Chiefs: Pick a Little, Talk a Little

Laddie Morse

Here’s the “Pick a Little Talk a Little” song off of the Music Man’s sound track (2:01):

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The Kansas City Chiefs players have had this coming game against the Buffalo Bills circled on their calendar for months now. The Bill players have done the same. I was almost convinced that the last game of the Chiefs against the Broncos was a “Trap Game” because of it. A Trap Game is when a stronger opponent (the Chiefs), overlooks a weaker opponent (the Broncos), because of the next game on the stronger team’s schedule.

Many Kingdom fans think it was happenstance or a fluke that the Chiefs blocked the Broncos final punt to win that game. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s Dan Orlovsky talking about the build up to that final block:

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(0:59)

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Anyone who thinks that last play wasn’t a called play, is wrong. Dave Toub, the Chiefs Spacial Teams coach called that play and the build up to it was noticed — as Dan Orlovsky points out — and planned for. Some have linked that block to the block in the last Super Bowl. Why not? It was a block on the same exact play and the same exact player made the block: Leo Chenal. Here’s that block from the Super Bowl on a Split screen view:

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(1:10)

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Leo Chenal

Author Jared Bush has an article called, “Leo Chenal describes moments leading up to game-winning field goal block” and in it he quotes Chenal as saying:

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““It’s complete shock. Not much I can say about it.

Glory to Jesus Christ and everything ’cause I was

really praying for something to happen.”

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Bush also quotes HC Andy Reid in his piece:

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“[The Broncos] arguably take it down for the winning

kick and then Leo steps up and does what Leo does

every week. Somewhere he makes a play—defensively,

special teams—somewhere he steps up and makes a play.

I get to see that every day, how we worked that block.

We did [see a weakness], but it’s also something that we

work on like crazy.”

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“It’s also something that we work on like crazy.” Wow. That kind of shifts your thinking from… “It was a lucky play” to –> “It was a planned play.” Can you say anything except… WOW!?

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The New Barry Richardson

David Bell and I have long joked about the poor play of Tackle Barry Richardson and how he was like a Matador yelling ole each time a defender would rush past him. Which, seems like it was on most pass protecting plays. We’d either call Richardson a Matador or… a turnstyle. Here’s one I envisioned:

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Well, there’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Kingsley Suamataia (maybe this is when we sing, “I Shot the Sheriff“). When he had to enter the game while Wanya Morris was rehabbing on the sidelines, his play was horrific. While I was once — in training camp — hoping for a relative version of his cousin Penei Sewell (a first team All Pro Bowl Tackle) the reality is, we got a worse version of Barry Richardson. While Penei was taken with the 7th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Lions, Suamataia was taken 63rd overall earlier this year by the Chiefs.

While the Left Tackle position remains an issue for K.C. at least Wanya Morris was able to re-enter the game at some point. While Morris doesn’t appear to be the answer either he’s clear better than Suamataia. Better is a term we must use loosely here as Morris has been very good either. If Brett Veach hasn’t already made the call to last year’s Left Tackle, Donovan Smith, now is the time.

It may be a matter of cap monies to pay Donovan Smith but just liek any other signing, the Chiefs can move some money around to make it happen.

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Apparently, Donovan Smith has been brought up by Pete Sweeney to Andy Reid. In a piece called, “4 takeaways from the Chiefs’ head coach” Pete Sweeney wrote for ArrowheadPride.com, Reid said:

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“That’s (general manager) [Brett] Veach’s area. He

looks at everything, so I’m not going to say, ‘No.’

But what we do as coaches and we overemphasize:

we’re going to focus in on these kids that are here,

and they’re getting better. I know it’s hard to see at

times, but there’s progress being made, and we’re

going to be OK as we go forward.”

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Getting Donovan Smith locked up doesn’t sound promising. One of the other issues — beyond the Left Tackle issue — has been who will play the CB position opposite Trent McDuffie. Yes, McDuffie didn’t have his best game on Sunday, I realize that but, the the more pressing issue is, who will inhabit the other side of the defensive backfield?

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Nazeeh-iating Opposing Offenses

“Nauseating” was one of my mother’s favorite words. I hear it and immediately think of her. CB Nazeeh Johnson gets kudos for his play in this game:

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At 6-foot-2, and weighing in at 199 lbs., Nazeeh has the size Chiefs coaches cherish. He also ran a 4.35 40 yard dash at his Pro Day so his speed is sufficient to cover almost any WR in the NFL.

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What do you think?

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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