***Official Gameday Thread: Atlanta Falcons @ Defending World Champ KC Chiefs***

[Nickhead]

It's time to start playing chess...

The games of checkers are getting boring

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

From Seth Kysor at the Athletic


So what happened to the Chiefs’ normally potent offense against the Falcons? Basically, it was a combination of things that hadn’t previously happened all at once during the Reid-Mahomes era:

1. The opposing defense did a better job picking on Reid’s tendencies and disguising its own than Reid did with them.
2. Mahomes was thrown off by blitzes that were sent his way and missed more protections and hot reads than he has all season.
3. The interior offensive line struggled to hold up in pass protection.
4. And, finally, Mahomes wasn’t as accurate or as calm under pressure as he normally is, and he looked more out of sync with his receivers than normal.

The Chiefs have dealt with games in which Reid was a step behind or the interior offensive line struggled. What made this game different was Mahomes’ performance and how he wasn’t able to rise above the game situation the way he did against the Dolphins and Saints.


Teams will likely try to emulate the Falcons’ coverage and blitz schemes against the Chiefs in the playoffs, and they would be foolish not to. However, Reid and Mahomes now have three full weeks to look at exactly what went wrong and game plan for similar looks. Further, given Mahomes’ body of work, it’s difficult to think that he’ll struggle with accuracy and protection calls in the future. If he simply makes a half-dozen throws he normally does, the Chiefs score at least another 10 points. So while the game is interesting from a perspective of how a well-planned and well-executed game plan can slow down even the best of offenses, the most likely outcome is that Mahomes has seen one more set of looks and blitzes and will learn to adapt to them.

Pretty much what some of us have been saying all week. It’s not just the line, it’s Mahomes. Which is great because he probably won’t play like that again until sometime next year. It’s a once-a-year thing.

[RedRaider56]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

From Seth Kysor at the Athletic


So what happened to the Chiefs’ normally potent offense against the Falcons? Basically, it was a combination of things that hadn’t previously happened all at once during the Reid-Mahomes era:

1. The opposing defense did a better job picking on Reid’s tendencies and disguising its own than Reid did with them.
2. Mahomes was thrown off by blitzes that were sent his way and missed more protections and hot reads than he has all season.
3. The interior offensive line struggled to hold up in pass protection.
4. And, finally, Mahomes wasn’t as accurate or as calm under pressure as he normally is, and he looked more out of sync with his receivers than normal.

The Chiefs have dealt with games in which Reid was a step behind or the interior offensive line struggled. What made this game different was Mahomes’ performance and how he wasn’t able to rise above the game situation the way he did against the Dolphins and Saints.


Teams will likely try to emulate the Falcons’ coverage and blitz schemes against the Chiefs in the playoffs, and they would be foolish not to. However, Reid and Mahomes now have three full weeks to look at exactly what went wrong and game plan for similar looks. Further, given Mahomes’ body of work, it’s difficult to think that he’ll struggle with accuracy and protection calls in the future. If he simply makes a half-dozen throws he normally does, the Chiefs score at least another 10 points. So while the game is interesting from a perspective of how a well-planned and well-executed game plan can slow down even the best of offenses, the most likely outcome is that Mahomes has seen one more set of looks and blitzes and will learn to adapt to them.

The examples they showed in the article showed how little time, Mahomes had to try and make a play. Specifically called Wylie out a couple of times for completely whiffing on a block or an assignment allowing quick pressure.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

So the blueprint is out?

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by BossChief

He very well might be.

You have to either win multiple SBs or be undeniably great, like Marino. You’re telling me that Matt Ryan is in the Marino category?

[suzzer99]

Lol Nnadi. Almost there bud. Just reach harder!

[O.city]

The last 3 weeks Mahomes has been under pressure on 55 percent of his dropbacks

There’s your issue

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

The last 3 weeks Mahomes has been under pressure on 55 percent of his dropbacks

There’s your issue

He’s been under pressure all year. He hasn’t played like this all year. He didn’t play like that against New Orkeans, who applied more pressure than anybody.

Blaming it all on the line is lazy.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

You have to either win multiple SBs or be undeniably great, like Marino. You’re telling me that Matt Ryan is in the Marino category?

Compiler. Several guys are going to get in that don’t deserve it, like Matt Ryan and Philip Rivers.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

He’s been under pressure all year. He hasn’t played like this all year. He didn’t play like that against New Orkeans, who applied more pressure than anybody.

Blaming it all on the line is lazy.

Not under that much pressure

If a qb, any qb, is under pressure on every other dropbacks, they aren’t gonna play well.

We’ve seen him play well under some pressure. Right now, it’s too much

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Compiler. Several guys are going to get in that don’t deserve it, like Matt Ryan and Philip Rivers.

Yeah, I don’t see either being deserving. Ryan only has 3 seasons with 30+ TDs and Rivers has too many picks. Both have mediocre records.

What makes you think they’ll both get in?

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

Yeah, I don’t see either being deserving. Ryan only has 3 seasons with 30+ TDs and Rivers has too many picks. Both have mediocre records.

What makes you think they’ll both get in?

Total yards and TD’s. Just listen to some of their games. Several of those talking heads have votes and they continuously refer to them as “future Hall of Famers”.