Takeaways from the 2021 season.

[Wallcrawler]

After taking some time to decompress, and come to grips with the Chiefs season ending, these are my takeaways after a great season that came up just short of another Superbowl trip.

1. The Chiefs need a true running back.

RB by committee is terrible. Clyde unfortunately isn't the guy. The last time Patrick and Andy had a stud rb, Patrick Mahomes was the league mvp. Dropping 8, shell coverage, none of that works if you have a rb to punish it. We have the line to run behind. We just need the runner.


2. The O line rebuild was a phenomenal success. Holy shit can you name a team that rebuilt an entire unit in one off-season and it worked this well? This was absolutely a championship o line.

3. The 25% of the cap D Line was a major failure. We brought Frank in on a ludicrous deal and followed it up with a massive overpay on Chris Jones. 28th in the league in sacks and pretty leaky against the run, sure as hell didn't get what we paid for. Oh, and Chris Jones? It's been 10 postseason games. Still no sacks big guy.

4. Mahomes has spoiled Chiefs fans. The man set the bar so high that anything less than absolute elite perfection sees him absolutely shredded by fans and media alike. Even with all he's done, the kid is still human. He's not gonna win every superbowl every year. When he doesn't, it doesn't make him any less awesome. In a so called down year, where he was referred to as a "Broken" qb, he still put up numbers most of the leagues starters would cut their left nut off for and went to OT in his fourth straight AFC title game. The kid has never finished a season without getting this far.


5. Andy is still gonna Andy on the biggest stage. He's too old and set in his ways to change now. Whatever improvements are made to the roster, we have to try to get players to play well enough that these situations either do not manifest at all, or become irrelevant when they do. At the very least, we need to hope that in the next big game, Andy doesn't do his best Brandon Staley impersonation and give his kicker the double bird on the way to 0 points. If we could void Andy's authority to use timeouts as well, we could only improve and be better for it.

6. The 17th game and expanded playoffs are shit. Punishing the 2 seed by taking away a week off and making them play a team that likely doesn't deserve to even be there is terrible. We've seen the sack record tied in the first 17 game season. All records now will have less meaning. Dumb cash grab by the NFL.

7. The future is BRIGHT. I can't wait to see the dead weight cut off this roster, and to see Brett Veach get back to work building this team. The guy operates like me when I'm playing Madden. Huge trades, major roster changes, things you don't usually see. What he did with the o line in one off-season, I'm really excited to see what he can do with this defense, and what new weapons for Patrick he will bring in. I really believe that fixing the run game has to be high on his list, and while rb is never popular, I bet a deal gets made for a true rb to elevate this offense back to when smack a bitch up was running the ball for us. Much as I hate to say it, if we had Kareem Hunt against the Bengals, or any rb like him, we run their asses right out of Arrowhead with a 50 burger to nibble on for the trip home. The Chiefs offense will always be the priority with Mahomes, and with what we've seen from Veach so far, I'm expecting a huge swing at it from him.

I felt after this loss, similar to 2018. Like it's not that bad because I KNOW change is coming and we're going to be back.


We got 2 first year head coaches with their new teams in the AFC West, and that idiot Brandin Staley. So barring injury, the division is as good as ours again. Best time to be a Chiefs fan.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by milkshock

no, but if we had a guy who had run for 1400 yards in a season like we had with Hunt, the D would be taking it more seriously and may not so readily jump to drop 8.

This RBBC intimidates no one.

Very good point. Also could use one that can take it to the house on any given play. And he must be able to pass protect as well as catch. Is that too much to ask for?

[TEX]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

That last redzone drive was horrendous. I’m not sure why you’re even running RPOs at that point. Line the **** up and just run the ball.

Yep. 3 times, maybe 4, if you have to. Had they done that, IMO they win. It's that simple.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by TEX

Very good point. Also could use one that can take it to the house on any given play. And he must be able to pass protect as well as catch. Is that too much to ask for?

How many teams in the NFL have that guy? Because it’s not 32 of them.

[milkshock]

Originally Posted by TEX

Very good point. Also could use one that can take it to the house on any given play. And he must be able to pass protect as well as catch. Is that too much to ask for?

I would say not.

Can you imagine them routinely dropping 8 against Hunt who may have had yet another 1000 yard season for us? Not a ****ing chance.

Thats got nothing to do with Andy refusing to run - thats to do with having a RB who intimidates and scares D's

CEH, McKinnon? - I dont think they scare anyone

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by milkshock

to a point, but with Mahomes you want to pass it.

