That Game Between the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers Was So Ridiculous That…
“This game was so ridiculous, I literally have no idea what I should write about.”
-text message from me to ArrowheadOne Editor in Chief, Laddie Morse.
His response?
“I love that slant. Go with that for your piece this week.”
Guys, this might be the most A.D.D. Chiefs article you’ve ever read. Hold on tight.
Last year, when the Chiefs began the year 1-5 and then went on the magical 10-0 ride to win out the remainder of the schedule and make the playoffs, some pundits called it a fluke. Some said it was due to an easy schedule. Still others gave credit to head coach Andy Reid’s coaching and ability to keep the team together and not allow finger-pointing in the locker room when things got bad. Others credited Alex Smith’s steady hand and ability to win games without turning the ball over.
When this season started and the Chiefs started 2-2, many thought the magic of last year’s run had fizzled. But since the bye week, the Chiefs are 5-0. Is the same magic alive in this locker room? Is it different magic?
Many thought this year’s Chiefs would have the best offensive unit we’ve seen in years. With tight end Travis Kelce, wide receivers Jeremy Maclin, Tyreek Hill and Chris Conley and running backs Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West, it looked like Smith would have the most weapons he’s had in his career.
But since the bye, Smith has been…well…not great. He’s completed 60 passes on 103 attempts for a completion percentage just a shade over 58 percent and a QB passer rating of 87.1. It’s not good. He’s only throwing TD’s on 2.9 percent of his pass attempts. Granted one game–against the Indianapolis Colts–was cut short due to injury, but still, Smith needs to get his stuff figured out quickly if he wants to truly be a danger in the latter half of the season.
Conversely, last season, in the four games Smith played after the bye, he completed 72 passes on 103 attempts for 874 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. That stat line was good for a passer rating of 111.8 and a completion percentage of almost 70 percent.
Now I’m not a big stat guy, and Smith doesn’t put up big stats, as we all know. But that’s quite the difference. I’m not sure what Smith can do to get better. His accuracy is off and while he’s always missed open receivers from time to time, it seems he’s missing them–either with his eyes or his arm–at a much higher rate this year.
Perhaps the most concerning thing–and something I think has really negatively impacted his game–is his unwillingness to use his feet to move the chains. Last season, Smith rushed for a career-high 498 yards. That was a clip of nearly 32 yards per game. This season, Smith has only rushed for 44 yards. Forty-four.
I get that he’s gun-shy after the two bigs hits to his head a couple of weeks ago, and I appreciate he’s letting plays develop before making one read and then running, but he is a “sneaky athletic quarterback.” That’s NFL-ese for a white-guy who plays QB who can also run. This year, that’s not him and I think it’s significantly affecting his game.
But, enough about Smith.
“This game was so ridiculous, I literally have no idea what I should write about.”
Since coming to Kansas City in the winter of 2013, the general manager has made three first-round draft picks and traded back to pick high in the second round once. Those players have been:
- Eric Fisher, left tackle
- Dee Ford, outside linebacker
- Marcus Peters, cornerback
- Chris Jones, defensive lineman
Fisher was regarded as the best overall No. 1 choice in a draft devoid of anyone who was really a great choice for the top draft pick. He was injury-prone and undersized to play left tackle in the NFL. Reid even moved him over to the opposite side of the line last season, a demotion in every sense of the word. But after moving back to his natural position due to a Donald Stephenson injury–remember that big, lazy turd?–Fisher came into his own. His play landed him a huge offseason contract and after nine games this season, he is arguably one of the best left tackles in the league.
There is an urban legend in Kansas City Chiefs’ blogger circles that Dorsey’s 2014 draft board went Calvin Pryor, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Brandin Cooks and Johnny “F” Manziel, in that order. Thus, when those players went to other teams–almost in that order…crazy–Dorsey panicked and picked Dee Ford with the 23rd overall pick. While I’m not sure how much I believe that–I think it more to do with the uncertainty of Justin Houston’s contract and Tamba Hali’s health–the Ford pick always has confused me. More confusing, though, was Ford’s play over his first two seasons. He was a player who was touted as having a “lightning first step” and was compared to–hold your breath–Derrick Thomas. However, there was very little resemblance to late Chiefs’ hall-of-famer during the ’14 and ’15 campaigns. But since the beginning of this year, and taking advantage of Houston’s extended absence, Ford has been a man possessed. He has amassed 10 sacks, which is good for a first-place tie. If you’re keeping track, that’s one-half sack more than Von Miller, who has played an extra game this year than Ford. I’m just saying…
The first story that was released after Dorsey called Marcus Peters’ name during the 2015 draft was about his temper tantrum on the sideline during a game and his beef with his coach at the University of Washington which led to his dismissal from the football program. Why would Dorsey bring this trouble maker into a cohesive locker room? If anybody is still saying this, I would kindly like to show you the door. Is Peters emotional? Yes. Does he sometimes do things that are flag-worthy? Yes. Is he passionate? Oh, hell yes. If you’re not keeping score at home, Peters–who won Defensive Rookie of the Year last year–leads the league in interceptions since the beginning of last season. He leads the league in fumble recoveries this season. He also leads the league in passes defensed this season. He has to be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, he has a tendency to something crazy–like punt the ball in the crowd after a huge turnover–but when he makes the play that wins the game, I honestly don’t care. I really don’t. Do you, Marcus. Do you.
While many pundits and fans alike gave a collective “huh?” when Dorsey drafted the three picks above, when he traded back out of the first round and into the second during the 2016 draft and picked up Chris Jones, guys like Adam Schefter from ESPN said he was “the steal of the draft.” While the original plan was to ease Jones into his role–and eventually replace Dontari Poe if you listen to some people on Twitter–Jones was thrust into a starting role this year with the season-ending injury of lineman Allen Bailey. Since then, he’s been nothing short of amazing. His play speaks for itself as he’s been fantastic against both the run and the pass, but his attitude and his personality is a welcome addition too. And yes, that includes sacking and then “dabbing” on Cam Newton. And oh yeah… according to his conversation, he plays quarterback too.
My point here? If you don’t trust John Dorsey and his eye for talent, you’re higher than a party with Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. (That’s a puff-puff pass rush joke.)
“This game was so ridiculous, I literally have no idea what I should write about.”
What exactly is Eric Berry worth?
Is he worth the nearly $12 million he’s making this season on the franchise tag? Is he worth the $15 million a year it was reported he was asking for in the offseason? He is a game changer who, as Reid puts it “can will a turnover more than any player in the league.” According to Peters, Berry told him and the others on defense they would get a turnover on the series during which Berry intercepted Newton and returned it 42 yards to the end zone. Is that worth $15 million a year? I don’t know. I just don’t know.
“This game was so ridiculous, I literally don’t know what I should write about.”
Earlier this season, I wrote a piece saying I didn’t know who the hell these Chiefs are. After nine games and a five-game winning streak, I’m still not sure. Their offense can handle weak defenses like the Colts, Raiders, Saints and Chargers but really struggle with better squads. The defense seems to be good this year. Like really good. And then they give up a 45-yard run.
At the end of it all, I’m just glad to be 7-2 and on top of the AFC West. We’re on to Tampa Bay.