Week 6 Optimism Check
 

Alas, our favored football team (the Chiefs) has finally experienced its first bitter sip of reality in this, the 2017 NFL season. And it was quite bitter indeed, as nearly every team member, from coach to player, performed dreadfully more often than not. Perhaps a more well-fought loss wouldn't have provoked such misery as many of us felt today, but as it happened, we have fair cause for introspection and reassessment.

Thus, I ask you: are you still optimistic about the Chiefs' chances this season?

As I see it, these are our reasons for optimism:

• It's just one game.
• We're still 5-1, which is pretty good.
• Hunt, Kelce, and Hill continue to be excellent playmakers.
• Despite his worst game of the season, Alex still made some big plays down the stretch to keep the game close.
• The defense shows a lot of resilience and clamps down when it needs to.
• Our OL is getting healthy.
• While our WR corps is thin, Robinson got open a lot today, and with time could become a key contributor.
• The Broncos and Raiders both lost today, and we're in control of the division.
• We have the HFA edge over the Patriots.
• The hardest part of our schedule is already almost over.
• We'll be fine.

And these are our reasons for pessimism:

• The run defense looks terrible.
• We've suffered a ton of injuries, especially to the OL and WR corps.
• We struggle to put our big playmakers in position to make big plays - whether due to bad scheming, bad play calling, or bad blocking (as in the case of Kareem Hunt, who has been running into brick walls in the first half of the last couple games).
• Andy Reid still makes Andy Reid decisions when the pressure is on.
• The entire coaching staff seems slow to make adjustments in-game.
• Despite making some big plays down the stretch to keep the game close, Alex also missed a ton of throws and overall had a really bad game that could indicate that he's regressing.
• We have to travel across the country to play a desperate rival on almost no rest, so this could be the start of a losing streak.
• The standards are higher now. Anything less than a Super Bowl would feel like a disappointment, and even an AFC Championship appearance would be the flimsiest of consolation prizes.
• We'll probably have to play this ****ing team again in the playoffs.
• Becuase Chueeueufs.

So, where do you stand? Also, feel free to add more to either list. Thanks.

The defense will be our undoing. The pass rush is non-existent during most stretches.
Mark my words.

MARK THEM WELL!!!!!

It's like you've forgotten your own name......

Somehow we are ranked 13th in points allowed but 27th in rush defense and 24th in pass defense. Bend but don’t break!!

Still a contender. I'll check my optimism after the Raiders.

SEASON OVER. Thanks for asking, friend!

It's 1 game. Oline was awful, Smith was bad, so was the defense. Pittsburgh still needed a lucky deflection to win. Still the best team in the AFC. Onto Oakland.

Thank you, friend.

Man, that was one of the most devastating bad breaks I can remember. And yet... we were still in it at the very end, which is pretty wild. Sigh.

Can someone GIF it up please?

Why would you want to relive that on a literal loop

LMAO

I want to believe, but I just can't. I know the Chiefs too well. Even if we make the playoffs, another heartbreaking loss is in the cards.


Same old Chiefs.

KCtothe7-9

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDD

...but in all seriousness, still a contender with some bugs to work out.

Thank you for making this thread.

Thank you for the thanks. I'm thankful.

The first 5 games had me thinking the team had turned a corner. It just felt different somehow. But this game revealed all the same old ugly tendencies that lead to heartbreaking playoff losses. Which is deeply unsettling.

However, this team is definitely still good enough to win the division, get a bye, maybe even HFA. And so it comes down to getting the right breaks at the right time. That can happen to any team, even one as seemingly cursed as the Chiefs. I mean, could anyone have imagined the Royals getting all the breaks they needed en route to a World Series championship?

Therefore... as much as I want to NOT believe.... I gotta believe. I gotta believe it's possible. I gotta believe that the ball will bounce our way....... if only just this once.

Have stayed pretty flat all year.

Not a lot of Defenses have the speed the Steelers have, so the Chiefs Offense will get back on track. The Defense is leaky and it will cost them when it matters most.

D needs retooling in the front 7.

