A loss that shakes: The Chiefs must prove they are not who they now appear to be

[Hammock Parties]

Most ominous shit Sam has ever written

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/sp...223500455.html

SEATTLE

Do this job long enough and the signs make themselves obvious. The worst losses have a different sound afterward, the busy silence occasionally broken up by a locker door slamming, or team leaders declining to talk to reporters, or hope for hope’s sake.

The losses that sting make clear the difference between a team that’s earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a team that might still wear that title despite itself.

The moments that shake are the difference between a team that lost, and these Chiefs who lost their swagger after a 38-31 nationally televised loss here to the Seahawks.

“It seems extreme right now but that’s not the reality of it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Just a fix a couple things and we’ll be alright.”

He might be right. Actually, that’s not true. He is right. Just a couple things. The Chiefs have now lost four games, by a total of 10 points, each of them decided in one form or another late in the fourth quarter.

They’ve lost to two AFC teams. The Patriots have lost three of five, and the Chargers have led the Chiefs for exactly 4 of 7,200 seconds this season. The Chiefs play the Raiders at home next week, which is the closest thing the NFL offers to a week 17 bye. Win that and the Chiefs have the No. 1 seed.

So, Reid is right. Just a couple things. This is not a disaster.

But you sure can see disaster from here.

“You have to find a way to win these games,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We haven’t been lately, so that’s the most frustrating thing. Everybody’s got to step up.”

Repeat: Just a couple things. We’ll be alright.

That works enough as coach speak in a postgame press conference, words that nobody in the room believes tell the whole story, but let’s play along. A couple things.

One would be the run defense. The Seahawks ran for the most predictable 210 yards in NFL history. Up the middle, around the edge, quarterback Russell Wilson on a scramble. Whatever. It all worked.

One would be the pass defense. The Chiefs again could not cover, and when they did cover, they could not make the play. They made up for all of that by missing far too many tackles.

One would be penalties. They padded their league-leading total with eight more, including one on a missed field goal and four others that gave the Seahawks first downs.

One would be the offense. Nobody wants to admit it, but this is two games in a row the offense has not been good enough. Last week against the Chargers, they needed one first down on their last possession. They went three and out. This week, they managed just 10 points with two turnovers (one that gifted the Seahawks a touchdown) before halftime. They had five possessions in which they punted or turned it over within three plays.

This team was always going as far as the offense would take it, whether that’s fair or not, and the last two weeks the offense hasn’t been good enough.

That’s four things, which is technically more than “a couple,” but this is no time for nitpicking so let’s get to the point.

Do you have confidence the Chiefs will fix these problems? And if so, why? How?

The Chiefs are in a precarious place. They are the probable No. 1 seed, even still, and are giving seldom-used rookie defensive backs the ol’ screw-it-how-much-worse-could-they-be opportunities in week 16 road games.

They have been the AFC’s best team for virtually the entire season, but at this point that feels more like an indictment on the rest of the conference than a reason to be confident in the Chiefs.

Assuming they beat the Raiders next week — and if they don’t, they’ve got much bigger problems — we are still three weeks from the Chiefs’ next real test.

And the heck of it is that Reid is factually accurate. They’re not that far off. The NFL’s gravitational pull means parody rules the day, always has, and the Chiefs will likely have homefield advantage, the best quarterback, and the best offense in the field.

That is an incredible place to be, particularly in what the organization originally forecasted as a transition year.

But the Chiefs are trending the wrong way, at the wrong time. That offense isn’t as dynamic as it once was. Eric Berry is playing again, but most of the biggest problems on defense still exist, even when he’s not on the sideline during the most important moments.

The Chiefs have everything in front of them, even still.

But the truth is a lot of their fans are terrified of what that means.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Andy Reid kept Sutton after another catastrophe in the playoffs. Veach ignored the secondary all offseason.

Those are the culprits, not Sutton.

No he didn't. The results may be poor but Veach tried to coble together a secondary. Fulton, Scandrick and Amerson as well as drafting a guy and trading for a young guy from the Cowboys. He tried and failed would be more accurate.

[MVChiefFan]

Originally Posted by PHOG

You blame Reid for keeping a sub-par Sutton, but then exonerate Sutton in the next sentence?

The thought process is, your toddler poops in the floor, so you throw the toddler outside and leave the poop sitting there.

[King_Chief_Fan]

A couple of dropped passes, one defensive stop and a fumble that cost 7 points away from winning this game.
I don't see it as a disaster.

The defense will continue to be the Issue for the remainder of season.

They are still in this for sure

[bricks]

Im gonna add to the list of a few things, how about the defense learning how to tackle for **** SAKES!!! So ****ing frustrating

How many of those big gains could’ve been prevented if our guys actually knew to tackle. ****!

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

He gets some blame. But Bob is the one who was lucky as **** to get another chance at this and still didn’t change anything. He’s the one who still calls the same predictable coverages over and over every game, every year.

It wasn’t lucky for Sutton to have another chance. It was Andy.

I campaigned for Sutton to kept this year but had no idea so many players had no idea what they were doing on the field. We all know Andy knew about this and did nothing.

Andy ruined this season, not Sutton.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by RunKC

It wasn’t lucky for Sutton to have another chance. It was Andy.

I campaigned for Sutton to kept this year but had no idea so many players had no idea what they were doing on the field. We all know Andy knew about this and did nothing.

Andy ruined this season, not Sutton.

Beat the Raiders at Arrowhead and the Chiefs are 12-4 with HFA. Ruined!

