Week 11 Chiefs at Rams:
OPEN THREAD
by Laddie Morse | November 19, 2018
Kansas City and the Map Game
Seattle wasn’t on the NFL map before they won a Super Bowl and almost won a second one, before their coach decided to throw the ball at the goal line instead of handing it to the best running back of this century to date. Denver had not been on the NFL map for nearly two decades before Peyton Manning’s shadow delivered a Super Bowl win three years ago. For each of those teams, the games during the year leading up to those SB victories helped to “put them on the map.” That’s exactly what the game tonight vs the Rams could do for not only the Kansas City Chiefs as an organization but that’s also what it could do for the Chiefs players. Here’s my list of who could be helped most by having a good game against the Rams tonight:
- Dee Ford – Mr. Ford is having a breakout season. Many feel the reason for that mostly has to do with the fact that this is a contract year for him. If Dee Ford has a big game tonight it could help to price him out of the Chiefs cap-affordable-league.
- Kareem Hunt – do you know who won the rushing title (in his rookie season) in the NFL last year? That’s right, Kareem Hunt. Now, do you know who won the “Rookie of the Year” Award? Nope, not Hunt. That would be Alvin Kumara. So, do you know who won the Offensive Player of the Year Award? Once again, not Hunt. That went to the man who finished second to Hunt for the rushing title: the Rams Todd Gurley. For Kareem Hunt to gain national recognition, he needs to have a breakthrough game tonight.
- Patrick Mahomes – Patrick Mahomes has taken the league by storm but I’m not so sure he is a household word… yet. A big mamma-jamma game plus a victory… and that could do it for him.
- Travis Kelce – look, everyone knows… in Kansas City… that Travis Kelce is the best tight end in football. However, a sterling showing tonight could let the rest of the nation peek inside of our secret-society diary. ♥♥Kelce♥♥
- Tyreek Hill – “Hill Kills”… I mean, “Speed Kills”… and that’s what Tyreek has done so far in this league… fly up the notoriety ranks as fast as he can fly up the field. A big game on the big stage tonight and he may just become too big for his britches.
- Chiefs D – the Kansas City Defense has been much maligned over the past two seasons and if they make a good showing tonight, that can change. Chris Jones, Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller, Orlando Scandrick and the rest of the Chiefs defense can each make a name for themselves, like Marcus Peters did in Bob Sutton’s defense. A whole bunch of defensive players can put themselves on the map tonight with a big game. They can also perpetuate a bad name for themselves with a bad showing. It goes both ways. Maps are maps… showing hills and valleys.
Something to Prove
While WR Sammy Watkins won’t be “making a name” for himself so much in this one, he certainly will want to show his old team, the Rams, that he is enjoying life as a Chief (if he plays). Watkins posted 593 receiving yards in 2017 during 15 games for the L.A. Rams. This year, Watkins has 515 receiving yards during the 9 games he’s played in. If he has any hopes of reaching a 1,000 yards this year, he needs to post big numbers, beginning with the Rams game… which he may be so inclined to do. It’s called extrinsic motivation.
Andy Reid’s Influence and Ability to Relate
Andy Reid was a coach at Missouri in 1989 for one season and yet a player he coached from that team still has a personal relationship with him:
“We only had about a year’s relationship at Missouri, but it’s funny how when you carry that relationship over and years go by and by and by you still feel like he’s a great friend and mentor who would do anything in the world for you. I know for a fact that if I ever needed anything, or if he did, we’d be there for each other. That’s a neat thing and a powerful thing.”
That was said by Andy Lock, Drew Lock’s father. If you don’t know who Drew Lock is… he’s likely to be taken in the first round of the 2019 draft by a team needing a strong armed QB. The above was taken from a piece by Vahe Gregorian called, “What Andy Reid means to former Mizzou players … and their families”
Weather in LA Tonight
Here’s an hour by hour look at the weather in Los Angeles tonight. Looks ideal for a game. Notice that the Wind column says it will be Calm throughout the game. Hmmm… I’m not thinking that it will be.
Go Chiefs Go!
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