Current AFC West Leaders: Denver BroncosThere's been some jawing in the comments section of this website lately about a couple of things that I wanted to address: 1) Why I haven't been posting as much lately and 2) NFL Football.
To eliminate any speculation that might be occurring here, let me just say that in addition to work, I have been taking Calculus class as a refresher so that I can start my PhD next year. I have done way more drugs and drank way more alcohol since the last time I took this class, so it consumes a good bit of my time, just trying to derive, shout profanity and repeat. Your patience is appreciated.
As far as NFL football goes, I wanted to address some of my earlier predictions. Some can't really be judged at this point, but others are clearing up.
1) Pittsburgh did beat Miami in the opening game. Little did we know how much Miami would suck at this point in the season, but at least I didn't pick them to win the Super Bowl, right?
2) Shawn Alexander and the Madden Curse. I was dead wrong on this one. Homeboy has several lackluster games, and then goes out with a foot injury. I have a special, albeit small, place in my heart for the Seahawks, since I used to be able to see their stadium from my apartment's balcony, but this is looking like a bad year for them, unless they can make Seneca Wallace the next Kurt Warner.
3) The Chiefs are in for a lackluster season. If I had one prediction that I wanted to be true more than anything in the world, it was this one. Chiefs fans, as experience on this website has shown, tend to live in a constant state of denial. First of all, the Chiefs are 3-3, but only one of those wins came over a team with a winning record. Arizona and San Francisco are not exactly the pride of the NFL. Even if the Qweefs make the playoffs, which is a huge if at this point, they won't be lucky enough to play teams like that.
Also, Larry Johnson, who was getting a lot of hype coming in to the season is on pace for a mediocre 1304 yards this season. Not quite the 2000 he promised eh? Against one of the weakest rushing defenses (statistically), Johnson had 36 yards (Arizona). Not what I would call MVP statistics.
Because Chiefs fans don't have anything that they can say to make their own team seem better, given these facts, they will proceed to attack the Broncos. The Broncos are 5-1 on the season, despite playing all of their games except one (St. Louis) against a team with a defense in the top 10 in the NFL. People are coming down hard on Plummer, but he's won all but one of the games that he's started against those very same top defenses. The Broncos also beat the Chiefs in one of the most ugly, boring games of the year. I'm not proud of the wins we have, but you can't argue with beating New England at Foxboro and beating the Ravens anywhere. Oakland is a divisional opponent, but their defense is currently ranked 5th in the league, despite the offense.
Chiefs fans lack creativity, so you will also hear them complain about Trent Green's injury and the effects that might have had on their losses as well as their beloved Larry Johnson. First of all, Trent Green is nothing special, unless you're using age as a criteria. This is evidenced by the fact that Damon Huard can come in and essentially put up the same statistics that Green does. In fact, with the exception of the Pittsburgh game, Huard's QB rating was higher than Green's for the first 6 games of last season.
So Chiefs fans can hope for a surge when Green figures out what country he's in and gets back on the field, but statistically speaking, this is as good as it gets. Unless Trent Green brings back a whole new corps of receivers, Tony Gonzales will continue to be the best receiver they have, and when a 90 year-old TE is your best receiver (he led the team in receiving for each of the games that KC lost), you don't have a lot of weapons to make the defense back off and say "Watch out, they might go deep."
It also doesn't help that Herm Edwards' longest passing play that he's called as a coach was a 15 yard curl route either.
The end of the season will be the ultimate test, but for the time being, the Chiefs can enjoy their .500 record and mediocre RB.
8 comments:
Interesting that 2/3 of your football prediction concerns the Chiefs; a team that Chiefs fans were hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Trent Green got knocked into Terry Shaivo. Their best Lineman retired, leaving in his wake the first Notre Dame graduate who is mentally retarded.
We aren't halfway through the season yet, and before you make that saving throw onto that Elway poster, I would like to say that I feel better about the Chiefs being 3-3 with a backup quarterback than the Broncos should having Jake the Snake at QB. The Broncos have yet to play Indy, San Diego (twice), Pittsburgh, and at Arrowhead.
