Some Quick Things

[Chris Meck]

Tough, hard fought football game against a physical Titans team that always gives Andy and Mahomes fits.

1. I don't think Titans win with a hobbled Tannehill, either. Willis' outside mobility was their second best weapon. Tannehill would've completed some passes, but also would've been a sitting duck and the Chiefs' pass rush was improved.

2. Chiefs defense was outstanding. Derrick Henry is a MAN out there, and other than the one big run, they bottled him up pretty well. Those of you calling for Spags head are NUTS. Spags has been a magician this year, playing all these rookies, and still dials up the perfect play in the crucial moment.

3. Saunders needs MOAR SNAPS. He's clearly better than Nnadi. In fact, he certainly appears to be our best DT not named Jones.

4.Wylie blows goats. He's absolutely terrible, and overmatched on an NFL field.

5. Trey Smith...I don't know what's going on, but he's not been playing all that well either.

6. OBJ is not good enough. At his best, he's average. Demanding top of the market pay when you're not very good is a bad look.

7. 68 passes? Yeesh. Our inability to run the ball has got to be fixed. You can't do that every game. You just can't. I know Wylie can't run block either, but I don't understand why the other four just cannot open holes when that's supposed to be each of their strong suit.

8. The Titans are what they always are; they're a problem. They're tough, they're physical, they're well coached. You can hate Vrabel if you want, but he always has his guys ready to play hard for him. That was a VERY disciplined defense. I didn't see anything all that fancy happening coverage-wise. They just executed. They're going to be back in the play-offs again.

9. Butker. What's up with that? Dooooooood.

10. We should recognize the Titans; they're the 90's Chiefs. They played hard, they played physical, they were disciplined in coverage, they throttled the superior quarterback for 75% of the game...and then the HOF'er dialed it up and beat them. Elway used to do that shit to us all the time. Now we have the boogeyman. Damn, it feels good to be a gangster.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

I think people are overreacting about the running game. It was non-existent last night, but that was probably the best run defense in the league.

More often than not, the rushing offense has been okay this year. Against Tampa, it was great.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

There were plenty of times he had a pocket and dropped his head.

He wasn't on his game last night. But he's a great player so he kept shooting. That's fine and it's something the best will do.

But he was surprisingly shakey for most of the night considering he was responsible for 500 yards of offense. He missed a LOT of guys out there. That FG in OT came after he missed a walk-in TD to JJSS on a skinny post right before the 4th down conversion. He missed Hardman several times and he seemed to get into that 'wait wait wait' mode when it came to taking his underneath guys, especially his check downs.

He had a bulldog night; one of those nights where an elite pitcher doesn't have his stuff but battles through for 6 innings and 2 earned to give you a chance to win the game. But unlike a pitcher, the person he gave the chance to win was him.

But for all the credit Mahomes will get, it was the defense that saved our ass. That D was exceptional. The 2nd half+ shutout will get all the credit, but man, they were actually pretty damn good from from the 55 yard run by Henry onward.

Mahomes didn't have an A game at all. But it's worth giving him (and the team writ large) credit in that a C- game for him ended up being good enough to beat a quality opponent.

Throw the ball 60+ times and there are going to be pressures, but apart from a couple of pressures up the gut that Smith surrendered (man he's off), PM had decent time on several occasions and just wasn't seeing the field as well as he usually does.

Best analysis on the ****ing internets.

Threw 120 pitches in 6 innings and walked seven and escaped because he struck out 13.

[dirk digler]

He looks like he drops his head alot but he really doesn't.

Perfect illustration

.@chiefs @PatrickMahomes did it all when they absolutely had to have it. 3-17. No down or distance is safe when the ball is in #15 hands. Great game; perhaps they see one another in the playoffs #chiefskingdom #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/M8LhF52vyl

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) November 7, 2022

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

He looks like he drops his head but he really doesn't.

Perfect illustration

.@chiefs @PatrickMahomes did it all when they absolutely had to have it. 3-17. No down or distance is safe when the ball is in #15 hands. Great game; perhaps they see one another in the playoffs #chiefskingdom #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/M8LhF52vyl

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) November 7, 2022

He did and he didn't.

So a major difference between Willis and a quality QB, let alone an elite one like Mahomes, is that Willis, when he dropped his head, was DONE. And shit, Smith did that to. As soon as he came off his targets to find the rush, he was not gonna hit the Triangle button and bring those passing icons back up. He was looking to scramble from that point forward.

PM and other great QBs don't do that. They'll drop the passing icons, hit X to break the pocket, then bring the passing icons back up JUUUUUST in case someone gets back open.

But Mahomes, when he's truly dialed in, doesn't bother with any of that. He's just gonna know where everyone is and even on a play like the one Baldinger is talking about, he makes a smaller movement up to buy a tiny bit of space and lets it go.

He was dropping the icons more often than usual last night. Oftentimes without truly needing to. Again, I think because of Wylie's struggles and some really bad beats from Smith, we're acting like he was harassed all night - he really wasn't. I mean think of that throw into double coverage to Moore (that could've/should've been an arm punt) - he had all DAY to throw. And if my memory serves, he had MVS running wide ass open for about 12-15 yards. He just didn't come off the deep shot even though it very clearly wasn't there.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

There were plenty of times he had a pocket and dropped his head.

He wasn't on his game last night. But he's a great player so he kept shooting. That's fine and it's something the best will do.

But he was surprisingly shakey for most of the night considering he was responsible for 500 yards of offense. He missed a LOT of guys out there. That FG in OT came after he missed a walk-in TD to JJSS on a skinny post right before the 4th down conversion. He missed Hardman several times and he seemed to get into that 'wait wait wait' mode when it came to taking his underneath guys, especially his check downs.

