Laddie Morse
Why do I get the feeling that these early season games are just an extension of the Preseason games? Is it because the Chiefs aren’t playing great football and seem to be learning as they go. Is it because the Chiefs are calling plays that they “normally” would not be calling in a regular season game? Whatever it is, it needs to change, and change right away. Why? Because they have an early AFC West Game coming right up against a formidable foe. We’ll you may be wondering why this last game against the Broncos doesn’t fit that definition? The answer is… because it doesn’t. Or, they don’t. IOW, the Denver Broncos were never a formidable foe. That message does fit the Los Angeles Chargers who are coming to town next week with vengeance on their minds and the Chiefs better be ready or they may be headed for another loss.
Let’s get to the topics at hand:
.
Taylor Swift did not attend the Chiefs game last Sunday vs. the Vikings in Minneapolis. However she has now attended 3-out-of-4 games including the most recent game at Arrowhead vs the Broncos. Here’s Taylor from Thursday evening sitting next to Travis’ mother, Donna:
.
.
.
.
Kelce had a great game on Thursday evening. Was it because his girlfriend — Taylor Swift — was present? Who knows for sure. However, he caught 9 passes of the 9 targets that were thrown his way (btw, which is excellent) for 124 yards with a 13.8 average. 13.8 is better than his career average of 12.6 so I’d say Kelce had a very good game at the least. In the Broncos’ game, Kelce was seen pointing out an open receiver to his QB Patrick Mahomes and that exactly who got the ball, Skyy Moore. It’s kind of incredible that Taylor Swift has no idea how good Travis Kelce really is in the landscape of all time the NFL tight ends (0:03):
.
.
Chris Jones is the best defensive player in the National Football League. period. That’s why people should start calling him, Mister Chris Jones. CJ has had a sack now in 8 straight games which is a Chiefs record (0:10).
.
.
_______________________
Link to Evolocity — We Buy Houses
If you mention ArrowheadOne, we get a commission.
_______________________
.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been calling plays that make you wonder. Some plays look like they are meant to be called in a preseason game as if the team is trying out a possible play. How else can you explain the call on Thursday evening that had Patrick Mahomes exiting the field so that the Special Teams unit could run a fake Field Goal with Noah Gray taking the direct snap and being pushed by Tommy Townsend on a 4th and 2? The play gained one yard (0:33).
.
.
Or, how about the time that they decided to have Kadarius Toney pass the ball (0:37)?
.
.
The Kansas City Star had a piece on Friday written by Sam McDowell called, “Five things that stood out about the Kansas City Chiefs’ win against the Broncos” in which they said,
.
“When the Chiefs elected to line up in field goal formation on fourth-and-2 from the 6-yard line, only for tight end Noah Gray to get under center and try a quarterback sneak that ultimately failed, it wasn’t purely out of boredom — though, let’s be honest, they could have been a bit bored… When they directly snapped the ball to wide receiver Kadarius Toney for a read-option that he executed really poorly, that wasn’t out of boredom, either.”
.
On another blunder of a play, McDowell points out that Toney took a direct snap then mis-handled the ball by not handing it off to the RB because he read the defender the wrong way and wanted to be the one to keep the ball and make the first down. My question is: why take Patrick Mahomes off the field for a play like that???
You all recall the time the Chiefs lined up in a circle “Ring Around the Rosie” formation vs the Raiders last year… apparently that was a trick play designed by the players that HC Andy Reid signed off on (0:11).
.
.
The point is… what’s the point at all? Are the Chiefs just lining up plays so they can try them out… or is there something else going on here? Are the Chiefs bored with their division opponents or do they want to anger them for some reason. Now, I’m all in favor of Andy Reid allowing his players to be creative… but… what’s the cost? A 19-to-8 victory? IOW… a margin of victory that is so small that the outcome of the game is in doubt?
.
The Chiefs have an obvious problem at the Wide Receiver position. While it looks like Rashee Rice is headed towards the WR #1 position, the Chiefs appear dedicated to the “By Committee” formation of the WR room just like most teams are dedicated to the “RB by committee” ideation. Rashee Rice is having a good rookie season but it’s not to be confused with the season that JuJu Smith-Schuster had last year.
Rice has 245 yards receiving right now, after 6 games. If you project that out to 17 games he’ll have 694 yards receiving by years end… assuming he keep this up. JuJu had 933 receiving yards for K.C. last season along with 78 catches. At his current pace, Rice will have just under 60 catches this season.
In any event, Rice has become one of the Chiefs best targets and had a great catch and run up the middle in the game against the Broncos (0:08):
.
.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
.