilities. That’s not to say Andy was an offensive genius today. He’s wasn’t. Far from it. I hate bubble screens. I hate not throwing the ball into the end zone on third and goal. If you get a DPI, you have first and goal on the one. How can you throw the ball to the three? The Poe TD was a gadget play -glad it worked, I like it when a fat guy scores- but with Ware blasting through the line today, why don’t you pound him three straight times? Luckily, in the second half, Andy started running the rock and running the clock, which was the absolute right thing to do in those weather conditions.

8. Smith and Carr threw for almost identical yards. Both right at 225 yards, but Carr had a pick and a fumble (should have had two picks) and Smith did not turn the ball over. When Alex spreads the ball around, we seem to have a much better chance of winning. Today he threw passes to nine different guys. It’s hard to understand why we tend to forget about guys during the course of the game. Maclin gets a 49 yard bomb, then they ignore him the rest of the game. Kelce disappears until he catches a critical third down to run clock on the last drive. Conley catches as many passes as Maclin and Kelce. DAT makes a cameo, and catches a ball. The TDs were all rushing (well, technically Poe was a pass), but with the crappy weather, that’s just fine.

7. Ware ran like a man possessed. He wrapped up the ball, ran hard, dragged guys for extra yards, and had 131 yards. He’s a load and can really run with power. And he protected the ball. Best performance by a Chiefs back thus far. He was the difference today, and if the ground game continues to balance Ware, West and Charles, that’s a lot for defenses to stop. Throw in DAT or Hill running the occasional reverse, and there’s speed to burn. This looked like the offense we expected to see in pre-season. Hope it sticks.

6. Early in the rain, Mack was owning Fisher. Mack disappeared in the second half. The O-line did a very good job. Alex had time to throw, backs had some good holes, Chiefs were 7 for 13 on third down. Best of all, Chiefs won TOP by more than 13 minutes. That’s almost a full quarter! Choking the clock away in the fourth quarter by ground control was beautiful. Everyone knows Oakland had given up a lot of passing yards, but I was encouraged by the way the line moved the ball on the ground. That’s going to be important in cold weather come December.

5. The best thing I can say about the defense is, once Peters got his pick, they didn’t give up another TD; and they shut Oakland out in the second half. Oakland’s been a fourth quarter comeback team. Not today, their luck ran out. Dee Ford came up big in the fourth quarter. Yeah, Oakland is missing a couple starting O-Linemen, and everybody knew Oakland had to throw the ball on a sloppy, nasty field, but Ford did a nice job getting Carr to turn the ball over and ice the game. This is definitely going to be Hali’s last year. God Bless him, he gives it everything he’s got, but he’s just too slow. He did force Oakland into a costly holding penalty in the fourth quarter, and he recovered Carr’s fumble, but we’ll need to replace him next year. Can't wait to get Houston back in the mix.

4. Our first pick Jones plays better and better each week. When Bailey went out, Jones got his shot, and he pushed the pocket all day long. He should be starting, and he makes the front defensive wall much better. DJ played great today, totally killed Richard on a clean hit on a screen pass, and Peters played well. In the secondary, DJ White got picked on big. Who’s bright idea was it to give him William Bartee’s jersey? They need to give him a different number. Cooper had 129 receiving yards, but he didn’t score. Better yet, Crabtree was held to ten yards on two receptions. And the defense gave up only 63 yards rushing. That’s a good day.

3. Specials was a mixed bag, but I’m willing to give it a pass due to the weather and field conditions. Yeah, the Midget started out rough. He gave up four points on his own. But Seabass missed a kick -albeit a long one- and the Midget hit on his last FG attempt to make it a 16 point lead. That was big, because that’s two TDs and two conversions to tie. Hill had a nice punt return with NO FLAGS for a change. Chiefs seemed to have better punt coverage for the most part.

