Laddie Morse
It’s one thing to call the Kansas City Chiefs a dynasty… but quit another to call them a dream team.
The year was 2011 and the Philadelphia Eagles, which was coached by our own Andy Reid at that time, were having themselves quite an offseason. In the previous season of 2010, they had a 10-and-6 record, and missed moving on in the Playoffs after a five (5) point, 21-to-16, loss to the Green Bay Packers (who went on to win Super Bowl XLV, led by Aaron Rodgers).
Years before that, the Eagles had gone to the Super Bowl (XXXIX) but lost, and they already had the right head coach in place, Andy Reid, so the idea was to get as many of the right pieces in place as they could, then roll through the season and post season too. Only things is, it didn’t work out that way. Then, the wrong thing was said by their new back-up QB, Vince Young. He called the Eagles a “Dream Team” because of all the good players they’d picked up in the offseason that year. Players like:
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That’s not to mention all the good players they already had on their roster. Players like QB, Michael Vick, RB LeSean McCoy, WR DeSean Jackson, plus they drafted Jason Kelce that year. Here’s a look at the rest of their 2011 Draft picks:
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OC Jason Kelce of course is not only the brother of Travis Kelce, but has been a 6 time Pro Bowler, and 5 time first team Pro Bowler to boot.
The Eagles were just coming off of a decidedly winning campaign the previous season, so they had high hopes that the next season could be their season and then they’d end up with a Lombardi Trophy to go in their trophy case (for the first time ever). Nope… things just didn’t quite work out that way as they finished that season with an 8-and-8 record, and loads of disappointment. One year later they would go 4-and-12 and that would be the last of Andy Reid in Philly. Up next? Chip Kelly. Instead of “Fly Eagles Fly” it was “Flop Eagles Flop.”
The reason much of that happened is because of highly unrealistic expectations brought about by Vince Young who was asked, “What about the pieces this team has added in just the last few days?” and Young had said:
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“Aww, Dream Team, heh, heh, heh, heh. From Nnamdi [Asomugha] to [Dominique Rodgers-]Cromartie, to Jason [Babin] to myself, you know they are going to do some more things. It’s just beautiful to see where we’re trying to go.”
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Even to this day, Vince Young wishes he hadn’t said anything at all (0:39):
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So, how does this apply to the Kansas City Chiefs? Beyond the fact that Andy Reid is/was the Head Coach of both teams, with the Chiefs coming off of their second Super Bowl victory in four seasons, and all the side talk about a dynasty taking place in the heartland, the Chiefs need to avoid the same fate that was in store for those 8-and-8 Eagles in 2011.
The Chiefs have gotten better. The changes they’ve made this offseason appear to have made them the team to beat for not only the AFC, but by any team who makes a run at a NFC title as well.
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Replacing Frank Clark with Charles Omenihu and first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah should give the Chiefs a more potent pass rush. When you consider that one of last year’s first round picks was DE George Karlaftis and he was coming on strong by the year’s end of the 2022 season, I could understand why some would be thinking this is a dream team, even though Frank Clark has gone to one of the Chiefs AFC West rivals in the Denver Broncos.
The real Dream Team was the 1992 Olympic Basketball team led by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Scotty Pippen, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, John Stockton and David Robinson plus head coach Chuck Daly or Mike Krzyzewski (I’m unsure which). Here’s a look back at that team (12:30):
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There was also a movie three years before that (1989) called, “The Dream Team” with Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle and Lorraine Bracco. Four mental patients on a field trip to a Yankee game witness a murder of their Psychiatrist, and the rest is a wild and crazy comedy. Here’s the trailer for that film:
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When you have the best Head Coach (possibly ever) and the best quarterback (possibly ever) and the best tight end (yep, possibly ever), and one of the best Defensive Tackles ever… then you have to consider the possibility that these Chiefs are on the brink of being called a Dream Team.
With everyone in the Kingdom’s whipping boy being Orlando Brown Jr. being allowed to walk (and walk he did, straight to the Bengals) then being replaced by the Buccaneer’s LT Donovan Smith and RT Andrew Wylie being allowed to seek a big payday (which he got from the Commanders, 3 years for $24M)… and K.C. already has possibly the best Interior Offensive Line in the NFL… it means… once again.. this team could be called –> a dream come true.
Although I’m not there yet, if GM Brett Veach makes another move, either for a veteran WR, or a veteran Edge Rusher, or any other signing, it could be that the Chiefs have moved even closer to being called: a dream.
Either way — if Veach does or doesn’t — this team is set up for success for many years to come.
Bank it.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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