Chiefs Cut Weekend Musings – In an offseason where the Kansas City Chiefs blew up the defensive staff, and brought in multiple new starters, on that side of the ball, there’s been a lot for fans to be nervous about. The Tyreek Hill situation was bad, from multiple angles. Chris Jones held out of OTAs and Mini Camp. Early depth on the offensive line, for whatever reason, hasn’t seemed to quite pan-out. A Chiefs team, with super bowl aspirations, hasn’t looked especially crisp, in the preseason. Such storylines have nurtured a growing anxiety for fans, in the past, but this year, something is different. The difference, not surprisingly, comes in the form of Chiefs young MVP QB: Patrick Mahomes. Having this stability, at the most important position, in the game, allows sober minded musings rather than the previously prominent panicked mutterings.
Andrew Luck: It’s Just a Game
I love football, by nature. Barely watched it till I got into high school, and yet, 13 years later, you’ll find me screaming at the television, on Sunday, and impugning the honor of the officiating crew, in the heat of the moment. As much passion as I have for the game, I feel compelled to reiterate: it’s just a game. In the wake of Andrew Luck’s retirement, it has become all too evident that many fans, and even some analysts, have forgotten this. Luck has been booed, his toughness questioned and, frankly, it’s disgusting and wrong. A guy who was supposed to be the sure thing, at QB, was ruined by years of poor offensive line play. He fought through shoulder surgery, leg injury and ruptured internal organs. Luck was as tough as they come, but, at the end of the day, he was something better. He was smart. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Toughness led to a bruised, battered, broken man, who hasn’t even seen his mid 30s yet. When dealing with pain every second of every day became more than he could bear, Luck did the smart thing and, given his love for the game, the hard thing, he walked away. Football is the greatest game in the world, but it’s still a game, and we should all be glad that, at the end of the day, Andrew Luck was able to remember that.
Reality Sets In: Chiefs Defense
When the hype disappears, you’re left with reality: Chiefs defense will take time to be good. Preseason schemes are vanilla by design, and Spagnuolo hasn’t begun to tip his hand. Chiefs starters, on defense, by and large, have barely played. Those are all reasons for optimism, but not enthusiastic optimism. New schemes take time. There will be coverage breakdowns. There will be big plays given up. There will be fans saying we hired the wrong coach, probably by week four of the regular season. You don’t bring in a boatload of new players, install a totally new scheme, and become a top 10 defense, overnight. I still believe that Chiefs can get there, by the end of the season, if health allows, but early expectations should be for a unit that’s marginally, not massively, better than Bob Sutton’s.
Dust Has Settled For Tyreek Hill, Now What?
At the end of the day, people will believe what they want to believe about Hill. The most concrete fact we have is that, after a thorough investigation, the NFL decided not to suspend Tyreek Hill, something they probably wanted to do, for the optics alone. As news leaked out recently, that teams had reached out to the Chiefs about trading for Hill, it appears Roger Goodell isn’t the only one who believes his side of the story. Chiefs have manifestly denied any interest in trading Hill. As long as an extension gets done for him soon, I’ll believe they mean what they say. While we may never see it, the wording of Hill’s contract, itself, may prove the most revealing of all.
What About Mr. Jones?
Fiscally, I’ve never thought it made sense to keep Jones. That said, Chiefs seem committed to making it happen, at the right price. At the end of the day, I think they get it done. The release of Stone Cold Jones Sodas is a pretty big hint, in that direction. Labeling and branding is expensive. If Jones had any intention of leaving KC, I doubt he would feature himself, prominently, in a Chiefs uniform, on the bottle. Both sides will have to compromise some, but Chiefs have leverage, and Jones wants to stay in Kansas City. When all is said and done, I think that gets it done.
“Offensive” Line and Contingencies
Chiefs starting OL group has been fairly solid. Their back-ups, have not been particularly inspiring. Perhaps the toughest choice left to make is at swing tackle. Wylie and Erving possess similar ability, at Left Guard, but neither has looked particularly great, in relief of either Mitchell Schwartz or Eric Fisher. Neither player has missed much game time, so it may be a non-issue, but I don’t think Chiefs are comfortable leaving that to chance. The acquisition of Matt Moore, in the wake of Henne’s injury, shows that Chiefs are more cautious than ever. Bringing in Jeff Allen and De’Anthony Thomas were similar moves, made to mitigate risk. Chiefs have two options left: try Laurent Duvernay-Tardif at swing tackle, or go out and get one. Given the importance of this season, they may want to do both.
PM the MVP a VIP
As long as the 2018 League MVP is playing, on game day, Chiefs will be well positioned to win. They don’t need bad things to happen to other teams, or their defense to have a historic turnaround. Contract extensions can shape the future of a franchise, but Mahomes’ extension is the only one Chiefs really have to get right. The level of calm, and confidence that this young man can inspire, after a single season, as a starter, is astounding. Through all the twists and turns of the offseason, there remains this constant anticipation: Chiefs are going to the playoffs, they’ll win in the playoffs, and unless every contingency plan they make fails, they’re going to the Super Bowl.
Ransom Hawthorne — ArrowheadOne
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