2. On the injury front, I’m very concerned with Gaines being out again. Dorsey went into this year depending on Gaines to be there. That seems to be the achilles of the defense, and when Peters had to go out first for cramps, then for possible concussion, that was rough. If we lose both of those guys, we’re toast. The Canadian Doc tweaked his ankle again, but he went back in at the end of the game. Bailey hurt his shoulder. But Charles looked fine. I was most worried about him, and how he’d do on a sloppy field.

1. This was a critical win to keeping in the hunt for the division. Since the Donks lost, we really needed this game to get back in the chase. The hardest games left now are probably going to Carolina and going to Denver. We’ve got a shot now, just as much as anybody else in the division. After all three local college teams got their fudge pushed in on Saturday, it’s also good for our general mental health to have a satisfying win over the Fade on the road.

Next week, I will not be around to do a Ten Things. I can’t attend the game as I have a prior out of town obligation. But fear not, I’ve arranged for a special guest writer who will attend the Saints game up close in my usual place, and provide the weekly Ten Things in my absence. I look forward to reading next week’s Ten Things, from our only home game in October! Who Dat Gonna Beat Dem Saints???

FIRST!

The thing I noticed about Charles today is that our other backs don't have the same vision on the field. He's incredible.

Posted on the game thread that KC has given up 12 second half points against teams that aren't from Pittsburgh (26 if you include the Steelers game). As has been pointed out, even though it doesn't feel like they're playing good defense they keep one of the supposed best offenses 18+ points under their average, keep Carr 2-8 for 13 yards in the third quarter, and kept the entire Raiders team under 300 yards. Not bad.

It was great seeing Charles back out there. Such an awesome back.

Hmm, I thought he missed a couple holes today.

I'd expect that though. Today was his first legit game action in basically a year.

Sutton can't adjust! /

Great read George. **** the Raiders.

Thank you George

I said the same thing about Charles, many backs would have ran through humbles of guys but he waited a few times and took a few extra yards because of it. He didn't have the intensity Warehouse did but he had better vision. What a great combo.

Yeah, I hope they are saving him for when it really matters, he pretty much got benched at halftime. Ware reminds me of Charles, just not as good in space.

This. Appreciate the sanity

Great as usual....nice seeing JC doing some JC stuff....I think he is slowly getting in game shape and will be a great weapon late this year...

Always a good read, George. Thanks!

I thought this is a great example of "forced parity" NFL rules allowing teams like the Fade to play crap teams to inflate their record. Then when they face a playoff caliber team, they get stomped. They sucked, their defense was the worst I've seen us play in some time. They're going nowhere

Thank you george! great read as always!

Free hot towel for everyone after today's game!

Good stuff as always.

Best in NFL history.

Yea, that defense was seriously BAD!

Thank you Sir! Enjoy the break!

Spot on as always George. Definitely one of the best parts of this forum. Don't ever stop.

Perhaps, but he had another one where he showed GREAT patience and got a nice run (maybe 15 yards or so?) by staying patient and following his blocks.

Similar to what George mentioned, I'm most excited by the VARIETY we have for running attacks this season. Ware is the workhorse who will punish the defense and carry the load. Charles is the shifty guy you can run out there and wear guys down by avoiding tackles he has no business avoiding. West is the quick, shifty guy as a change of pace. They're all great compliments to each other.

Great write-up as always, George!

I'll add that it was nice to see Dee Ford make a couple of plays, although our pass rush is woefully inadequate, in my opinion. It will be so nice to get Houston back.

spot on, as usual!

Like how they're easing JC back..it would be nice to see him and Houston back at full strength for a playoff run.

Terrific GB as always. Love the intro. Great takes. Gives credibility to this site as a legitimate source of football news. If it weren't for all the victory shots I'd try to contribute myself

11. Ken Norton and JDR are dipshits coming up with a defensive gameplan.

12. Couple of 8 to 9 win teams out there. Raider defense is a disaster.

Thanks George you pulled out your extra special butt kick the Faid addition. I agree Jones needs to start he has out played both those guys each side of Poe. The Saints will go marching home next week losers. Thanks for the great 10 things.