How are the Dolphins the 6th seed right now? That team blows

I know it doesn’t seem right but we have the personnel for a 4-3. Put Nunez in there. Ragland has done virtually nothing

Brady and Ben are close to hanging them up! We will see much more chaos in the AFC playoff seeding in future seasons. The goal is to get 10+ wins every year as long as Reid is here. One of those times we will get all the breaks much like Denver got Pittsburgh in the playoffs without Bell, Brown and a severely hobbled Ben.

They don't have the right personnel for either front. And well yeah, Nick Saban runs the piss out of players like Ragland at Bama.

A lot of them are ****ed up by the time they make it to the NFL.

And Mahomes will be taking over as the old guard leaves... Hill, Hunt, and Kelce are still young... if Veach can shore up some key weak spots via draft and FA, this team will be a top tier contender for years to come. HELL YEAH!!!

The 2018 free agent class is trash on defense.

Two players that could interest the Chiefs: Jarvis Landry and Alshon Jeffrey.

Jeffrey would be a nice addition. We could use a WR who's taller than 5'5".

Which is why I suggested perusing Bowman. Bowman and DJ inside would be ridiculously unfair.


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But as to the OP. Look, I look at it this way. I don't believe will will see another game this season where the Chiefs as a team are held to 28 yards rushing. For as many faults as Alex Smith may have, missing wide open receivers usually isn't one of them. None of that bothers me. Hell the miracle td for Antonio Brown doesn't bother me. WHAT DOES SCARE ME SENSELESS, is Andy Reid. That's literally the dumbest decision I've seen an NFL head coach make. Have to kick it there. Inexcusable. Chiefs could have overcome EVERYTHING except that.


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Alex Smith has missed wide open guys, a lot.

Not when he actually THROWS TO THEM.


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So he isn't Brock? Wow that's awesome I guess.

Yea that’s why he has the highest completion % in the league and is on pace to break the record. JFC

That doesn't hold and weight to Alex Smith not seeing wide open guys.

We need Poe and Howard back for this run D

Posted this in another thread, maybe the game day one.

Anybody who thought we would win that game was lying to themselves. The writing was on the wall all week. The storyline was there. Anyone discounting it and telling themselves Pitt is washed up were lying to themselves.

We've been there, seen it, and knew exactly what was going to happen. Anything else, and you're just delusional.

Same as it ever was. We beat shitty teams while losing to a good one that we knew we were not matched up for.

I feel confident that this team will make the playoffs and most likely get home field advantage. Or, at the very least, they get either a bye or win the division and get a home playoff game.

Like you said, the hardest part of our schedule is over and from here on in it's pretty smooth sailing. Minimum they should win the division unless Andy Reid blows a couple of games out of his arse and this team is severely hampered by injuries, that's the only way I don't see them winning the division but other than that, they should be ok.

We don't have much to worry about when it comes to regular season since this is a good regular season team anyway. Andys track
record backs that up since he wins in the regular season but loses in the playoffs.

Playoffs are the reason to be concerned because a) Andy Reid has a career playoff losing record b) Football is a game of X's and O's, matchups, strategies/schemes, etc. This team doesn't matchup well against Pittsburgh. They seem to bitch slap us a lot. When the games are tougher against better quality opponents, coaching becomes more critical and Andy Reid seems to crack under pressure through lack of preparation, bad decision making and bad game management skills. I could see him messing up and he usually does. I really don't have much faith in the guy to help bring a Super Bowl to Kansas City. Bottom line, he is Marty part 2.

And yup there is a very good possibility we face the Steelers in the playoffs. Unless we come up with an excellent game plan or make good in game adjustments; I don't see us beating this team in the playoffs.

I'm still a believer Sutton is ass at making adjustments. I kinda like the bend but don't break concept but geeez man mix it up once in a while and gamble a bit more man.

Try to get some pressure by penetrating and collapsing the pocket or blitz a bit more? Why give Big Ben a clean pocket most of the time? I don't understand that? Why can't this team stop Bell? He kills us every time!! I think a lot of times this defense is geared towards stopping the pass, doesn't Sutton just stop and think for second and say, "okay man, I got this running back here in Bell that has gashed me the last few games, I think I need to adjust my playcalling a bit by mixing it up and calling more runstopping plays."

