MELLINGER: Dear Chiefs fans: C'mon, it's not that bad ...

[pugsnotdrugs19]

LINK: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/sp...223324950.html

ARTICLE:

Spoiler!

BY SAM MELLINGER
December 19th, 2018

This will be hard for some of you to understand. That’s not said negatively. Just factually. Because some of you came to follow the Chiefs because of Patrick Mahomes. Which is fine. Kansas City is not accustomed to rooting for trendy teams. These are strange times we live in.

But here’s a quick primer for those who started rooting for the Chiefs once they began playing a wizard at quarterback: Your new team is a habitual heartbreaker. The darkness in the stories you hear from your new brothers and sisters is real. They are not whining. They are speaking their truth.

And, you know, while we’re on the topic, here’s something for those of you who fell in love with this team long ago — you’ve never cheered for a team like this.

More specifically, you’ve never cheered for a quarterback like this.

You know that, of course. That’s been obvious since Week 17 of last year, if not earlier. But if last week’s loss shook your confidence, it’s worth pointing something out.

If this same Chiefs team — flaws and strengths, studs and duds — wore different uniforms and played in a different city, you would be jealous.

If this Chiefs team wore Colts uniforms, for instance, you would be terrified with all the scenarios of Mahomes driving a figurative knife through your metaphorical heart with a game-winning drive capped by a Tarkenton scramble with a sack-avoiding cartwheel and left-handed no-look pass threading four defenders.

This is, basically, what Kansas City has waited decades to see.

The Chiefs have the best quarterback in a league that’s never been more dominated by quarterbacks. They have the best offense in a league teaching fans who can’t remember the 2000 Baltimore Ravens that, actually, Offense Wins Championships.

These Chiefs have lost three games, by a total of seven points, each literally or essentially coming down to the final play. They are 3-2 against teams currently holding an AFC playoff spot, with two of those wins on the road.

The losses came against the New England Patriots, who have lost three of five, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who lost to the Chiefs at home and have led the Chiefs for just 4 of 7,200 seconds this season.

The Chiefs have flaws. Oh brother, they’ve got flaws. They have a defense fronted by Chris Jones and Dee Ford and Justin Houston with a solid group of cornerbacks and they’re still somehow terrible.

They have averaged 39.7 points in their losses. The defense scored or set up three touchdowns and the offense gave up two touchdowns in those losses, but still. If you can’t relax with 40 points, you can’t ever relax.

This team has problems keeping its quarterback clean, and has consistently amplified its problems tackling (worst among projected AFC playoff teams, according to Pro Football Focus) by being the NFL’s most penalized team.

So even without a playoff collapse presented in regular season form last week, you wouldn’t have to think too hard to come up with ugly scenarios.

But the AFC lacks a singularly dominant team. Usually, when that happens, the fallback logic is that the hottest team wins. Well, the Chiefs are well-positioned to be that team with a win this weekend in Seattle.

The Seahawks are a terrible matchup for the Chiefs, the league’s best rushing team against the worst rush defense. But they are also beatable, and a home underdog against the team so many here in Kansas City are freaking out about.

Win this weekend and no matter what the Chargers do the Chiefs can clinch another AFC West title and first-round bye with a win over the Raiders in week 17 (the NFL’s version of a layup).

Do all of that and they will be going into the playoffs with the league’s best quarterback and offense, and a defense that is at least getting healthier and presumably a little better with the return of safety Eric Berry.

That’s enough to fight with.

Look, the Chiefs might ruin your January. That is in play. Berry could be injured at any moment, a two-score lead disintegrated in 5 minutes, and a badly timed penalty or missed kick will stir up a lot of ghosts. The new fans will be quick learners on that. Welcome to the heartbreak, suckers.

But the longtime fans can learn something here. Meet in the middle. Open your eyes, and see a quarterback and team capable of scoring an average of 37.7 points against six projected playoff teams.

Unless you are old enough to remember 1969, this is the closest the team you root for has ever resembled the team you’ve wanted it to be.

If you’re giving up hope because of one loss in a year without a dominant team, well, nobody can fault you for protecting your heart. But they might also ask a simple question.

What are you waiting for?

[bowener]

Originally Posted by loochy

well SOMETHING happens every second half that we have a lead...
Posted via Mobile Device

The other team makes adjustments while the Chiefs do not.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The D scheme isn't overall garbage. It's a mix of talent gaps, some instances of egregiously bad situational playcalling, and poor coaching (players standing around, poor tackling, and 14 games in and we have no clue whatsoever will line up on the ball).

I don't have any delusion that a new DC fixes everything. But it fixes enough things.

