I was amused on Wednesday with the following remark from a Pittsburgh Steelers Pundit. He was remarking about Andy Reid letting in the Sunshine on the Steelers:
Truly though, the postseason is the season that counts, and in the first game of that season, the Chiefs face the Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium. Travis Kelce had a remark about this as well… “Wipe the Slate Clean of the ups and downs of the regular season clean — start with a clean slate and I’ll Use an Al Davis quote: “Just win Baby!”
I heartily agree with this sentiment. 2021’s playoffs have the Wild Card round for the Chiefs who did not secure the postseason Bye. Well, okay. Not long ago I remarked that even beginning with Andy Reid’s tenure as Head Coach in 2013, the basic hope and prayer of the Chiefs Kingdom was to get into the playoffs. Now, it appears, we are really a spoiled bunch. We are complaining that we did not get the postseason bye for heaven’s sake.
Chiefs Fan’s Basic Lament
Many of us have written about the weaknesses of the team, or the shortcomings of players who are active in games. We wail about the coaching errs that we perceive or that the coaches themselves will allude to. We have all witnessed the ups of the 2021 season and bemoan the losses or poor performances. One of the glaring examples we close watchers of the Chiefs refer to is the poor defense of the early part of the season, or the inconsistency of the offense. We probably also provide a heavy critique of our GOAT: QB Patrick Mahomes. We have noted the differences in his play from game to game. At the same time, we don’t weigh this consideration in the face of the opposing team’s game plan, and their effort to take away his offensive tools (players), or whose focus on denying the deep ball. Certainly, despite the emergence of a defense playing cohesive football, we then complain when it gave up too many points based on whatever the fan or pundit yardstick that is being used.
Truth Be Told
Overall, the Chiefs have played good football. You do not win 12 games in the NFL without being a good football team. You don’t win an NFL Division 6 times in a row without doing things right. At the same time, you don’t get into the playoffs as a team in the NFL by failing. You get to the playoffs because of the successes of the season.
Tip O’ the Hat to Pittsburgh, Yinzers or Not!
So a tip of the hat indeed should be doffed toward the Steelers, no matter if they see that as a success or worry that, making the playoffs will hurt their draft position in 2022. Those fans see the departure of Big Ben as a harbinger. They are looking so far ahead as to fail to appreciate getting into post-season play. As a Steelers fan, they must have a valid reason for this attitude and I would observe that they are a spoilt bunch themselves. because they see the departure of their QB when the 2021 season is said and done, lost to retirement. If you go to the Pittsburgh sites, you will see such comments.
So I have come full circle, back to Reid’s comment: that the Steelers are playing football like a #1 Seed.
Square One: Hold Fort on Our Home Square
The Pittsburgh Steelers have nothing to lose as Ben Roethlisberger said. They are going to play football as well as they can and the hope is that they play and have fun and play with abandon? Their goal is to knock the Chiefs off their square. What does Kansas City do? They hold the fort at Arrowhead Stadium, play Chiefs football, and win the game. That’s it. Play Chiefs football gang. Notching the first win of the postseason is the only goal the players should see ahead of them.
4-C’s: Consistency, Cohesion, Continuity, and focus on Communication
On Offense, it’s up to Patrick Mahomes to set the play, identify the defense alignment and make appropriate adjustments. On defense, the play-caller is going to be Anthony Hitchens, or Nick Bolton, upfront. At the back end, it is important for Tyrann Mathieu to relay the nuances as the play is about to unfold. I think the most important thing for the defense is to play downhill.
Prevent Errors of Stupidity
The players need to ensure they know the snap count, line up in correct formation, if in motion, ensure that it is done properly, and then execute. Procedural calls are just plain dumb. Holding calls on the offensive line are drive killers –> Don’t do that!
Coaching: No Margin Time
Mix and match to get the right player in place who can excel on that snap. I am not going to identify weaknesses. It is important to be able to finish strong so the players utilized must be… well beyond the first-22. Using them at the right time and with the right mission is the coaching staff’s “Job One.” Steve Spagnuolo said:
“What’ your sayin’ (by your question about missed tackles) kinda makes sense to everybody… maybe it’s a missed tackle here and there and it certainly looks ugly and you certainly want to play it better than the last two games..Hopefully, you’re playing better than last time(out)…. What we’re faced with is ‘It’s no margin for error time’. So you prepare until the time you kick off to eliminate as many mistakes as possible….I do believe that when most of your guys know that they’re going to be called upon you know that the focus during the week tends to go up…I think that helps us. listen, it’s all hands on deck now, and hopefully, we put out the best eleven for that particular situation…”
“I expect our guys to go out there and play hard and play fast but on top of that to go out there and provide us with something productive to help us secure a victory… I think our guys have done a great job of adjusting to how other teams have been defending us…”
For the Fan? Cheer the Chiefs Onward and Upward
We are at home. Ensure the NOISE LEVEL and Energy from the seats is 10-out-of-10, or, 142.2 out of 142.2, take your pick (see what I did there?). According to the players who have verbalized the importance of the fans in the seats, this is a big motivating factor. As fans, that’s what we need to do and what the players need to hear. They are living the dream and we fans get to live vicariously. Have Fun! This is the best of the NFL. I wish I could be at Arrowhead for the game. Make it happen Chiefs Kingdom!
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David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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