Chiefs Are Wading Into a New Storm at Tampa Bay

Chiefs Are Wading Into a New Storm at Tampa Bay

David Bell

Prayers to Floridians

The tragic hurricane Ian has had a significant effect on many areas of Florida. I recently had the occasion to exchange many emails with a friend from High School about the ongoing storm and the aftermath. It has a disastrous look, as my friend toured around Bonito Beach with a camera. It gives you pause when you think about the many people who lost their homes and possessions, those without power or water, or even the ability to get to the mainland, such as Sanibel Island.

I have experienced such a storm, the destruction, loss of property, and the loss of life. My sailboat, along with my skiff, was lost in the storm at Key West a few years ago. “Restless Rosie” was a 33 Ft. Sloop. My elder son’s sailboat, 37 ft, was also carried off. Neither boat was ever found. In a preceding disaster in 2011, my home, all my property, and belongings including a considerable amount of fly tying, fishing, and hunting equipment, including my beloved African Bolt Action .416 Remington Magnum Rifle, were taken in the Tornado at Joplin, Mo., in 2011. The most tragic part of that tornado was, my mother lost her life.

After that, I lived on Restless Rosie out of Port Fierce (Ft. Pierce), Fl, and it’s a coastal lifestyle. But, now, at this time of my life, my hardy sports days are behind me, and football is even further back in time. The most tragic thing about the Tornado was obviously my mother losing her life, but my Auntie and two Uncles survived in nearby areas.

Bottom line? My prayers go out to those who have suffered through Hurricane Ian.

The Previous Game?

I am still spitting nails. The game vs. the Colts should have been a win, but it was not. There were so many fail points in the game that we could spend more hours and hours on it. Nothing changes the result though I have significant concerns that are directly related to the upcoming week. The poor blocking by our OTs, the missed opportunities and poor reads of the defense by Mahomes and the Coaching staff, dropped passes, special teams breakdowns, and so it goes. Play-calling was faulty, as was the run game.

The defense has been surprisingly effective, considering having so many rookies having a great number of snaps and, this past week, missing Trent McDuffie and Willie Gay. They both will miss four games overall. Okay, okay… it’s not out of my system, but, I will put the loss on the shelf for now, for a longer view of the season.

Upcoming Game: A New Storm Brewing

The concerns that were exposed during the Colts game, are still concerns. The Offensive Line played abysmal football –> Run and Pass blocking had significant breakdowns. Especially troubling was the play of our LOT, Orlando Brown Jr.. On the other side, Andrew Wylie struggled in different parts of the game. Their defense was gaming both OTs. If OB Jr. has a sore knee, Geron Christian should move into the starting role. Or something.

Adapting (or not) to Circumstances

1. Play-calling and adapting to circumstances failed the players. No matter how I view it, the play-calling was out of sync with what the defense was presenting. This problem most assuredly must be addressed for Sunday.

2. Failure to set up the aerial game by using the run: the run game is just a complete puzzle to me. I attribute part of the reason to the above two items.

3. The Special Teams Disaster — I won’t deal with the specifics. We all know them. I hope Harrison Butker is healed and Skyy Moore has shaken off the rookie “shakes.”

4. Dropped Passes & Passing Misqueues — We know who didn’t make the catches. The players know it. The fans know it.

Of those four issues, I am most concerned about the offensive line.

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Projection

HC Andy Reid and HC Eric Bieniemy will have examined the errors in the previous game related to play-calling.

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Verily, verily, I say unto you… a resolution will be observable out of the gate. The drops cost the Chiefs heavily. Week Four will see it happen as it occurs in every game for every team, but not on such costly occasions. Skyy Moore will get some offensive snaps of meaning. Mike Burton will still get in on plays where success is called for short-yardage running.

As a result of fixing problems or having them disappear, the Chief’s offense will re-emerge and score 30+ points. Then the game will hinge on special teams and the defense. Honestly, I cannot see a breakdown on special teams like in week three. We don’t know if Butker will play or not [He’s doubtful: and unfortunately, Butker was not at practice on Friday]. Matt Wright, the former Jacksonville Jaguars, was hired to replace Matt Ammendola as the PS Place Kicker. Hopefully, for the game this week, Wright won’t be needed, though as of Wednesday, Harrison Butker was still dealing with soreness in his ankle.

I do not think you can consider playing the QB Tom Brady and the Bucs as if it will be like a walk in the park. Tom Brady has always been a thorn in the side of the Chiefs from New England to Tampa.

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The Chiefs have a grudge against the Bucs due to the LV Super Bowl. The Bucs have a potent defense, so the items above remain factors in how the Chiefs approach this game. If K.C. plays Chiefs football, they will win this game 31-to-27.

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David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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