Chiefs still eyeing postseason at 3-5
 

Chiefs still eyeing postseason at 3-5


KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cue the old tape of former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Mora Sr. talking after a poor performance by his team, and asked about the potential for postseason play.

"Playoffs? Don't talk to me about playoffs," Mora bellowed. "You kidding me. Playoffs?"

In most seasons, those words could have been used to describe the situation surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs (3-5). Only a few weeks ago after losing five consecutive games, the Chiefs stood 1-5 and thinking about the postseason was folly.

But below undefeated New England, Denver and Cincinnati, the AFC is a pool of mediocrity and after stringing together two victories heading into their bye week, the Chiefs are only one game out of the conference's second wildcard spot.

Andy Reid is not the type of NFL head coach who will screech like Mora when talking to the media about his team's future. The theme is always the same: more hard work is needed.

"There's things we can get better at," Reid said. "We're not nearly as good as we possibly can be, so we've got to keep working. That's the challenge for all of us, players and coaches.

"We can all improve and get better, there's plenty to see on tape for that to learn from."

The Chiefs' two-game winning streak came against a Pittsburgh team without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a Detroit club that will compete over the second-half of the 2015 season for the first selection of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Still, all that is meaningless when a team is trying to end a long losing streak and return to a projected role as a contender.

Whether Kansas City has returned to that point will be seen over the next five games, with four of those in the AFC West and three on the road.

Ahead are trips to Denver and San Diego, then a weekend at home against Buffalo, before a trip to Oakland. By the time November turns to December, everyone will have a much better handle on exactly what the Chiefs can make of this season.

According to STATS, 280 teams started 3-5 in NFL history; 15 rallied to make the playoffs.

The Chiefs franchise has started the season 3-5 six times before this season, and did not make the playoffs in any of those years (1961, 1974, 1976, 1985, 1989 and 2004.) Only the '89 team finished the year with a winning record at 8-7-1.

Translation: no matter the quality of the conference, they have a long road ahead of them if they want to play into January.

"I feel like the confidence has always been there," tight end Travis Kelce said of the locker room vibe. "It's just going out there and doing it. Obviously, we have had some mixed pieces in the offensive line, and at wide out.

"In the beginning we had some guys banged up. But no excuses to that. The teams we played definitely came to play and kudos to them. But at the same time, we have a confidence in that locker room."

Kelce mentioned "mixed pieces" along the Chiefs offensive line and without a doubt that's where they have struggled to perform. In eight games, they've had five different starting groups, with only rookie center Mitch Morse playing in his spot for all games.

The Chiefs have one of the bottom four pass protection units in the league, allowing 29 sacks in 299 passing plays. Quarterback Alex Smith has been bruised and battered, starting the season with three interceptions in the first three games.

Smith now has gone five games without throwing it to the other team, and overall in the last five games the Chiefs have only two giveaways.

Defensively, Kansas City has picked up the pace in forcing turnovers. In the first four games, the Chiefs had only three takeaways, but have generated eight in the four most recent games.

The Chiefs are plus-three in the turnover ratio, and there are only seven teams with higher plus ratio.

As with most NFL teams, the Chiefs have dealt with their share of injuries, losing their No. 1 offensive weapon when running back Jamaal Charles tore the ACL in his right knee.

Kansas City also lost Phillip Gaines to a torn ACL; he was one of the club's top three cornerbacks. Offensive line injuries have slowed that group's development.

Still, here they are, sitting 3-5 and they can realistically say they are still in the race for a spot in the postseason.

"I think they've just stuck together," Reid said. "You've seen young guys get better. ... We've probably got more young guys playing for us than anybody in the league and they've continually gotten better.

"They've had the veteran support there, in a positive way for them. And then some of the guys that were banged up or sick they've continued to get better every week. That's important."

Reid never outwardly reached for the panic button when the club couldn't win a game. There were no coaching staff changes, and with the exception of the offensive line, there was little in the way of changes to the starting lineup. He feels everybody stepped up their performance, especially the guys in the locker room.

"The players have upped it," Reid said. "Not that you're not going to get beat every once in a while; that happens in his league. We're playing against good players. Best in the world, right? So, they keep battling. They're not letting things get them down at all."

http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/2...3581446674565/

And I am eyeing that Powerball jackpot doesn't mean I am going to win it.

Even if we go 5-3, which is possible but being very optimistic, we'd still miss the last spot.

I think we could, but it would require us not having a single let down (loss in a game we're favored to win) for us to have a chance...

We probably have like a 5% chance at the honor of losing a wild card game. Another loss and it would be near zero.

Hopefully the Lions or a team playing a backup QB makes it, they seem to play well against those teams.

And then I think to myself, "I'm glad I didn't get any season tickets"
And then I think to myself, "I've seen this shitshow before"
And then I think to myself, "This is basically last year in reverse"
And then I think to myself, "This is just like 2011, EXCEPT NO ONE IS GETTING FIRED!!"

Letting the days go by
Let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
After the money's gone
Once in a lifetime
Water flowing underground

Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Look where my hand was
Time isn't holding us
Time isn't after us
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Yeah, the twister comes
Here comes the twister
Same as it ever was...

Looking at the schedule, the only guaranteed loss right now is our next game in Denver. I think a lot of us realists may have jumped the gun a bit with how poorly the Chiefs were playing due to their competition. The teams that slaughtered us are, far and away, among the best in the NFL.

Still, the fact that they did slaughter us simply means that even if the Chiefs do string a bunch of wins against bad teams and make the playoffs, they'll just get crushed again.

#mediocrityforthetruefans

See, if they **** around and back in (shades of 2006), the front office will spin the above into 'a record setting 2015 - season tickets available now!!'


Yeah, Andy Reid is clutch against 3rd string QBs.

Looking at the schedule, the only guaranteed win right now is...??

Oakland is capable of curbstomping us...twice. so can Phyllis. Then Peyton again.

That's 5 losses right there...

Buffalo will rape us, so that leaves maybe Baltimore or Cleveland.

I remember the last time we played Cleveland late in the season, a terrible Cleveland team that we should have destroyed at Arrowhead...but every time the Chiefs kicked the ball away, they'd let a return go for 6pts. And lost like 40-38

I remember a real similar Baltimore game from 2006

So...I look at the schedule and see one more win. Maybe.

Indi is not a good team right now. They'll probably limp to the division title but they are balancing the razor's edge.

And Cinci still hasn't shown up for a playoff game yet...

They can only afford to lose 1 the rest of they way, maybe 2. That would leave them at 9-7. I'd be surprised.

8-8 is more likely.

There is no way they should not sweep SD. They can't even field a team. How many are on IR? Their best player is done for the season.

Also, the Ravens are done. Chiefs can easily win that. Beating Oakland once and Cleveland puts them at 8-8.

This is realistically a best case scenario. They're going to have to pull 2 more wins out of their asses. Buffalo and... ?

Yep. That Bears loss did us in. There were others, (Broncos & Vikings) but THAT BEARS loss was the killer because Chiefs had better talent and blew a 14pt 4thQtr lead at home. :shake:

There's a BIG difference in being 3-5 as compared to 4-4. It's going to translate into finishing 8-8 and being outside looking in instead of 9-7 and being in the mix.

I'd like to add to your last statement and say that the Chiefs will have it beat a team that they're not favored to do so and also hold serve against those that they are. In the first half of this season they did the just opposite.

Not a chance in hell.

Just what I needed to take the great taste of the Royals out of my mouth and curdle it.