Chiefs and the AFC
West Drift Factor
by David Bell
The Quake Zone is occurring west of Kansas City. The plate has drifted as far east as it can get, having Tectonically shifted over the past two seasons plus! when you think of it, that means the shift from the far west coast, across the Rockies and centering with an NFL Geological structural build up of strength in the central part of the US — centered at the Chiefs Kingdom. This massive shift has also encompassed fans on a national scale, pundits, analysts and technicians as well as fantasy nut cases vendor and user alike.
Football with Kansas City’s Chiefs is FUN.
The path to post season play goes through the Chief’s Kingdom and there is not going to be much the rest of the west can do about it – including the game versus the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. This trend started even before the 2016 division title and since that time, none of the west’s teams have been able to deter the Kansas City Chiefs. To begin their quest for a 3rd Division Title in a row, the Chiefs had to be favorites to win it it again.
However, they were not so favored. For the pundits and prognosticator to be proven wrong and make a shift in view before the half way point of the 2018 season says a lot. Things have changed with the “those” folks. This pleases me all to hell and back. Now? No one can change what Patrick Mahomes brings to the fans, locally and nationally and internationally.
In this weeks game, the Chiefs face the Rival Broncos, a team of much disdain in the late AFC West Rivalries, which in mind mind is a valid contest to be scrutinized and have the mountain high bandits be of the mind to return the upset as a special favor to the Chiefs fans who witnessed Patrick Mahomes (PMII) and Company take one away from Denver on the road. That is not going to happen but I do think the Broncos present a tough contest, physical and accompanied by a good defense that was tough for PMII to diagnose in the first match-up. I don’t think this will be the case at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Broncos game will be a tough one but they absolutely do not have the offense to match up with the Chiefs and their QB of Elway’s choice has been on a sliding scale of lack of competence of late. It seems that Elway’s QBoF* has been MIA for all of the ‘Chosen’ since Manning retired. I believe that count will now be six such players assuming the reins of the Bronco’s offense.
The Chiefs defense played Denver well in terms of points allowed and the growth we have recently witnessed on the “Sutton” side of the ball should provide the ability for the team to make the Bronco’s one-dimensional, and if that forces Case Keenum to throw the ball, all will be good for the Chiefs in putting another win in the “book.”
Schemes and Dreams
I researched what they are saying in Denver and it is their belief that the defense sets used by the Broncos will again keep Patrick Mahomes on his toes and their pass rush will succeed in even greater fashion due to Andrew Wylie being new to a starting role as LOG and with Mitch Morse ruled out, a new and inexperienced Offensive Center in the person of Austin Reiter. They do have that point.
My research into Reiter came away with a look at expectations at Cleveland that were dashed when Reiter suffered a knee injury that knocked the gloss off of the anticipated season. I think Reiter will be competent, albeit inexperienced. But there was a reason John Dorsey allowed him to slide(timing for his team and organization. I don’t think I am creating something out of thin air but Dorsey must have relayed to Brett Veach that Reiter was not the gamble that other organizations thought, hence Veach brought him aboard. That Reiter was chosen to start has got to tell you something about the Chiefs belief in his ability to handle the job. Or it should have done.
The Chiefs will counter the pass rush by using deception and mixing up quick release passes as well as outlets to running backs fielding passes mixed up with a running attack to counter the announced coverage usages by the Broncos. At the same time, they have stated both in terms of pundits and players alike, that they will contain Patrick Mahomes and sack him with aplomb. It is the right scheme. I have read with some thought that they would try to use the “Cardinal” approach to stopping the Chief’s offense. Don’t believe it! Or if you do, I am telling you now that it is not going to work.
The Broncos are facing a PMII who has gone to school in the meantime since the two teams met out at about a “Mile High” and he will master the Reid approach set up by the Head Coach while containing his impulse to gamble in front of a home town crowd.
Denver’s Editorial License
It is, after all, Denver Editorial License which arrives at the conclusion that they will contain the Chiefs and make PMII uncomfortable enough to make rookie errors and that they themselves will manage to play 60 full minutes of football at the highest level any NFL Team can muster.
Kansas City’s Editorial License: there is little evidence that any team can force Mahomes into glaring errors so the first part of their premise is likely to fail out of the gate.
To keep all the offensive “tools” in check, which is how Denver was successful in the defense against the Chiefs the first time around, is going to be near impossible and in this game, since Mr. Sammy Watkins will be on the field adding another threat while the running back tandem of Kareem Hunt and his partner, Spencer “Displayed His” Wares brought the ground game to fruition against the Bengals. What I am saying is that the Broncos are going to be clearly exposed in this game.
Add to that a weakened Denver offensive line and what you will see is that the QB pressure that is anticipated by Denver will be turned around at Arrowhead. If the pass rush keeps Case Keenum in a quandary, look for excellent play by the Chief’s cornerback three-some and a couple of picks and perhaps 3 sacks in a controlled frenzy of defensive effort.
Just the Facts Ma’am
The facts are the Chiefs own the statistical advantage. The best any team has done is to hold Kansas City’s offense under 30 points. That was a game on the road and against these same Bronco’s. I think it will be the last game in the regular season where that feat is accomplished.
As I said, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will have gone to school all week on game film and tendencies used by the Broncos who will not repeat their success that was used in Denver. Chiefs 41, Denver 13.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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