Lets talk about "Flaws"
 

We've got a bit of down time so I thought we could have a general football discussion, specifically at the professional level and today's NFL.

We've been hearing all year "they're not the same team, they've got flaws, they're not the same as the previous ones" and it made me think, well.......yeah which team doesn't?

So I did a bit of a deep dive back on the past 10 years or so and.....which team didn't have "Flaws"? I couldn't really find one.

Just always wondered why that's a "talking point"? "They've got flaws".

Well yeah, every team does. What's the point of this being a talking point?

I think it's just a new way of saying "it's bullshit luck."

But the dudes that are astute are saying, it's just like the Cheatriots. They're not going to beat themselves. You have to beat them.

I've just never understood the reasoning for using it, knowing the league is set up to make you this way.

Will we ever see a team without flaws? I can't think of one.

Envy? Who know I mean I point out flaws on hot chicks so I can stare at them longer without my wife getting mad.

Lions were the least flawed team until injuries destroyed their defense

Maybe.

But even then.....with that defensive backfield against the pass I dunno.

As long as the rosters consist of human beings, there will never be a team without flaws in any sport.

RunKC brings up a great point though in that maybe we shouldn't talk about it as flawed vs unflawed but more so, least flawed.

Well and the other issue is you always view your own team through a different lens than the rest of the league. Ironically the Chiefs are the lone exception right now where even non-fans are super picky about them because it's way more fun to come up with reasons they may lose than keep talking about why they probably won't.

But you're just always gonna be a lot more privy to your own team's problems while maybe ignoring another teams unless it's super glaring.

Then the douches could argue depth is their flaw.

I agree with O that it's a dumbass argument.

It probably goes back to those Cheatriot ****bag teams that are so hateable.

Brady
Edleman
Gronk
Elite OL
Elite Defense

They were pretty damn solid.

Every team has flaws and the best team doesn’t always win

We watch every minute of every Chiefs game, and I'm guessing on average only the highlights from other teams.

Also seems like a lot of people are conditioned to find the potential barriers, I'm guessing to keep their expectations in check, which includes both weaknesses on their own team and the strengths of other teams.

We're like crazy overprotective parents that take too much pride or embarrassment in every little thing their kid does, like they're an extension of themselves... worried they're never doing enough, keeping an eye on 'competition' and pitfalls, downplaying success because it's never enough.

And on top of all that, there's probably some Dunning Kruger wrapped up in it... if the Chiefs are doing all these things to be highly successful, then surely other teams are doing all these same things. Same concept when the Chiefs sucked and we thought they were always far closer to success than they ever were.

Chiefs have one flaw: the refs.

The Chiefs have literally never gotten a single favorable call in any game that I’ve watched.

Should be undefeated all time IMO.

I’d argue we are the least flawed team.

Best defense in points allowed
3rd in qb pressures/knocks downs
Best 3rd down offense
Most game winning drives

The stats don’t show it but the the last few weeks the Chiefs have turned it on. 18 sacks in last 5 games since Omenihu came back. Translates to 61 avg per season which would be 1st.
27 and 29 points with Hollywood back. Thuney and him have changed the offense. 28 PPG would be 7th in NFL.

And honestly I am not taking anyone over Andy, Mahomes and Spags. Especially at Arrowhead.

We are easily the least flawed team in the playoffs

A team coached by Dan Campbell cannot by default be the least flawed team.

Nearest I can think was that 2020 Buccaneers super team. Even then, they struggled during the regular season and then didn’t win much of anything the following postseason; so despite lacking many obvious flaws, even they required a ton of luck and putting things together at the absolute most opportune time in order to make a splash.

On the same token, that 2020 Chiefs team probably had the fewest flaws of any Chiefs roster in the Mahomes era and getting unlucky with injuries means that’s pretty much forgotten.

I wouldn’t say no favorable calls, but for every favorable call they do get I see 5 others for their opponents. While hearing non stop that the “chiefs get all the calls” :hmmm:

Winning by adapting is a flaw? Oakley doakley

Pre-salary cap had as close to flawless teams as possible.

The Cowboys were stacked on both sides of the ball, San Fran had a few of those teams too.

Same with those 70s Steeler teams.

