Chiefs Versus Rams: One Last Thing
by Paul Pulley | November 24, 2018
There are so many things to take from this game. So many things to learn. So many mistakes of all kinds by so many. So many roster deficiencies that show up when the Chiefs play really good teams. I know the game is in the rear view mirror now, but it’s… Chiefs versus Rams: one last thing.
Compelling: first, this was an absolutely incredible game, impossible to walk away from at any point. The only thing that could have made this game any better, would have been an overtime finish. I’m sure neither organization would have wanted overtime, but the fans, worldwide, would have loved it.
Broadcast Frustration: second, I hate Monday night football. Let me rephrase, I don’t like Chiefs games being played on Monday nights. I cut the cable years ago, mostly because I just don’t watch much TV except football, but also because I refuse to spend hard-earned money just to be able to watch about 147 stupid infomercials at any given time. That leaves me with broadcast TV, which I have absolutely no problem with for the most part, but where I live northeast of KC, KMBC-9 is the only KC station I have trouble receiving. Thankfully I wasn’t home for the game, so I was able to watch it just fine. Unfortunately, my recording was so pixelated, it was mostly un-viewable. Oh well, I may just have to upgrade my antenna before next season, depending on whether the Chiefs play on Monday nights.
Penalties, Something Correctable… Hopefully
Penalties are part of the game and they are going to happen no matter what. However, excessive and untimely penalties can kill drives and could even be a factor in whether the game is won or lost. The coaching staff and the players need to figure out how to not be the highest penalized team in the league.
- Tops in Lows – After 11 games, the Chiefs have had a NFL worst, 97 penalties called against them for a net loss of 211 yards. That is practically enough yards to equal 3 touchdown drives following touchbacks. The total yards lost on the 97 penalties is a staggering league high 814 yards, there just isn’t an excuse for football this poorly played.
- Chunk Yardage – Bad defensive back play leads to some large chunks of yardage, the Chiefs lead the league in defensive holding penalties with 11 and are tied for second worst in DPI (defensive pass interference) with 8 flags, for a total of 189 yards lost. CB Steven Nelson, not surprisingly, is the worst offender with 4 DPI’s and 3 holding calls, although one DPI was declined and one holding call was off-setting.
- Rank (the verb) is Rank (the adjective) – The negative 211 yards is not the worst in the league, the Green Bay Packers are last with a negative 308 net penalty yards, but the Chiefs are ranked 30th in that regard. There are 18 teams that have a positive net yardage from penalties, with 7 teams having over 100 positive net yards, conversely, there are 7 teams with over 100 negative net yards from being flagged.
- The Need for Discipline – A huge part is undisciplined ball, the Chiefs are tied for second worst in the league with 31 pre-snap penalties. 17 of these 31 pre-snap penalties have been false starts, this is tied for worst in the league. In comparison, the two teams in the league with the fewest pre-snap penalties, the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots have 12 and 13 respectively through 10 games each.
- Offensive Line – Kansas City has 16 offensive holding calls, but with a mobile QB that scrambles frequently, there is bound to be a higher number of those as defensive linemen try to disengage from blocks to give chase.
- The Rising Decline – The Chiefs have also had another 15 penalties declined and 5 off-setting for a total of 117 flags thrown their way. Of the 97 accepted penalties, 57 have come on road games, for an average of 9.5 per game, whereas the Chiefs have 40 home game penalties, averaging 8 per game in Arrowhead.
What Can We Learn From the Rams Offense
A Tight End is Needed
As I recall, the Rams played almost exclusively 11 personnel: one RB, one TE and 3 WRs. What the Rams do have, that I have been saying for years that the Chiefs need, is a viable 2nd pass receiving tight end. The Rams last two touchdowns were scored by their second string TE, Gerald Everett, both with Sorenson “covering.”
Yes, I realize that Travis Kelce had one more catch and more yards than the Rams two TE’s combined, but when Kelce is off the field and with the Chiefs using more 2 TE sets, we need a reliable second receiving TE. Demetrius Harris has never, and will never cut it, as a quality TE for the Chiefs. Both Everett and Higbee for the Rams are close to 70% completion rate for the season, while Harris is at 46%. Harris continues to be the only Chiefs receiver with more drops than catches.
What We Learned About the Chiefs Defense
Safeties Needed
The Rams offense also showed why the Chiefs need safeties. There isn’t a safety that played Monday night for Kansas City that I want back next season. While I understand why Ron Parker was brought back, he reminds us weekly why he was originally released, and also why he was cut by the Atlanta Falcons, whose passing defense is almost as bad as ours.
Why defensive coordinator Bob Sutton leaves Jordan Lucas on the bench and continues to play Eric Murray is baffling. Murray’s lack of speed, especially to change directions, leaves receivers open on a regular basis. Murray’s inability to cover and turn his head to look for the ball will continue to subject him to possible defensive flags.
I know there are a lot of Sorenson supporters out there, but Dirty Dan’s nickname might be better as Pokey Dan. Even though Sorenson is coming back from injury, he has never had the speed and quickness to stay with even an average tight end, not to mention a quick running back.
It was incredible that one of the NFL’s best running backs, the Rams Todd Gurley, only had 12 carries for 55 yards in this game. I think that was by design, because as long as the Rams offensive line was able to keep their QB, Jared Goff clean, he was able to pick apart the KC defense with ease. The Kansas City Chiefs need better players at the back end of their defense unless they are content having the 32nd ranked passing defense in the NFL. When the team you are fielding is the worst in the league, it’s time to stop making excuses and start making changes. As I have written before, that change for the defense needs to start at the top, but by no means should it stop there.
Justin Houston’s Contribution
There is no doubt in my mind that the defense, especially the pass rush, is so much better with Houston in the game. Whether he is accumulating stats for himself or creating opportunities for his teammates to make plays, Houston makes this defensive front better. Whether or not he is worth the cap hit he brings to the Chiefs………well, I’ll just leave that up to general manager Brett Veach and owner Clark Hunt to decide. I’m just hoping and praying that Houston stays healthy from now through game 19.
One Last Thought About Patrick Mahomes
It has already become easy to forget that the Kansas City Chiefs QB, Patrick Mahomes, is in his first year as a starting quarterback. Mahomes is still just a 23 year old “kid,” with a lot of football still to learn. He is still subject to “rookie” mistakes and will at times make us pull out our hair (and I don’t have a lot left to pull). At the same time, it’s an absolute thrill to stay glued to the games knowing that, no matter the circumstances, with the Chiefs offense on the field, and Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs will never be out of any game.
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