David Bell
The Chiefs just won a tough game on the road at the Patriots. Point of fact: The Chiefs won on the road by 10 points! That is a difficult task vs. any NFL Team. I wrote in a comment to Laddie Morse’s article: Chiefs Keep from Losing: 27-17:
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“No matter how you look at it, the offense isn’t fixed. No matter how you look at it, Rashee Rice is balling out and could become a 1,000-yard Rookie WR. No matter how you look at it, Kelce will exceed 1,000 yards again. No matter how you look at it, on Sunday, the Chiefs won a game on the road by 10. That’s good stuff”
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Anytime you go on the road and notch up a win by 10 points, on foreign soil, it’s a good win. Why not give Brett Veach a tip-o’-the-hat for drafting players to the defense, which is making it happen under DC Steve Spagnuolo?
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The Chiefs Have an Age-Experience Factor
The Chiefs rank 17th among NFL teams in the average age. To point this out means that the roster is constructed of young players despite Travis Kelce being a graybeard of 34 years of age. The Kansas City Chiefs are the consensus betting favorite to repeat as NFL champions — they are in the sweet spot of the betting public.
The Chiefs are 17th out of the 32 NFL teams with an average roster age of 26 years and change. Complaints range wildly among the Chiefs Kingdom fandom including ArrowheadOne so let’s take a peek.
Nick Allegretti is now 27. Richie James is now 28. Take a look at the players we see in action and complain about: Donovan Smith is now 30 as an example of an older player that the OL depends upon. Joe Thuney is 31.
Kadarius Toney is 24 and he is only a 3-year pro seldom used by the Giants. He is just beyond a rookie in terms of NFL experience. Here is what was said of Toney in the 2021 draft:, before the draft, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah listed Toney as the No. 28 overall prospect available that year:
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“Toney is a versatile, explosive playmaker. He lines up in the slot and does a lot of damage on fly sweeps and seam routes. His combination of play strength, burst and wiggle makes him difficult to get on the ground once the ball is in his hands. He doesn’t run a wide variety of routes, but he has the skill set to develop in that area. He’s dangerous in the return game because of his athleticism and lack of fear. Overall, Toney isn’t quite as big as Deebo Samuel, but I envision him playing the same role at the next level.”
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Toney, had no significant snaps before arriving at the Kingdom. Not a rookie but does not have a ton of NFL experience either. Of Course, Skyy Moore is only 23 and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is only 24 [CEH made a statement in the game vs. the Patriots–he looked like what we expected of him when he was drafted in 2020].
To keep in perspective, some players that we love… like Drue Tranquill, is 28. James Winchester is 34 (same age as Travis Kelce). We are soon going to lose players who are reaching the age limitation factor this coming offseason. Winchester doesn’t take a beating so he may last a couple more seasons.
Donovan Smith — as mentioned previously — is 30 years of age, and Jawaan Taylor is 26 while OT Wanya Morris is only 23. We still have on board Lucas Niang who is only 25. More work needs to be done with the OTs and keep in mind that our LOG, Joe Thuney is 31. It may end up being that the Chiefs must go to the NFL get-a-guy in free agency for an OT and/or hope that Taylor improves in 2024, along with considering Niang back in the lineup.
Age and experience also affect the OL, in one way or another.
What is my point? Firstly, Toney, Moore, Rice, and others such as Pacheco and CEH, are in an early stage of maturity in the NFL, let alone in life. The youth movement is necessary, but it is hurting due to mistakes by the young players. We have a leg up with 28-year-old future HoF QB: Patrick Mahomes — but he can’t do it all by himself.
Secondly? If the Chiefs don’t continue to cull older players from the roster in favor of youth, the Cap will continue to be a factor in the ability of the Chiefs to field a Championship caliber team, thus presenting GM Brett Veach with a herculean task to field a quality roster of players. It’s already a herculean task as it is.
At the same time, while depending on young players, expectations should be tempered with reason and logic — Young players make more mistakes than solid veterans. Brett Veach has got to keep getting younger, capable players.
The 2023 Finish
How I see it, is the same as this tweet, which summarizes my view for the next three games! See more about the AFC West, below.
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KC is Leading the AFC West With 3 Games Remaining
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I pointed out to Laddie Morse in a conversation on Saturday: The Chiefs are 1 game up in the win column, and 2 games ahead in the loss column vs. the Broncos, who then dropped their game to the Lions that same day. Denver is effectively eliminated from post-season play with a 7-7 record. 2 games down in the win column, and 2 games behind in the loss column.
