Chiefs: The Plans and Purposes

The NFL has a simple goal: print cash by entertaining the masses. Parity is possibly the greatest tool of the NFL to deliver entertainment. No fan of any team should have to watch their team flounder in horribleness or mediocrity for an extended time. The inverse intention is no fan should see extreme sustainment of success either. However, much like Google and the Matrix, there are rules to bend and others to break.

The purpose of Google is to print cash by giving the masses well-indexed information. Every website has the same set of rules for parity of ranking. Google is so mighty at cash printing that an industry exists to manipulate its rules. SEO is the equivalent of a good owner, GM, and coaching staff.

The similarity between the NFL and Google is there is not a set, general formula to win. It is up to good organizations to figure out and build their destiny, but the rules constantly change to give everyone a chance.

Parity in the AFL/AFC West

The division started in 1960 and has remained mostly intact with complete continuity. Since that time, the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers have won it 15 times each. Seattle (remember when they were part of the AFC West?) what seems like a lifetime ago) won 2. The CHIEFS have won the remaining 14. Parity and the NFL is loving it. There are a series of long runs:

• Chargers won 5 of the first 6
• Raiders won 9 of 10 right after
• The CHIEFS broke up both of those and separated the eras
• Broncos won 5 in a row just before this current CHIEFS era

Reid’s Chiefs are on a Roll!

The CHIEFS are on the division’s longest streak of 6, which defies the will of the League. So how did we get here, and where are we going in the short term? The answer is: “Through excellent planning and a unified approach.”

Clark, Brett and Reid

The Kansas City CHIEFS show us an impeccably run NFL franchise. Kansas City has been in lockstep at the top since 2013, and the only hiccup was the end of the Dorsey era. We will never know the exact details of his departure, but I always took it as Dorsey went rogue and Hunt squashed it. It sucked seeing him go, but Clark was right to look at the big picture. The big picture is winning every year with a chance to compete for a Super Bowl.

Our Kansas City CHIEFS are doing this at the highest level, and we are all witnesses. Their formula is simple: control what is possible, and react appropriately as conditions change. Of course, the most significant piece a team can control is getting the right QB, and the CHIEFS did that with Mahomes. After that, it is controlling the cap, which means hard decisions.

Always a Plan

The hard decision recently made recent was trading Tyreek Hill. Patrick Mahomes aided Hill’s journey to the top, Jacksonville lit the League on fire with the Kirk deal, and $30M a year didn’t fit into the CHIEF’s cap plans. Personal relationships and fear of the unknown shade the situation as complicated, but I think it is as simple as I laid it out. The hard part was the ability to pivot and the intestinal fortitude to make the hard call.

Veach immediately made moves to get WRs in the building that would challenge Mahomes approach to throw the ball. Next, Andy Reid advised what he could scheme effectively.

From the Ownership viewpoint? Clark Hunt hires the staff, and he turns over the reins and lets his people work. The last factor was the mission to nail the draft concretely.

Speed Overview of the Draft

I will get deeper on all of the draft picks in my next column. For today? I want to share my initial thoughts about the off-season. The WR position took over the top-heavy run on players. That first round was a wild WR arms race. Why did this happen? Some combination of the suddenly inflated contract number for good ones, lack of quality at QB, and level of panic from the shuffling. The CHIEFS are part of that shuffle, and there was a logic in play that opened the door for their participation in the run in the first round.

The CHIEFS needs pre-draft: Edge, CB, WR. Veach and Co. knew this as well as anyone but had to take it to another level. The Patrick Mahomes era features 4 AFC Championship games and 2 Super Bowls. Pre-draft offseason features the entire AFC West gunning for what the CHIEFS have on offense. It made perfect sense for the CHIEFS to get in on that round 1 WR run, but the assembled leaders worked their plan.

A Methodical Approach

The good teams set their board, let the draft come to them, and react accordingly. This one was a master class. Trent McDuffie had no business falling to 21, and the Patriots had no business getting cute with their draft. Yet, here we are. That transaction and pick was high-level execution of a modular situation. Pick 30 sticks with me the most. George Karlaftis plays like an ideal Spags fit and gives us all clarity. The Chief’s defense has been bad for a couple of years, and fans called for Spags’ head.  I applaud the CHIEFS for having and sticking to a plan. If Spags is the guy, then give him the guys. The Milwaukee guy in me is all in on the Greek Freak.

I am a big believer in getting richer and thinking forward, and in this sense, it means weapons on offense. Teams with top-tier QBs should consistently take a high-pick weapon, whether the need is immediate or not. That is the closest thing in the NFL to guaranteed production. The results may not always follow but often do. That was the philosophy of the Clyde Edwards-Helaire draft pick, and the same for Skyy Moore. The other weapon drafted was Isiah Pacheco from Rutgers in the 7th. He ran the fastest 40 in the combine and speed kills.

The Current Mission

The CHIEFS lost Super Bowl LV to the Bucs mainly due to horrible OL play, and Brett Veach vowed to fix it. He did so in the offseason of 2021. The mission for this offseason is to give Spags a Defense with which to fashion a more dominant capability. Brett Veach followed through in the draft. Eight draftees, trading a 2024 7th round draft choice to obtain Texan CB Lonnie Johnson, and a tender on Melvin Ingram give him the tools he needs to make it work. It is win or die for him and his coaching staff.

I expect the renovated CHIEFS Defense to jell quickly and another AFC West title. More to follow later this week.

Josh Kingsley – ArrowheadOne