The playcalling isn't balanced imo. We gear ourselves up too much to stopping the pass and Pittsburgh exploits that by countering with effective running plays. We drop too many guys back and Big Ben has a clean pocket with all day to throw and exploits our defense by taking the yards they give him underneath. I understand they don't want to give up the big plays but fear of not giving up the big plays is why this team loses to Pittsburgh because they give them too much time and many opportunities to execute. And they take advantage.

The stats speak for themselves. Pittsburgh had the ball for 37 minutes compared to us 23. It's hard to score a lot of points given that amount of time unless you have a quick strike, well executed offense or score some defensive tds.

Too much of the conservative approach; especially on D, isn't working. This has to change!

We are losing to Pittsburgh because our team is being outcoached. They are physically punching us in the mouth and we put them in positions where we allow them to dictate the game in their favor.

*I don't think Alex Smith is regressing. I think he is having one of his better seasons. If anything, the pass blocking sucks ass and a lot of times when he drops back to throw, he has no time. Andy Reid needs to do a better job at adjusting his pass blocking schemes and put his QB in a better position to succeed.

Thank you.

Somewhat optimistic - this team has a shot, but there's cause for concern

This should be the only option. :p

I still think KC needed a game like this. There is much to work on.. always has been.. and a loss like this should really be the catalyst to fix the problems. And if they can't be fixed? then they was ****ed anyway... but at least the motivation will be there.

Get healthy, Chiefs.. and FFS.. stay healthy.

The injuries are piling up.

The raiders are going to take advantage of a chiefs team full of pity and push Thier shit in at the line of scrimmage.

I'll get back to you when I know who's out for the Raiders game.

Neutral until the Dallas game.

I'm concerned with the injuries. They're part of the game and they also make a difference.

This. Is. Exactly. How. I. Feel. Today.

Everything to play for, against a team that has beaten you consistently, with great weather and fantastic crowd and you look like cold garbage.

It's just a football game, why do I feel like my dog died again?

Normally I'd say that if you are that bad against the run you have no shot in January. However, as maddening and infuriating it is to watch the D give up rushing yards, they still routinely have the habit of forcing turnovers and limiting teams to 3. As ugly and as somewhat inefficient as it appears to be, it does give the offense a chance to win games.

Yesterday wasn't pretty, it seemed like the score should have been 28-0 at the half, but it was close. One could argue that if the offense sustained a single drive, the D might have had a chance to regroup.

Offensive possessions:

1. Safety on a bad snap.
2. Get ball in great field position because of Special Teams, gain just 4 yards and settle for a gift field goal.
3. 3 and out losing 5 yards.
4. 6 plays, 1 yard gained end of half.
5. start of 3rd quarter - 3 and out.

Tough for any D, let alone a bend and break, to play well with no field position, time being killed by the O.

On the bright side Dadi and Tamba are now eligible to begin practicing and they have a 21 day window to be activated

It's one game against a really bad matchup. No one expected to go 19-0 anyway. What's most alarming is that the injuries piling up is showing it's effect. You can get away with patching guys in there for a while but you get exposed against the really good teams which doesn't bode well for the playoffs. REALLY missing Berry in the box, Sutton's scheme relies heavily on the SS being able to play in there. Sorenson is a good cover guy but doesn't have the heft to stuff the run.. he's built like a corner. Then by the end we have the top 3 WRs not in the game. We already know Alex can't throw to a WR unless he is 100% confident in them, him and Robinson were way out of whack. O-line... nuff said about that.

I’m remaining cautiously optimistic.

We just took a likely Super Bowl contender and, probably, our worst matchup in the league down to the wire in a game where our offense did literally jack and shit until about 54 minutes into the game.

Meanwhile, they had Bell going, they had Brown going, Ben didn’t make many mistakes, and their defense played to its potential. That is as good as the Steelers are going to get, minus maybe an explosion from Bryant who appears to be disgruntled.

That was absolutely NOT the best we’ve got to offer.

I'm still optimistic.

Thank you!

We are still the favorites to win the West. Beyond that, who knows? We are the Chiefs.

I have the same optimism for losing in the playoffs as if we had won that game.