Thank you, Dan Campbell and the Lion’s team!
Russell Wilson, QB for the Broncos, proved that he is not yet washed up. Thankfully, the Chiefs won’t face Denver again until 2024. The Broncos are not mathematically eliminated, but the Chiefs would have to lose 3 games in a row down the stretch for them and the Raiders to have any shot at all. The next game is vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.
It is an NFL Football Hate Week! The Raiders are 6-8 with 3 games down in the win column and 3 games down in the loss column.
The upcoming game is at Arrowhead and the Raiders are banking on a rookie QB, Aiden O’Connell. On the other hand, the Raiders handed the Chargers a horrid loss last week, a game in which the Raiders scored 42 points. The upcoming game at Arrowhead will be a tough AFC West contest. Still, I expect the Chiefs to win the match.
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Following the Raiders, the Chiefs face off with the now arch-rival, Cincinnati Bengals, and once again that game will be played at Arrowhead. With Joe Burrow out, the Bengals will start Jake Browning — UDFA of the Vikings in 2019 — who is a newcomer as a starting QB. Browning, has played well and previously was a back-up to Kirk Cousins in Minnesota! I expect another very tough game.
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The Hapless Chargers are the final contestant for K.C.. As noted above they were wiped out by the Raiders last week and unfortunately for the Chargers, their QB, Justin Herbert, was injured and his season ended two weeks ago. He fractured the index finger of his throwing hand. Easton Stick, who has been a depth QB for five seasons replaces Herbert. His outing a week ago vs. the Raiders was hapless, helpless, and hopeless. I expect the Chiefs to win this final game of 2023 handily. As of now? The Chargers are 5-9 and out of any consideration for post-season play.
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The Bottom Line
Chiefs are far from perfect, but apparently good enough to start a critical 4-game stretch with a win! With the win in New England, the Chiefs stand in good stead to win the AFC West… again. I am not going to say the division is locked up. The Raiders and Bengals could both beat the Chiefs. For that matter, as they say — On Any Given Sunday — the Chargers could also win in LA in the last game of the season.
A three-game skid would turn the division on its head. My prognostication tells me the Chiefs win out, with the first win in the remaining sequence of 3 games being vs. the Raiders. Tell me I am wrong and why?
The NFL Schedule For the Chiefs was carefully constructed to mete out the most punishment and difficulty every week on the 18-week schedule. Here at ArrowheadOne, we are awake to the fact that the schedule for KC was a tough one. It has proved to be far more of a challenge than I expected.
The final three games are challenging contests, but the Chiefs are a capable roster. I cannot see them failing to win the AFC West Which at the current moment, makes them the #3 seed in the AFC.
Playoff Picture – AFC
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This view of the Playoffs will probably look the same after all games are played because last night’s game on Monday Night Football was between two NFC teams: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.
We know that the Dolphins are 10-4 and the Ravens are 11-3 and that the two teams face each other on December 31st in Baltimore. One team will back up one game toward the Chiefs from that game’s result (unless it ends up in a tie). The Dolphins are the stronger team offensively. The Ravens are strong across the board. If KC wins out they will be 12-5. I think you see the painting that I am applying with my bristle brush: if both teams lose two games, it puts KC back in the lead for the Home team of the AFC Championship Game.
If the Dolphins lose one, they and the Chiefs will swap positions with the Chiefs holding a tiebreaker having won the game in Germany.
Presuming the Chiefs roll, the division is locked up and then we’ll see what is what. We know that one team or the other, Ravens-Dolphins will drop a game (because they play each other). Should both teams drop 1 it becomes interesting… and if both teams lose two? Then… the Chiefs lock up another AFC Championship game at Arrowhead — if the Chiefs don’t misbehave (2:46)!
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However… even with the win vs. the Patriots on Sunday, there were enough mistakes to have me doubt that the Chiefs will be a team with prowess in the post-season. I remain concerned about the OTs, and especially our WR corps. What will we do, what will we do?
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills made a statement vs. the Cowboys leading the afternoon winning the contest at Buffalo going away, 31-to-10. The Bills want in! They have had many of the same foibles that the Chiefs have had.
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Go Chiefs!!!
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David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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