And with a Hunt type fully firing, the D wouldnt gamble with dropping 8, I think. Even if he wasnt getting that many carries in the game.

Name recognition alone would scare them out of it.

Maybe, but name recognition or not, the Bengals were perfectly willing to still drop 8 in coverage vs the Chiefs, despite the fact they were giving up nearly 6 yards per rushing attempt in the game, regardless of who was running the ball.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

How many teams in the NFL have that guy? Because it’s not 32 of them.

We don't even need the 1400 part. Hell, half the league has a guy that rushed for 900 yards or more. One of those would be nice. Just anything but a JAG.

[milkshock]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Maybe, but name recognition or not, the Bengals were perfectly willing to still drop 8 in coverage vs the Chiefs, despite the fact they were giving up nearly 6 yards per rushing attempt in the game, regardless of who was running the ball.

regardless of which one othe JAGS we had back there running it, yeah.

Why do you want to be in a position to 'gamble' on the run on 3rd and 5 anyway - which is what you'd be doing to a degree. you have the best weapons in the game in Hill and Kelce.

A respected RB would 'normalise' the situation. And let us play to our very obvious strengths.

[milkshock]

Originally Posted by TEX

We don't even need the 1400 part. Hell, half the league has a guy that rushed for 900 yards or more. One of those would be nice. Just anything but a JAG.

Mahomes MVP season came with Hunt (mostly) taking the pressure off him as the d didnt go light box.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by milkshock

regardles of which one othe JAGS we had back there running it, yeah.

Why do you want to be in a position to 'gamble' on the run anyway - which is what youd be doing to a degree. you have the best weapons in the game in Hill and Kelce.

A respected RB would 'normalise' the situation.

Cincy's defense was also gambling... correctly... on the fact that Andy was not going to run the ball, regardless of how effectively the Chiefs were running it.

Chiefs averaged 5.8 yards per rush in the game... the team with the highest rushing yards per carry average for the season was Cleveland with 5.1, the Chiefs were almost a full yard ahead of that in the game.

Getting a Kareem Hunt (2018 version) type RB in this offense is still no guarantee that Andy will actually run him consistently.

[milkshock]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Cincy's defense was also gambling... correctly... on the fact that Andy was not going to run the ball, regardless of how effectively the Chiefs were running it.

Chiefs averaged 5.8 yards per rush in the game... the team with the highest rushing yards per carry average for the season was Cleveland with 5.1, the Chiefs were almost a full yard ahead of that in the game.

Getting a Kareem Hunt (2018 version) type RB in this offense is still no guarantee that Andy will actually run him consistently.

Kareem was on pace for 1200 before he was cut

Teams respected - no, teams feared this man. And Mahomes benefited massively.

I suspect Reid looks at the collection of RBs we have now and has the same respect for them that opposing teams do - none whatsoever.

The outcome is the ridiculous 8 deep situation we saw on Sunday.

In terms of running the ball, are you expecting run on 1st, 2nd and 3rd downs? It looks easy on paper but as soon as 3rd and 5 hits you are in a risky situation if you arent going to throw there.

[Gary Cooper]

Why wasn't McKinnon getting more touches earlier in the season? Seems to be some poor talent evaluation there. Makes you wonder what other bench warmers are better than their playing time.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by milkshock

Kareem was on pace for 1200 before he was cut

Teams respected - no, teams feared this man. And Mahomes benefited massively.

I suspect Reid looks at the collection of RBs we have now and has the same respect for them that opposing teams do - none whatsoever.

The outcome is the ridiculous 8 deep sitiuation we saw on Sunday.

He signed off on those RBs…so he can look in the mirror on that one.

[Wallcrawler]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

He signed off on those RBs…so he can look in the mirror on that one.

Well, it is in Reid's repertoire of canned answers. After looking in the mirror, taking full responsibility, then comes the better job part.

New, badass ballcarrier acquisition incoming.

[DRM08]

Originally Posted by JudasRising20

Why wasn't McKinnon getting more touches earlier in the season? Seems to be some poor talent evaluation there. Makes you wonder what other bench warmers are better than their playing time.

Andy might have been saving McKinnon for the playoffs. He does have a pretty rough history of injuries. I just wish they gave McKinnon more touches in the 2nd half.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by DRM08

I just wish they gave McKinnon more touches in the 2nd half.

No doubt !! But Andy has to win "his way" and that will usually cost you a few games when you do not put your ego aside and adjust to what your opposition is doing to you successfully.