[srvy]

At this point the defense is what it is nothing really you can do with it at this point. The press tried to pump up the half Berry had last week it was a mirage. This week more the same just not in football shape and possibly done. As a poster in another thread said maybe our best choice is to just sell out against the run and let Pat win in shootouts.

We definitely miss KH defenses are not the least bit frightened by Williams and and West and can focus taking the downfield game away. The O line is banged up at the wrong time and when Mahomes steps up it collapses and Pat is either sacked hurried or gets his arm grabbed during release. Also the refs are treating him like a rook and let him get mauled after the pass which wear ya down and takes a toll. That line was built for A Smith who get it out quick Pat is patient will wait till a receiver comes open. As the D needs overhauled so does the O line with fatties and maulers. Center continues to be a problem Morse needs replaced.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by srvy

At this point the defense is what it is nothing really you can do with it at this point. The press tried to pump up the half Berry had last week it was a mirage. This week more the same just not in football shape and possibly done. As a poster in another thread said maybe our best choice is to just sell out against the run and let Pat win in shootouts.

We definitely miss KH defenses are not the least bit frightened by Williams and and West and can focus taking the downfield game away. The O line is banged up at the wrong time and when Mahomes steps up it collapses and Pat is either sacked hurried or gets his arm grabbed during release. Also the refs are treating him like a rook and let him get mauled after the pass which wear ya down and takes a toll. That line was built for A Smith who get it out quick Pat is patient will wait till a receiver comes open. As the D needs overhauled so does the O line with fatties and maulers. Center continues to be a problem Morse needs replaced.

IMO, this post is so spot on with everything.

[Skyy God]

https://youtu.be/GF6wG2C9uBo

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by RunKC

It wasn’t lucky for Sutton to have another chance. It was Andy.

I campaigned for Sutton to kept this year but had no idea so many players had no idea what they were doing on the field. We all know Andy knew about this and did nothing.

Andy ruined this season, not Sutton.

Holding a boss responsible for his employee not doing good job is fine. But that doesn't mean the employee is free from blame for not doing his job in the first place.

The players suck but this isn't an either or. Bob has had plenty of his own issues here. Hell, not knowing from the start of the game to spy Wilson.

[pugsnotdrugs19]

Originally Posted by RunKC

It wasn’t lucky for Sutton to have another chance. It was Andy.

I campaigned for Sutton to kept this year but had no idea so many players had no idea what they were doing on the field. We all know Andy knew about this and did nothing.

Andy ruined this season, not Sutton.

Sounds more like you’re afraid to admit that you were wrong in advocating for Sutton to be kept. Maybe just me, but that’s how it reads.

Bob Sutton has done the same old shit for 6 years now and it only worked when he had a star studded defense. You mean to tell me he can’t learn from mistakes and try to change things up? Really? He’s an NFL coach. It shouldn’t be this hard to at least throw some curveballs every now and then.

Andy should’ve fired him no doubt but Andy is not the one that can’t get the players on his side of the ball to play hard all the time, can’t get them lined up correctly, and can’t make good calls. Just watch the difference in the offense and defense. The defensive players know they’re ****ed with this scheme that they use, you can see it. Stop blaming players for not knowing what they’re doing. They just said Saturday night that Martindale simplified the Ravens defense so that guys could play fast even early in their careers. Nothing is stopping ****stick Sutton from doing that too, except for himself.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

Sounds more like you’re afraid to admit that you were wrong in advocating for Sutton to be kept. Maybe just me, but that’s how it reads.

Bob Sutton has done the same old shit for 6 years now and it only worked when he had a star studded defense. You mean to tell me he can’t learn from mistakes and try to change things up? Really? He’s an NFL coach. It shouldn’t be this hard to at least throw some curveballs every now and then.

Andy should’ve fired him no doubt but Andy is not the one that can’t get the players on his side of the ball to play hard all the time, can’t get them lined up correctly, and can’t make good calls. Just watch the difference in the offense and defense. The defensive players know they’re ****ed with this scheme that they use, you can see it. Stop blaming players for not knowing what they’re doing. They just said Saturday night that Martindale simplified the Ravens defense so that guys could play fast even early in their careers. Nothing is stopping ****stick Sutton from doing that too, except for himself.

It is what it is. Sutton was kept. Yes the players suck and that’s on Andy and Veach, but Sutton is bad too.

This defense needs a complete makeover top to bottom. New staff and a handful of new players.

If Sutton is kept again after this season than it’s time for Andy to go.

[pugsnotdrugs19]

Originally Posted by RunKC

It is what it is. Sutton was kept. Yes the players suck and that’s on Andy and Veach, but Sutton is bad too.

This defense needs a complete makeover top to bottom. New staff and a handful of new players.

If Sutton is kept again after this season than it’s time for Andy to go.

Andy should be told after this year that either Bob goes or they both go.

But again, why can’t Bob simplify the defense even now? Just run some basic shit and hope for the best. It’s not like they need a bunch of blitzes to get pressure. They can do that with their front 4. Run some basic shit but change it up. Can’t run the same coverage every snap like they did last night.

We don’t have the corners to run single high man play after play and yet that’s exactly what Bob did. He doesn’t play to his players’ strengths.

[Halfcan]

The team came out flat against the Seahawks and that is on Andy. He can't seem to motivate his team during big games.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Andy Reid kept Sutton after another catastrophe in the playoffs. Veach ignored the secondary all offseason.

Those are the culprits, not Sutton.

Dumbest shit ever.