Eric Berry throwing temper tantrums while telling the other guys where to line up is telling of just how badly these players are being prepared for game day. We're 16 weeks in, and yet guys don't even know where they're supposed to line up at times. Laughably bad.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The D scheme isn't overall garbage. It's a mix of talent gaps, some instances of egregiously bad situational playcalling, and poor coaching (players standing around, poor tackling, and 14 games in and we have no clue whatsoever will line up on the ball).

I don't have any delusion that a new DC fixes everything. But it fixes enough things.

I'd love to see if there is an analytic source for tackling from year-to-year. Is it a true sustainable and repeatable skill for most players (save the Marcus Peters and Deions of the world), or is a defense's tackling mostly random?

For example, the LOB was an excellent tackling secondary. Pete Carroll is still there, but the players are different. Are the new players nearly as good at tackling?

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Zilla is freaking insane. Direction level...

[O.city]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I'd love to see if there is an analytic source for tackling from year-to-year. Is it a true sustainable and repeatable skill for most players (save the Marcus Peters and Deions of the world), or is a defense's tackling mostly random?

For example, the LOB was an excellent tackling secondary. Pete Carroll is still there, but the players are different. Are the new players nearly as good at tackling?

Don't think so.

It's definitely looking more and more likely that defense is more about talent first and adding good coaching to said talent 2nd.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by O.city

It doesn't explain it because teams aren't going to come out and score on every possession or move the ball up and down the field every possession.

They scored on like 5 straight possessions against the 9ers, same with the Broncos.

He played like that against the Rams. We saw what happened.

You can't always do that.

And again, it's not about scoring on every possession. It's the repeated pattern of 3 and out drives when we have a big lead. It's the pattern of the exact moment when our offense predictably stalls... not just a little... a lot.

SF - 6-and-out, 3-and-out, before Kareem basically took over the last drive
Denver - Three 3 and outs, one 2-play INT drive, 1 weak 5-play 13 yard drive
Arizona - 3 out of 5 drives were three and outs
Jacksonville - total slop of a 4th quarter
SD - 2 of the last 3 drives were 3 and outs (if not for a 3rd and 10 holding call, that Chiefs TD could easily have been a 3 and out)

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by O.city

Don't think so.

It's definitely looking more and more likely that defense is more about talent first and adding good coaching to said talent 2nd.

Who makes the decision of which talent sees the field on game day? Or more bluntly, who is the stupid old mother****er that allows Ron Parker to play all of the defensive snaps?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

And again, it's not about scoring on every possession. It's the repeated pattern of 3 and out drives when we have a big lead. It's the pattern of the exact moment when our offense predictably stalls... not just a little... a lot.

SF - 6-and-out, 3-and-out, before Kareem basically took over the last drive
Denver - Three 3 and outs, one 2-play INT drive, 1 weak 5-play 13 yard drive
Arizona - 3 out of 5 drives were three and outs
Jacksonville - total slop of a 4th quarter
SD - 2 of the last 3 drives were 3 and outs (if not for a 3rd and 10 holding call, that Chiefs TD could easily have been a 3 and out)

Ok, so

Against SF when it's 35 10 at the half, you're wanting them to come out in the 2nd half and what? Throw it aggressively around?

Look at the teams you are upset with. Look at the defenses. You are expecting the Chiefs to just mow teams down possession after possession? Against those defenses, every time?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Who makes the decision of which talent sees the field on game day? Or more bluntly, who is the stupid old mother****er that allows Ron Parker to play all of the defensive snaps?

He has a plan, Superturtle. He just. Needs. Time.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by bowener

The other team makes adjustments while the Chiefs do not.

Our team doesn't struggle with adjustments when we're behind. Our offense was outstanding against Baltimore, New England, LA Rams (minus the turnovers... of course).

Is it just a coincidence that we make really good offensive adjustments when we're behind? Because it sure seems to me it's less about adjustments, and more that our offense & defense abandon everything that worked when we have a lead and look like a totally different team out there. It's clear as day that when we get a lead, we try to hold not to lose instead of going for the throat.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

The Chiefs have scored more than the opponents season average in EVERY game. Usually by more than a TD. He's nuts. No team in HISTORY has done what he expects Mahomes to do. We are THIRD ALL TIME in scoring.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

He has a plan, Superturtle. He just. Needs. Time.

With all due respect, Hamas, is this "Berry" plan really going to work out?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

With all due respect, Hamas, is this "Berry" plan really going to work out?

You tell me, Superturtle, is it?

Have some GODDAMN FAITH

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Chiefs looked pretty damn good with Berry out there...team is ****ing loaded.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by MahiMike

What a difference a month makes. Some of you have gone full pre-Pat.

Blowing a 14 point lead with 5 minutes left in a game will do that to you.