He had a bulldog night; one of those nights where an elite pitcher doesn't have his stuff but battles through for 6 innings and 2 earned to give you a chance to win the game. But unlike a pitcher, the person he gave the chance to win was him.

But for all the credit Mahomes will get, it was the defense that saved our ass. That D was exceptional. The 2nd half+ shutout will get all the credit, but man, they were actually pretty damn good from from the 55 yard run by Henry onward.

Mahomes didn't have an A game at all. But it's worth giving him (and the team writ large) credit in that a C- game for him ended up being good enough to beat a quality opponent.

Throw the ball 60+ times and there are going to be pressures, but apart from a couple of pressures up the gut that Smith surrendered (man he's off), PM had decent time on several occasions and just wasn't seeing the field as well as he usually does.

Never would have assumed the defense was playing that well if you were in the GDT.

[DRM08]

Offense needs to be a lot better in AFC games. When you exclude Justin Herbert’s Pick 6, the Chiefs offense is averaging 21.4 points per game against 5 AFC teams this year. That 21.4 scoring average is similar to the 20th best scoring team in the league.

They’ve had 3 very explosive games on offense against the NFC, but they need to break the lower scoring trend in these AFC games.

[ThyKingdomCome15]

You guys are blowing up Wylie and not looking at the Titans secondary. Our receivers weren't separating. I don't care how good the OL is. If there's nowhere to go with the ball then you're equally dead. Mahomes took advantage of their backs being back to him late in the game. That and the aggressive edge rusher losing contain because they were looking to end it.

Andy said he thought they looking pretty good in pass protection but the running game... not so much.

[Hammock Parties]

lmao didn't see him spike the ball like keith cash live

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by notorious

I'm shocked Vegas doesn't adjust their spread for him doing games against Mahomes.

Pat has a winning record in every situation BUT a Blakeman led crew. Unreal.

I have started to wonder what it will take to get a roughing the passer call for the hits on Mahomes?

The NFL sure seems to want him playing in Prime Time, why are they not protecting him at least as much as Qbs like Carr?

[Sassy Squatch]

Mahomes got knocked a round a lot early. 5 QB hits and 2 sacks before we even got to half iirc. Even he isn't immune to phantom pressure after getting hit that much.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He did and he didn't.

So a major difference between Willis and a quality QB, let alone an elite one like Mahomes, is that Willis, when he dropped his head, was DONE. And shit, Smith did that to. As soon as he came off his targets to find the rush, he was not gonna hit the Triangle button and bring those passing icons back up. He was looking to scramble from that point forward.

PM and other great QBs don't do that. They'll drop the passing icons, hit X to break the pocket, then bring the passing icons back up JUUUUUST in case someone gets back open.

But Mahomes, when he's truly dialed in, doesn't bother with any of that. He's just gonna know where everyone is and even on a play like the one Baldinger is talking about, he makes a smaller movement up to buy a tiny bit of space and lets it go.

He was dropping the icons more often than usual last night. Oftentimes without truly needing to. Again, I think because of Wylie's struggles and some really bad beats from Smith, we're acting like he was harassed all night - he really wasn't. I mean think of that throw into double coverage to Moore (that could've/should've been an arm punt) - he had all DAY to throw. And if my memory serves, he had MVS running wide ass open for about 12-15 yards. He just didn't come off the deep shot even though it very clearly wasn't there.

Great point about breaking the pocket and going back to look down the field. It really comes down to how confidant he feels about his protection whether he starts to bail or not. He had like 4 sacks last night all in the pocket?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

Never would have assumed the defense was playing that well if you were in the GDT.

Yeah, well...

Said it a dozen times to this point but the 90s Chiefs aren't even possible these days.

The defense just put forward as good a game as you can expect in the modern NFL. The Titans got the game script they wanted and had every opportunity to use Henry to salt that game away.

The D stood tall and wouldn't allow it.

[DJ's left nut]

Y'know who was maybe the best defender on the field last night?

David Long Jr. He looked like peak Jayon Brown for the Titans. I mean they were using him all over the place and he was making plays everywhere.

For us, Jones and Bolton were both outstanding. Sneed also quietly had an outstanding game (he smothered a lot of those boots by not biting and staying on the underneath/out routes). But it seemed like every time I looked I saw #51 in the middle of the shit. He played a great ballgame.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by ThyKingdomCome15

You guys are blowing up Wylie and not looking at the Titans secondary. Our receivers weren't separating. I don't care how good the OL is. If there's nowhere to go with the ball then you're equally dead. Mahomes took advantage of their backs being back to him late in the game. That and the aggressive edge rusher losing contain because they were looking to end it.

Andy said he thought they looking pretty good in pass protection but the running game... not so much.

Yeah, there were a lot of passing plays where Pat was just standing back there waiting for 5 seconds, but no one was getting open downfield, except for maybe the checkdown. There were a couple where Pat simply missed the open man, but mostly TEN did a great job in the secondary, though I saw more than a few DPIs that weren't called as well.

But it felt like a playoff game, and the refs typically don't call ticky-tack DPIs in the playoffs. So the bottom line is that our receivers have to get better at creating separation as the season progresses, because we're going to see this type of mugging in the playoffs.

[DJ's left nut]

And man, Noah Gray looked as close to Kelce-ish as we've seen from anyone on this roster in a long time. Obviously the deep seem rout will be remembered but he made a catch on the sideline where he caught it with his hands and pulled it down/pivoted the other direction all in one move that looked JUST like something Kelce would've done. I can't recall if he ended up converting a 1st down with it, but if he didn't it was awfully close.

He and Watson had great nights as complementary weapons. It's just the kind of contributions you need on nights where the offense just isn't quite in sync.