Organizational Intelligence
 

I am continually amazed at how smart this team is. I think this team walked in to Baltimore and housed their bitch asses. Not because they overwhelmed it with talent - they were way more talented than us. Not because of effort. They were PUMPED. The reffing was pretty consistent, they obviously had home field, the weather wasn't a huge factor. We beat them because we were way smarter than they are. Very Belichickian.

Now we know Andy is a great play designer and same with Spags, who if he has talent has always been successful. But even then, we all crushed Andy for dumb stuff. And for a long time, we weren't that team. The Luck game doesn't happen to this team.

And the players are huge here. Kelce used to be good for a dumbass play or penalty a game. Now he's the smartest player on the field most of the time. Mahomes is the smartest QB in the league. Sneed definitely baited Flowers on the taunting, he held his leg for just a tick too long and Flowers went over the edge. Same with Kelce baiting his PF. Mahomes was yelling at his guys "finish but under control" so he (probably they) recognized that pushing past the whistle will blow the game like the Ravens did. Add in stuff like Pacheco continuing his route when Mahomes ran to pull his defender out of the play against Buffalo just warms my soul.

So how do we get from where we were to where we are now? I know Andy is a good coach and fosters learning and intelligence. And I know older players get smarter as they age, but the secondary in particular is really young. Is it just winning? Do players listen to Mahomes in a different way than they did Alex because he's awesome? Do players buy into the whole organization because of success?

Or is it something else? Is Mahomes just that ****ing good that he covers all the mistakes and it just appears that we're smart? I don't believe that, but I think it has an impact. Mahomes allows some flexibility, but **** this team is good.

Anyway, it is a lot of fun rooting for a smart football team (especially after watching mouth breathers like Squimin Herman Mother****ing Sack of **** Edwards) and watch ****hole teams like the Ravens(and if I'm being honest - preMahomes Chiefs - sadly.

What do you guys think?

Listening to all the info and podcasts I could this week about the game and such.....I think it's continuity and leadership.

That was always the thing with the Patriot run stuff. They'd lose some staff here and there but they always kept the main cogs in it moving together. They were cohesive but not nepotistic...you constantly had to "kill to eat" so the edges stayed sharp.

But one thing that goes unnoticed and we don't talk about..when other teams and organizations are having to decide on hires and philosophies, the best organizations are drilling down on the minutia things....focusing on the right stuff I suppose.

Then you have the respect and reverence Andy brings and then what Kelce and Pat bring and guys just follow and feed off it.

It's just a perfect storm of leadership, brains and commitment. EVERYONE is on the same page and if they are not, they are not on the field (looking at you Toney...)

This team picks each other up, believes in each other but does not tolerate dumbassery. We've had a "down" year that is better than most teams' good to great years. And we're in the SB because of it.

This team has become inevitable. And that stuff feeds on itself. The Chiefs are the truth. That is all.

You answered your own question, the answer is...

D - all of the above

The second half was all about leaning into the defense.

In years past they never would have been that conservative on offense, and it might have cost them the game.

The Chiefs just KNEW they didn't have to score again until it was a one-score game, and they didn't press the issue. They waited to play their trump card until they absolutely had to.

And we have a pretty good trump card.

Overall playoff sideline atmosphere tells the whole story, even back to last years SB.
That's coaching and attitude.

Plus, our leaders are vocal and back it up on the field.

At some point it's almost unfair to the teams we're playing, because none of them have as much playoff experience as us, except Buffalo at this point.

And we just keep stacking playoff experience for younger players now.

And Spags and Reid and a lot of their assistants have all been here since 2019.

The absolute weight of that iceberg just gets on top of teams and crushes them when the Chiefs have an advantage in a game. The only thing that stops it is turnovers and penalties.

The consistently great, almost always in the playoff mix franchises of the last two decades before we came along, were basically the Steelers, Patriots and Ravens

And they all shared a few common traits, with a few exceptions

Consistency at head coach
A franchise or borderline franchise QB
They all primarily drafted and developed their talent
And they were never afraid to cut an aging, expensive star

Pats and Steelers had the coaching consistency, Baltimore less so but it wasn't a total revolving door with them

Steelers didn't always have Big Rape, but they were still in the hunt every damn year with guys like Kordell Stewart, Charlie Batch etc

Ravens had Flacco for the second SB, a borderline franchise guy at his peak

Bill had Brady of course, but Bledsoe got things started for them

And ALL of those franchises were never too sentimental about ditching long in the tooth stars who priced themselves off the roster

Now we have all of those same traits that produce dynastic results

Coaching stability
Elite quarterback
Savvy drafting and roster mgmt
Never overpay an aging superstar, unless he's your QB

Seems like they have a good idea of who they want on the team, and perhaps more importantly, who they don't want on the team. They've had a couple loose cannons on social media, but for the most part come off as very business like.

Overall, I'd say like the shirts they were wearing the other day.... everyone is all in. Offensive line is ****ed? Go fix it. Defense is costing games? Go fix it. Mahomes is working out guys in the offseason and I'd really have to guess has a lot of say in things. And I'd have to guess that's leadership first and foremost and knowing your role from day one... what you're doing there, how to succeed, etc, etc. They aren't an organization that wouldn't have a clue what to do if it snowed and players had to get to practice.

Back on board I see.

This post gave me a BONER

Huh? Baltimore is not way more talented than this team. A few cooked vets on defense having career years and their QB has made ZERO strides at all in his career. Chiefs are better at HC, QB, and on defense. That's all you need in the playoffs. Other than Zay, those skill positions they have no legit threats with Andrews cooked and OBJ washed up. Likely fluke ass did nothing.

QB Chiefs
RB Chiefs
Wr/TE Chiefs
OL Chiefs
DL Chiefs
LB Ravens by a hair
Secondary Chiefs
HC Chiefs

Does that look like a far mote talented team to you? They FEASTED on turnover differential all year and the Chiefs had a huge negative turnover difference....look what happened when they lost it.

Agreed. The Ravens were just the Ravens this year, same as any other except for a weaker AFC conference.

This is an absolutely loaded Chiefs team that's overlooked somehow now talent wise due to fluke turnover luck all year (that's flipped in the playoffs)

HOF QB
Dynamic RB
Elite O line
HOF TE
Stud rookie WR
All Pro DT
2 All Pro CBs
4 deep LBs

This is FAR from some plucky underdog story ROFL It's a 14 to 15 win team with 4 or 5 total plays going the other way.

you left our 13-sack defensive end, wrecking crew linebackers and cagey hard hitting safeties, and our elite special teams