Chiefs: Donning The Cloak of “Team Persona” – put that win in the books! Here we go! Big Win for the Chiefs against a top NFC Team — #2 in conference — the Minnesota Vikings. I am quite sure they were confident of extending their win streak to five games. It didn’t happen.
I am still digesting this Chiefs victory Sunday. Unlike some, I am totally on board with what Steve Spagnuolo is doing with the defense. Down 3 starters he rotated players in and out of the game and in the four quarter this made a difference. The Chiefs defenders still had legs and stopped the Vikings twice in the waning minutes of the game. This resulted in a last second game-winning kick by Harrison Butker from 44 yards out. He had previously kicked a 54 yard field goal in the first half. He got the game ball.
I thought, looking at the crowd, that there were more than 15k purple clad fans in the stands though someone is quoted as saying that is how many were sold to Viking fans. That said, the prominence of “purple” in the stands was a motivating factor. After the game, Damien Williams said he felt disrespected in “Our House.”
There was definitely some frustration in the Chiefs locker room about the lack of red in the stands. Here's what Damien Williams had to say: pic.twitter.com/Nk0ApI4fKh
— Brandon Zenner (@NPNowZenner) November 3, 2019
This Viking presence and irritation with it was a motivating factor as was verbalized for Chief’s DT, Chris Jones as well. Jones noted:
“Minnesota (fans) kind of pissed me off by doing that (The VIking (Skol) Cheer, and clapping their hands over their heads) in our stadium… You’re not going to come into Arrowhead and do that. We had to respond big.”
I must add that I am disappointed in the fact that so many tickets were sold by season ticket holders which were apparently snapped up by Viking fans and there were still more than 3,000 tickets unsold.
The Chiefs stopped the last two Viking drives to get the ball for their last possession. A big play to Hill by Moore put them in range and they moved the ball a lot closer and this was followed by the game winning, last second kick by Harrison Butker from 44 yards out.
The Chiefs fans, drowned out the Viking cheer and overhead clapping. Nate Taylor attributed that to the stadium announcer who got the Chiefs Tomahawk chat going and it drowned out the Minnesota fans. Nate Taylor observed:
“There was a lot of purple up there, and they just voiced them out with that whole thing with the clapping over the heads. I thought our PA guy did a nice job of cranking up a little ‘Arrowhead Pride’ there, man. He just (nullified) that clapping deal.”
*Nate Taylor’s article is found at The Athletic and is called, “This Team Needed This Victory: Chiefs Display Impressive Composure and Team in Beating Vikings.” It is a very good piece and his offerings, along with those of Seth Keysor, are tops. I wish Ryan Tracy would write more pieces and I also wish that Terez Paylor were still an exclusive Chiefs writer for the KC Star.
I have, perhaps for 20 years or more, maybe 30, used a magic number of points allowed or points scored as the point of demarcation as to whether a team will win or lose. For me, looking at the records of teams, the number 17 seemed to occur with great frequency or numbers above or below that point. Score more than 17, you should win. Hold the opposition to 17 or less and you should win. This year, due to the aerial game NFL wide, I changed the magic number to “20.” True, the Vikings scored three points over that. Keep in mind that the Chiefs were playing a game with a backup quarterback and Matt Moore is doing superior work in place of Pat Mahomes.
An observation of statistics from a not so traditional point of view, garnered from PFF by BJ Kissel:
For comparison, here are the numbers for #Chiefs QB Matt Moore under pressure, via @PFF.
6/7, 147 yds, TD – QBR – 158.3
Thats's a perfect QB rating for those in the back. https://t.co/8rHn1S1AMf
— BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) November 4, 2019
Five other starters, three of them on the Defense side of the ball were missing. Still, as noted the Chiefs defense had fresh legs and that having those players ready to put in the game at the very least for starter to get a few snaps off to rest should be a feather in the cap of Steve Spagnuolo. Spags used player substitution to ensure the players had rest. I think it was a factor at the end of the game as the defense came massively alive on still fresh legs… led by Chris Jones and for the last two possessions the Vikings were 3 and out.
Yes, the Vikings scored three points over my new magic number however, the Chiefs were playing the second ranked team in the NFL rated 4th on both offense and defense and doing that, as noted above, missing six starters.
The last Viking possession and punt resulted in the Chiefs regaining possession, making plays and moving the ball on a long pass to Tyreek Hill who made a marvelous catch, fighting for the ball every moment after he touched it (and before that, the defender had his arms around Hill and a pass interference call that was not made but could have been). Then the Chiefs were in field goal position: 55 yards. They moved the ball from that spot to 44 yards and the clocked ticked to 3 seconds where Moore spiked the ball, setting up their place kicker.
Harrison Butker nailed it, the clock expired. A defender (Hunter), was able to get a finger on the ball when he leaped across the offensive line and almost blocked the kick. The ball was kicked strong by Butker but you could see the wobble-wobble but, the finger was not enough. The ball as the ball sailed with more than enough distance to have made it from 50 yards or more… was enough and the Chiefs earned an earmark win.
Chris Jones who played like he was inhuman: Jones was a constant disruption for Kurt Cousins including six hurries, 3 hits and one sack and three solo tackles as well. Among the front seven? Jones was also the biggest cheerleader on the field and on the sidelines. It was great to have him back! Give that man some “Cookies.”
The Chiefs were again shorthanded and facing a very tough Viking team who had won four in a row preceding this game. Down six starters for this game and the ‘Team” came through. If this was not achieving team character and persona then I don’t know what I am talking about. After Butker’s kick though, all the celebration on the field with one another and acknowledging fans at the same time, and the Andy Reid Dance in the locker room tells me this team has arrived — it has come together as a “team” of players whose will to win is now instilled… in my not so humble opine. All that remains is getting people healthy and proceeding, game by game to finish the season.
A good sign? After this game there were no injuries to report according to Andy Reid’s presser on Monday.
Who knows? I Predicted 13 wins at the beginning of preseason. They just might accomplish this despite all the setbacks. I think that this was a key game for the rest of the season. The Chiefs face one team with a winning record in the next seven games. Over this week I hope to see five starters of the six back.
It could be only four but that is what I am hoping for. One of those to be back is Patrick Mahomes.
One other thing: before the season began I stated that this defense would move up in ability and ratings to the top 15 or better. After Sunday’s game they are now 23rd! They started at 30th.
How about them Chiefs?! It’s time to put that game in the book as a win and to don the cloak of the Chiefs new Persona! The Chiefs players now believe and you can tell it. Sign up and sign on.
To the Chiefs? Get Goin’!
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
At noon today, a piece by Laddie Morse goes LIVE called,
“Chiefs: It’s Time For… 4Q”
Answering the 4 Biggest Question Facing the Chiefs
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