The Chiefs Win With:
THE VILLAGE PEOPLE
by Laddie Morse
You’ve heard the saying before many time: “It takes a village” and that was never more true than on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 38-to-28. Sure, the Chiefs had their stars. Tyreek Hill and Patrick Mahomes had big time games. However, a win never really happens without the little people like Ron Parker, Dee Ford, Dustin Colquitt, and De’Anthony Thomas. I call them the Village People becasue… it takes a village.
WR/KR/ST De’Anthony Thomas
De’Anthony Thomas had a great game against the Chargers. It’s going to sound minimal when I read you his stat line but if Thomas doesn’t make the plays he made, the Chiefs victory is in jeopardy. Okay, here goes: 1 tackle, 1 reception (a shovel-pass) for a TD, a forced fumble inside the 5-yard line of the Chargers, and a 26 yard kickoff return.
Dave Toub's guy De'Anthony Thomas with the strip. Toughest guy on the team pound for pound, so we're told.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) September 9, 2018
It’s not so much that DAT scored on his TD “reception” but it’s that he could have moonwalked into the end zone, the Chiefs had the Chargers fooled that much.
1️⃣5️⃣ ➡️ 1️⃣3️⃣
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/OZOo8TQgrZ— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 9, 2018
Outside Linebacker Dee Ford
They say that Dee Ford shows up whenever they play the Chargers. I don’t know what it is about Philip Rivers but when Dee Ford has him in his sights, fuh-get-about-it! Ford had 4 solo tackles, a tackle for a loss, covered Melvin Gordon out of the backfield once that was memorable and of course, the only sack in the game by a Chiefs player.
Tyreek Hill's amazing first half obscures a pretty darn good first half from Dee Ford. Has a sack and four quarterback hits.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) September 9, 2018
There was a sweet reward for Dee Fords play on Sunday too:
Thanks to Dee Ford's career sack No. 18.5, you can buy one Big Mac at an area @KCMcDonalds tomorrow and score a 2nd Big Mac for free. 🍔🍔 #BigMacSack pic.twitter.com/I4ogmyxhNP
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 9, 2018
Put that in your lunch sack! Also, Ford was all over the field and having an impact:
Dee Ford disrupts the crossing receiver, which reroutes his path and allows the DB to catch up, forcing a throw that has to be further outside than it would've been without the impedance by Ford, resulting in an interception for Parker.
But OLB's in coverage are "always bad". pic.twitter.com/g1oTqIFEEN
— Craig Stout (@barleyhop) September 10, 2018
Now, Say How-DEE Mr. Rivers!
Hello Dee Ford, glad you're BACK. pic.twitter.com/xqKdUFz4y6
— Matt Lane (@ChiefinCarolina) September 10, 2018
I just wouldn’t feel right unless I shared Dee’s sack with ya’ll.
Dee Ford converting some speed to power matched up with an OG. This was a Houston-Jones special later last year but the versatility to use with Ford is fantastic. Ford is still more of a finesse player but he's improved his ability to generate power, good 2 hand swipe to get free pic.twitter.com/oCaR7vvPsW
— Matt Lane (@ChiefinCarolina) September 10, 2018
One of the reasons I like that sack so much is that it comes from the inside instead of the outside rush position. We were told in the offseason that we’d see some mixing and matching of the Chiefs best rushes all over the defensive line… and Viola… there it is with Mr. Ford looking like he’s shot out of a cannon.
Punter Dustin Colquitt
Dustin Colquitt is one of the best punter’s to ever pull on an NFL uniform in my book. Yes, I was thinking that this past offseason would be a good time to move on and find someone younger but, boy was I wrong. Dustin had 5 punts for 256 yards. That’s more than 51 yards per kick. He also placed three kicks inside the 20 yard line but his pièce de résistance was a 67 yarder that the Chargers punt returner fumbled and the James Winchester recovered inside the 5.
This is the muffed punt, Colquitt is standing roughly at the 12 yard line and that ball fell at the opposite 15, causing the rookie Jones to back-pedal and muff the punt. 70+ air yards again. @barleyhop @ChiefinCarolina @kent_swanson pic.twitter.com/U2lqNrxytu
— Daniel Harms (inharmsway19) (@D_Harms19) September 10, 2018
Safety Ron Parker
Let’s begin with some perspective about Ron Parker from Dee Ford:
"It’s good to have our brother back. It felt like something was missing."
~ #Chiefs' LB Dee Ford on Ron Parker during our postgame interview for "Chiefs Rewind" with @mitchholthus and myself.
Catch it later on @KCTV5.
— BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) September 10, 2018
I don’t know if Ron Parker was unfairly labeled as a Marcus Peters sympathizer or what but it’s clear he does not mind coming up into the box and laying some wood on a RB. Parker had 8 total tackles and an interception that changed the course of the game. More than anything else, Parker looked like he knew what he was doing and frequently appeared in the right place at the right time.
#Chiefs Safety Ron Parker, recently released by the #Falcons, picks off Philip Riverspic.twitter.com/a1x7FNv3rk
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 9, 2018
It’s great to see the Ron Parker interception and I’ve watched it several times now. However, if you want a more thorough breakdown of that play watch as BJ Kissel explains what Parker is doing on that play, step-by-step. Kissel covers Parker’s impact on three plays including the INT from the :45 second mark until the 1:30 mark. Enjoy.
Patrick Mahomes was in control and Ron Parker’s return to the Chiefs.
Three Takeaways with @ChiefsReporter pic.twitter.com/wEoBnxIJaU
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 11, 2018
Yep… it takes a village. In fact, there are many other “Village People” on the Chiefs roster who helped win the game against the Chargers. I’m just glad the Chiefs have such great Macho Men!
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