Enough Is Enough: Habits Kansas City Needs To Kick – the Chiefs haven’t had a better chance to bring a championship home to Kansas City since before I was born. They have an elite Quarterback, an overhauled defense and one of the best Special Teams coaches in the league. Even the best can do better, though. K.C. has a bevy of irritating habits that have bit them in the past. The sad truth is, without correcting these, seemingly minor issues, the thrill of victory will continue to elude Andy Reid and company, in favor of the familiar, agony of defeat. These issues may appear insignificant, but in a sport won by the thinnest of margins, I promise you, they are anything but.
Enough With The Kickoff Returns: If you watched more than a single Chiefs game last year, you no doubt found yourself screaming something like this, at the television (or the field): “Just stay in the @#$%-ing end zone and take the touchback!” For a team that had the 5th most kick returns in the NFL, the Chiefs sure seemed to lack discipline. Sure, the occasional 28-30 yard return would occur, but they were consistently overshadowed by penalties that pinned the Chiefs deep in their own territory. While their 24.4 yards per return ranked 8th in the NFL, it’s easy to see, that the better option would still be to take the ball at the 25 yard line. When Kansas City had an average QB, and a pedestrian Wide Receiving core, it made sense to take risks on Special Teams, risks that could lead to a Touchdown. That’s not the case anymore. Give Patrick Mahomes the ball at the 25, and let him take care of business. The minuscule possibility of a big return is not worth the risk of getting pinned inside your own 20.
Take Hill Off Punts: While we’re on STs, why the heck is Tyreek Hill still fielding punts? Does it lead to slightly more favorable field position? Sure. Is that worth risking your best, and most consistent WR? No. Fans are nervous enough about a suspension but Hill could easily miss more games getting hit trying to make something happen on a Punt Return, than he’s likely to from a suspension. Hill plays with competitive fire. It’s part of what’s made him such a great player, early in his career. If you keep letting him return the ball, he’s going to do things like fielding a punt, with a defender in his face, or trying to cut all the way back, across the field to make something happen. Frankly, it’s just not smart to put a player who means that much to the offense, in harm’s way.
Get Rid of the Penalties: On the season, the Chiefs had the fifth most penalties called, against their opponents, of any team. That’s great. What’s not great, is that they did even worse themselves, managing to rack up the most penalties in the league. In fact, they were called for 15 more penalties, than the next closest team. Penalties are drive killers. Game killers. Plus, they’ll take your championship aspirations by the scruff of the neck, drown them in a water trough. Lookin’ at you Dee Ford. I don’t care if it takes discipline, bribes, or having Travis Kelce personally apologize, to the referees, while dressed as Little Bo Peep. Stop the bleeding. Stop the penalties. Enough already.
Losing On National TV: The Chiefs had four losses on national television last year. They had: four losses, total, for the whole season. At the end of the day, all I want is a championship, but a little respect never hurt anybody. There’s a reason, when a call is borderline, that it always seems to go the Patriots way. Establish yourself as a dominant force, and you’ll be treated as one. Establish yourself as a team that consistently loses big games by 1-3 points, and the refs will be glad to let your opponent push off to catch a game-winning touchdown, I see you Chargers. Winning begets more winning and the Chiefs need to stop letting the most important games slip through their fingers.
Bottom Line: Nothing worth doing is easy. Special Teams coach, Dave Toub, loves to return kicks. He needs to stop it. He likes using Hill on Punt returns: too bad! Use Mecole Hardman. Chiefs lackadaisical approach has led to more and more penalties. It’s past time to deal with it. Losing big games isn’t cute anymore, this team is too good to be doing that, on a consistent basis. Tighten it up, get it done. If Kansas City is going to win a championship, they’re going to have to sweat the small stuff. Chiefs Kingdom will be watching to see that they do. Go Chiefs… but go in the right direction. Enough is enough.
Ransom Hawthorne — ArrowheadOne
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