As always a great take. I thought Poe's TD was ruled a rushing TD/backwards pass.

It sure is nice having two quality backs with different running styles. It's an offensive coordinators dream.

As far as that D-BAG Del Rio, after he beat up a geriatric Otis Taylor, if I ever meet him, I'm gonna punch him as hard as I can in the face.

You are correct.
Great win for the red and gold!

I hope I'm with you when that happens.

Great read as always. I appreciate the insight. It is tough for te to get too much out of the radio on the combine.

Road win in the division is always good. I thought Carr would rape us with no rush. Good to see the D clamp down.

Maybe I shouldn't argue with the results but safety help on Whites side may be in order.

Pitt lost to hapless Miami. Wtf.

I'm sure you're right. His vision is incredible.

I was specifically referring to two runs: a three yard loss and an inside zone he tried to bounce out for only two yards. Both times it looked like he'd have been better served to just hit the hole and salvage what he could with what was given.

He's the all-time leader in YPC so I'll defer to his expertise.

I got off work about 2:36 and hurried home changed my pants to Chiefs shorts then headed out with my son 23 miles next town with an Applebees. Listening to the radio it was like OH **** **** **** **** the Raiders score then Alex Smith gets drop for a sack and **** it didn't sound good.

Got to Applebeez sat down with a nice sitting of the TV in front of us put the Game On. Got some tasty bbq wings and you know what the Chiefs were starting to get some things going and the game just started to get more enjoyable to watch.

Then the Chiefs drove down missed a field goal just before half and Raiders went the other way and made theirs kinda pissed me off. Other thing that pissed me off that putrid Raider made a clean catch with toes in bounds but Chiefs just had to challenge it and lost. Other than that the game went well better than I thought it would so I got happier and happier as the game went along.

Really the Chiefs just ran over the Raiders and Alex had some nice throws he at least was on target and Derrick Carr was not, he had several errant throws.

Boom Ch Ka DJ Lit that putrid Raider up and that made me grin hellz yeah legal hit with his shoulder pads.

Chiefs left the field on a couple kneel downs deep in enemy territory so they could have put more points on the board if they wanted too.

Good day it was a good day.

Thanks George, as always a superb write-up (and a great story too). And I look forward to next week's stand-in writer too; but truth be told, he/she has some big shoes to fill.

Have a great trip, I hope it's for pleasure, and I hope you smile more than you did with this awesome win.

Thanks great read as always.

Great write up as always.

This game felt like last year's team again. If this offense can continue run the ball like they did and execute 4-5 20+yard throws down field then they will be ok. The defense might not be incredible right now but they wont lose the game on their own so ball security and TOP will be crucial going forwards. Also the character of the team too was a throwback to last year, coping with injuries and guys stepping up.

These next five games are crucial, all outside the division all against teams currently below .500; 5-0 is possible but I would take 4-1 in this stretch right now if you offered it me.

Having the most underrated offensive player, Sherman leading these backs needs some props.

I look forward to George's game summary almost as much as I look forward to the game itself. Great job as always.

Our running game is just better with Sherman in there.

And you're right on the money in terms of Jones starting over Bailey. 2 things I would mandate if I were in charge. On offense, get the ball in Tyreek Hill's hands AT LEAST once a quarter. Even better, at least once every possession. And start Jones over Bailey. Bailey just hasn't been the same player he's been for the last 2 years so far this year.

#6 on George's list was a huge surprise for me.

Ehinger played like a veteran G today and LDT looked great as well. The OL pushed the Raiders shit in after that first drive and it was awesome.

Charles second carry, I believe, a 3rd and one, was the single most powerful run of the season.

That, my friend, was intensity and desire.

