Chiefs Host Panthers, Game Preview, OPEN THREAD – By Price Carter

Chiefs Host Panthers, Game Preview, OPEN THREAD – By Price Carter

The Chiefs are boring. There I said it! Sorry, but watching one of best QB’s of our generation throw to the fastest man in football is just predictable. Watching Andy Reid draw up another fake jet sweep to a tight end screen with an underhand pass is just routine. It’s just predictable to see Chris Jones throw a guard to the side and swallow up the quarterback in 4 seconds. Last week was just another ho-hum double digit victory where the backup quarterback took snaps. What else is there to write? The Chiefs are just a snooze fest. 

Of course, there was a time when none of this was true. Every Chiefs game felt like it was a nail biter and no lead seemed safe. We complained about the play calling: “Why did they get away from the run!?” or, “ You can’t call a screen pass there!” Truth be told we were all looking for answers as to what kept the Chiefs from being the true elite of the NFL. I remember year after year turning on Sunday Night football to root against Tom Brady and the Patriots and going to bed constantly disappointed. The Patriots were just inevitable, you knew, and everyone in the stadium KNEW, that they would find a way to win 90% of their games. The Patriots were inevitable and the Chiefs have become just that. What’s the one thing the Patriots no longer have… and the Chiefs do? The answer is: a Hall of Fame Quarterback. 

1st Down – Limit YAC

One of the key contributions to the Chiefs consistent success is having a more dependable defense. Since Spags has taken over, the defense has made it so that Mahomes and company don’t have to score 30+ points every week. The defense will need to be sure tacklers this week facing a team that excels in, yards after catch. While Panthers QB, Teddy Bridgewater, has exceeded many people’s expectations for him, he still is not a dynamic quarterback. He is very Alex Smith-like in his ability to facilitate an offense and stretch the field, just enough to be a threat.

 

The offensive weapons of the Panthers do present a threat to the Chiefs defense. They will likely be able to stretch the field with wide receivers, Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel, who can take a short pass to the house with their speed. They are also expected to activate All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey for this game, who will be a dynamic threat as runner and as a receiver. Fortunately, it’s hard to keep pace with the Chiefs offense, if the defense can wrap up and tackle and limit their YAC big plays, the Chiefs D should be able to slow their offense down. 

2nd Down – Ring the Bell

In a game like this you have to acknowledge the fact that the Chiefs could play their “D” level game and still probably scratch out a win. The coaching staff should take this to their advantage to incorporate players into the scheme who may not always have a feature role. In the last few weeks we’ve seen Mecole Hardman step forward into the offense more and more. Part of this is due to Sammy Watkins injury, and part of it is by design to get him involved.

This is a great game to get new addition Le’Veon Bell going in both the ground and passing games. He flashed in his first game against the Broncos, but it seemed like the one effective part of Adam Gase’s game plan was to slow down Bell. Carolina’s rush defense is below average (20th) and the game script will likely favor the Chiefs running in the second half. Getting Bell going and more confident in the offense, will only pay off down the road against stronger opponents .

3rd Down – Stay Special

It’s no accident that some of the best coaches in football place a huge emphasis on special teams. John Harbaugh, one of the best coaches in the league, got his start as a special teams coordinator… the legendary Bill Snyder… and yes, even Bill Belichick has dominated for years by stressing the emphasis on special teams. We know the Chiefs have been great on special teams in the past, but 2020 has been an up and down season for the S.T. unit as a whole. As the Chiefs draw nearer to January, it’ll be good to see consistency from all facets of special teams. Butker was perfect on his extra points and field goals last week. We learned that the Chiefs actually drafted Trevor Lawrence (Tommy the Toe) to punt for them and Pringle had a shot at another return. Hopefully, the arrow continues to point up for the unit.

4th Down – Keep the Offense Rolling

Look, the offense is not a problem or a concern, it never has been. Not in the Patriots, Bills, or Chargers games. Was their production as good as it can be? No. As many film experts will tell you, a great scheme and talent cannot overcome a lack of execution. It’s been well documented that the Chiefs have faced deep zone coverage that limits big plays and light boxes that favor the run. This trend will not just disappear despite the fact that the Chiefs continue to beat teams that operate that scheme. The offense looked fantastic last week, all things considered. It would be great to see the passing offense continue to thrive versus a stronger opponent, especially with the return of Sammy Watkins looming before or after their bye week. 

My Prediction: Chiefs – 34, Panthers – 19

Price Carter — ArrowheadOne

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