Rough Around the Edges – Phillip Maxwell

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rough around the edges – vodleymovies image credit

Rough Around the Edges by Phillip Maxwell

We have all heard the old sports phrase “Holes in their game,” and the Chiefs have had their share of “holes in their game.” That’s a fact.

The glaring exposure was the gaping hole at the QB position for so many years. A significant void that the Chiefs couldn’t seem to fill. Years of searching yet never finding the right man.

An aging Joe Montana led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship game back in 1994 before being knocked out of the game on a helmet-to-helmet cheap shot by Jeff Wright long after Montana released the ball. That would be the last time any Kansas City Quarterback would advance the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game….until 2018, that is, some 24 long years later.

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Chiefs photo, Montana After the hit with Chief’s Coaching staff – 1994

Trent Green and Alex Smith were quite formidable yet, weren’t quite capable of putting the game on their shoulders and playing above what was a gaping hole they inherited. Neither quite graduated to the success of Len Dawson and now Patrick Mahomes. Although they definitely do top the long list of QBs that donned Red and Gold over the years. The rest of the list gets ugly, and I would instead take a swift kick to the groin than mention any of their names here today.

Finally, that gaping QB hole during the 2017 NFL Draft when the Chiefs jumped up 17 picks to secure the 10th overall pick in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, a draft pick that allowed the Chiefs to get their man Patrick Mahomes. Drafting Nagines was widely criticized by some when the choice was made–due to speculation that DeSean Watson was the better choice. Oh boy, were they wrong!

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes answers questions from the media during the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine
Mahomes at the 2017 Combine–Veach lobbied Dorsey to select him – sportswire photo

The combination of John Dorsey and Brett Veach brought this proud but long-suffering organization back to a relevant state by slowly and methodically filling each and every much-needed hole as it arose.

First on the list was the Left Tackle position, and it was answered by drafting Eric Fisher.

We lost arguably one of the best TEs that the game had ever seen in Tony Gonzalez, and the Chiefs staff answered by drafting Travis Kelce.

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Bearcat Photo and Kelce’s draft – youtube screen capture

A team for which Donnie Avery was once the best receiver the Chiefs could field. They then answered by drafting Tyreek Hill.

When the Chief’s Offensive line was decimated by injuries in 2020, Brett Veach responded by answering again, and the entire starting five was rebuilt from scratch to become the potent force it is today.

The Chiefs Linebacker core and Defensive Backs needed overhauling–Check!

Now here we are, with a gaping exposure as the Chiefs are about to enter the 2022 season with Frank Clark and George Karlaftis (presumably) as the Chiefs starting Edge Rushers. I just threw up a little in my mouth while typing that.

Image 1 - Frank Clark Kansas City Chiefs Unsigned Super Bowl LIV Tackle Photograph
Clark Sack – Super Bowl photo – the Shark as we need him now!

In a division where Patrick Mahomes will see the dynamic duos of Bosa/Mack, Crosby/Chandler, and Chubb/Gregory twice each per year, with all 6 of them just biting at the bits to rip Patrick’s soul from his body and the Chiefs are entering the season with Frank Clark and George Karlaftis as their starting Edge Rushers? Really?

Look, no offense to Karlaftis, but he is an unproven rookie who needs to be weaned from NCAA Football so he can feed on the NFL Game like a beast. This transition to the NFL is best accomplished slowly, allowing time to learn the ropes. The NFL Game can ruin a career in nothing flat. It’s always best when the player breaks into the NFL game slowly and not be thrown to the wolves. As far as the veteran on the other side(Clark)? We all know that the 21 Million Dollar man’s game has rapidly declined for several years now.

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Karlaftis – NFL Draft Photo by “The Athletic”

The Pass Rush isn’t just a hole in their game this season. Instead, it may be a considerable detriment to their success.

You can’t give opposing Quarterbacks time in the pocket to contemplate the meaning of life. Not in today’s NFL. They will pick your secondary apart. They have to be disrupted quickly and forced to make the wrong decision, here and now, thiss season, The chiefs won’t achieve that now, unless something is done–and soon.

Between making great plays, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and other good Quarterbacks spent a lot of time on their backsides last season, except when they played the Chiefs. They had plenty of time in the pocket in those games to dismantle the Chief’s secondary. If that doesn’t change, prepare yourself for a similar ending to this season as we witnessed last season.

I know there were mixed feelings on Jadeveon Clowney, which are irrelevant at this point as he has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. But, after losing Melvin Ingram <head slap> to the Dolphins, Clowney was the best available Edge Rusher on the market. The dude was a disruption in the pocket and had 9 sacks last season. That is 4.5 more than Frank Clark had.

So with Clowney off the table, where do the Chiefs go from here? Stay with what they have in the house? That is a risky move, in my opinion, for a Superbowl contender.

Let’s be real here! The Chiefs are capable of making another Superbowl run this season, but it will require every facet of their game to run on all cylinders. And right now, their Pass Rush has a rod knocking. I mean, seriously, it is almost nonexistent. Only the Lions, Eagles, and Falcons got to the QB less than the Chiefs did last season…and that was just barely. And on paper, the Chiefs have taken a step BACK!

But who could the Chiefs bring in? It is slim pickin’s out there.

I mean, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel of ‘old dudes’ here now at this point:

Akiem Hicks–More of a DT than a DE but can play the outside. 32 years old.

Jason Pierre-Paul–has been a rock for years but has taken a noticeable drop as of late. 33 years old.

Justin Houston–I doubt a reunion would ever happen, but he is still producing. 33 years old.

There are more, but I think you are getting the picture here. Other teams have snagged all the Top Tier Edge Rushers, and some were acquired for a song. So maybe Veach was taking a nap when the Bears put Kalil Mack up on the trading block.

A report about the Chiefs suggested a possible trade with the Bears for Robert Quinn and his 18.5 sack total last season. Or a possible trade with the Jags for Josh Allen. Wouldn’t that be cool to hear this: Josh Allen was sacked by none other than Josh Allen? Ha!

Anyway–I am not sure which direction (if any) Veach is looking to take regarding the Chief’s most glaring hole: The pass rush from the front four, especially the edge player. It has been no secret the Chief’s Pass Rush is one of the worst in the business, yet the only course of action so far has been to draft Joshua Kaindoh and George Karlaftis.

Sorry, but it wasn’t enough.

Phillip Maxwell – ArrowheadOne