Maybe not a “flaw”, but a definite question mark for Detroit is Goff’s ability to deliver in a clutch situation.

Especially if they don’t get the #1 seed… Goff having to make a critical play on the road in Philly or Minnesota?

Need to see it to believe it.

I guess your team could be studs and duds or balanced. And talking about flaws could be a way of pointing out where to attack.

Top to bottom this is one of the best Chiefs teams ever. If you want to get picky, it's our secondary. What we have working for us; is the fact we don't face anybody with a really good QB and really head coach outside of maybe the Bills. There just aren't any top-notch passing teams out there to expose it.

It’s not all made up but it ignores reality. I think there’s a lot that enters into it:

Last yr the Chiefs cleaned up their mistakes and played to their potential in the post season after not doing so for much of the regular season - that doesn’t normally occur. People were banking on them continuing to drop passes, line up offsides in crucial moments, etc. Why did they hang in there? I think bc of Patrick’s leadership. He constantly encouraged his guys and took bullets at the podium with a straight face babbling about throwing more perfect passes until it came together in the nick of time. That kept guys like MVS engaged throughout the post season who’d end up making pivotal plays.

This yr they have won an inordinate amount of one score games and have one of the lowest point differentials for a team with a 15-1 record. They are a statistical anomaly in that regard. People are banking on them regressing to the mean without taking into consideration why games have been close which can be tied directly to an inordinate amount of injuries to key players. They had not been considering the fact that the chiefs are getting many of those guys back as the post season nears. We can see hollywoods impact on the offense as well as the improved play at LT.

I also think there is coastal bias that enters into it for the ravens and bills. I also think people like offense and are unimpressed with 19-17 wins.

I also think people don’t put weight on the championship culture I alluded to above with respect to Patrick’s leadership that is firmly in place that filters down from Andy and Patrick. The biggest difference between Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers in his prime is not physical, AR’s mental makeup is a C and Patrick’s is A+++. In addition to physical talent PM is the best leader at the position in the league. That can be challenging to quantify. Go back to the 24-0 playoff deficit to the Texans. Patrick was up and down the sideline exhorting his teammates to do something special. He is never down, he takes responsibility for every failure most which are not his fault. That kind of leadership plants the seeds for teams year over year that don’t blink when down with :13 to play, when Denver lines up a 30yrd fg, etc. The teams success in close games is no accident.

Reid is the best coach, the team is always prepared and that shows up in close games.

And lastly there is wishful thinking bc the league is sick of it.

Not just the Chiefs and not just the NFL but generally in sports fandom I think a lot of people waste time comparing their teams to some idea of a team that can't and does not exist vs accepting the bell curve of actual teams they are up against and being more honest about the state of their own team and how it stacks up against the opposition.

KC being in six going on seven straight AFC titles is a good data point in this discussion too for why QB + HC trumps literally any possible issue your team could have.

A whole lot of players have come and gone since 2018 and the Chiefs, at some point or another in the span, have experienced nearly every major flaw.

Horrible defense, poor receivers, subpar blocking, poor tackling. They've gone through phases of all of it and still always been a final four team no matter what.

And that's the bitch about rooting for any team that doesn't have an all-time great QB. You pretty much need a near spotless roster to have any shot at hoisting the trophy. Detroit is the current case study and they're fighting the injury bug now. You might win your conference, but you're gonna have a hell of a time winning the whole thing without an all-timer at QB and/or HC.

The only issue of concern that has irked me the last few weeks is really our third down defense. We were near the top until a few weeks ago. Probably a result of the adjustments at corner but that’s the only part of the game that remains a concern since the LT situation was addressed.

There are so many good things that counter this but giving up third and longs and surrendering 50%+ on third down needs to get tightened up. Confident they’ll get it done and, when they do, it will be very hard for them to be beat.

1. A few posters shouldn't have the ability to start a thread
2. Site can go down during important games
3. Mods are like NFL refs: inconsistent, throw too many flags and miss big penalties.
4. Mults should be outed.
5. Not enough porn

Those are the "Flaws". :D

And don’t forget the turnovers!

LT and WRs ability to win against man coverage were flaws in the regular season. They may have just fixed them in time. And if they have, the team doesn't really have any other glaring issues.