Good write up, George. It seems the Chiefs have played them in the rain there the last 3 years and every time they say the field is crappy because it's below sea level. Sounds like a lame excuse to me. Do the 49ers have the same issues?

As for Charles, I kept saying "where's Charles?" I wanted to see more Charles. Ware did well so I'm not bagging on him. He's a good back. But Charles is a special, once in a generation back. I realize that they are trying to limit him until the stretch run but man, it's great to see him when he's in there.

As wet and sloppy as it was, I'm glad they limited Charles yesterday

I know I made a poor joke yesterday about Charles, and I do see him as a very good RB still, but no. At this point in time, Spencer Ware is the special Chiefs RB, and Jamaal Charles is the guy coming back from injury to try and re-establish himself.

Ware has shown the better vision, brute strength, and frankly has better catch hands.

I get it. Charles was (is?) a remarkable RB for the Chiefs.. but other than mixing in JC as the 30/70 % snap option.. the RB1 spot should belong to Spencer Ware at this time.

I was surprised at how few penalties there were. Atypical for a Chiefs/Raiders game. That and all the running made the game fly by.

So are we just gonna let George front his own legal bills or are we gonna do the right thing to and start a fund?

Have people seen the shit defense being played in this league? ?? Chiefs are definitely still a good D w out Houston. He makes them near elite.

Some things are worth doing time over...

I said I hoped I was with him when he did it already.

Thanks George. :thumb:

Many thanks as always, Mr Blowfish... probably your best one of the year

They're always so much more fun to read after a win

..... so are we gonna take up a fund for Sauto and George's legal defense or are we gonna be a bunch of bitches?

He looked like the same JC didnt he, I was very impressed

Still very fluid on the move, there is no hitch in his giddyup at all that I could see

Still runs with a power that belies his size, that first big run was 100% guts, dragging defenders for an extra 4-5 yards

With the stable of backs we have, I'm totally fine easing him back into the groove... when the home stretch hits that guy will be fresh as monkey breath, juking jokers and outrunning angles once again

I disagree with this. Ware has fresh legs-but has a LONG way to go before he is crowned better than JC.

Sauto has a knack for getting everyone home, no matter the circumstances.

I've been swamped this week but thanks GBlowfish for the writeup.

-Ware was certainly a man possessed

-Gaines is like a tin can, always breaking down

-Cairo scared the hell out of me and he seems to be on the decline. Not horrible but not the sure footed guy he was

-After they ran back the opening kickoff to the 50 and jammed it down our throats and Amari Cooper was catching passes all over, I thought it was going to be a long day biut alas we got the last laugh!

Always fun beating the Faiders!

I'm not sure where else to put this so I'll put it here.

Phat Andy had the perfect game plan this week.

Part of me wondered why we didn't test them downfield more but taking the short and easy stuff actually made sense this week. Scoring quick would have left more time on the clock for them to get their collective $3it together.

We were forcing 3 and outs - and our offense was methodically moving the ball down the field and scoring.

Absolutely no reason to change that. Holding the ball vs. their passing game was the best idea. I may slam Reid a lot but this week he had the perfect plan, WE LOOKED PREPARED AND WELL COACHED, and we were effective on O and D.

On top of that I think we had the perfect mix of Ware/Charles at this point. I'd love to see a 60% Ware/40% Charles until playoff time...

The most intriguing part of playing in Oakland is that shit literally floats. That's not mud. An NFL embarrassment .

I keep wondering what changes we made at half time to shut him down. 9 catches in the first half, one in the second.

Any thoughts on how we accomplished this?

Add in Atlanta to the mix of tough road games remaining on the Chiefs schedule.

Thoughts:</br></br> HUGE WIN!!! With the division going the way it is that was big.</br></br>I don't think Hali is done by any means. That guy is a beast. He's my favorite Chief since ever.</br></br>Get Conley the ball more.</br></br>Ware is an animal. I hope they don't wear him out.