I'll give you props for beating New England. That was a quality win. I will also give you half props to beating Baltimore, who seemingly is looking a little exposed. Donks have beaten Jokeland, and Cleveland and an inprired 9-6 OT thriller vs. the Chiefs.
Also, you may go ahead and hate on Larry Johnson. He will get 1500 yards this year. That, and go ahead and tell me you wouldn't trade either Tatum or Mike Bell for LJ straight up.
If this season has taught us anything right now, its this:
Arizona should be better.
New Orleans should be worse.(although they were my 'joke' Super Bowl pick, so go Saints!)
The Bears are fo' sho'.
Sue EA if they ever put your favorite player on any subsequent covers of Madden.
Jake Plummer is not one of those QB's that gets better as the season progresses. Think about that.
The Chiefs schedule will get much easier.
We both will be watching the Chargers win the AFC West.
Indy is destined to choke, again.
So instead of blathering about two teams that will be keeping sofas warm in January, how about you actually talk about the NFL Season.
Good news for the Bears:
Each of the last three years, a team from a diffrent division has represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. The one division who has yet to: NFC North.
The Chiefs have played both of the previous year's Super Bowl teams the last three years. Next year, they play the Bears.
True. It's doubtful that your Chiefs or our Broncos will be playing football in late January. But I'd still take Tatum Bell over that guy who used to play for the Charlotte Hornets. He's turning out to be fairly consistent, after Shanahan lit a fire under his ass this preseason. Consistency has not been one of Johnson's virtues this season.
The Bears probably won't go 16-0, but I'd be mighty surprised if they go anything worse than 15-1.
Miles said all there is to say, but let me add my own slant on the whole topic. I had no expectation for the Chiefs other than that they would go 8-8, even before we lost our starting QB. The defense is going through some retooling. The offensive line, which has been the league's best for the last several years, is now part old men and part new starters. LJ is still reliable, but he's still very young, and young studs are inconsistent performers. BTW, anyone who wants to bet on LJ's production can leave their comments right here and I'll take all comers. With Green out, teams have been putting 9 men in the box, and LJ is still churning out almost 100 yards a game. When Trent comes back, opposing Ds will once again have to respect the pass, and LJ will be allowed to run wild again. Count on it. And without a doubt in hell, LJ will rush for more yards than any Donkeys RB.
Having admitted that this is a bridge year for the Chiefs, I now have to ask: where are the Donkeys heading? Bell is no one's RB of the future. Except maybe the Browns'. Jake is done. Rod Smith is currently the pitchman for DentureGrip. The D isn't getting any younger, either. Where are the players of the future? What I appreciate about the Chiefs is that they at least appear to have a plan for the future. Like the old guy in Big Daddy, the Donkey's 5-year plan appears to be "Don't Die." Last year was the high-water mark, and it's time to get ready for a repeat of the mid-90s (a period in Donkey history you don't hear Lord Redneck and the Midge talk about much).
You mean the dark period in Donkeys history where you LEFT THEM AS A 'FAN?'
You make it sound like we're as decrepit as the Oldland Raiders. Not even close. And Tatum Bell may not be as good an RB as a lot of other previous diamonds in the rough, but he's been consistent this year.
Here's their future, along with ages:
Javon Walker -- 28
Jay Cutler -- 23
Mike Bell -- 23
Tony Scheffler -- 23
Ian Gold -- 28
Al Wilson -- 29 (and with 8 years of NFL experience)
Champ Bailey -- 28
Darrent Williams -- 24
Jason Elam -- 36 (which is 22 in Kicker Years)
I wouldn't keep posting comments about this, as I'm beating a dead Chief, but if you're gonna keep embelishing, I gotta call you on it. Now, go back to watching your team finish out their 8-8 season.
Just so that we're clear, you're hanging your team's hat on the bright futures of Jay cutler, Tony Scheffler, and Darrent Williams? I hardly think I even need to rebut. As for Champ, kiss him goodbye next contract year. Elam's fantastic, and I predict Donkey fans are going to get to see him kick a lot more field goals in the coming years. Gold is good, but on the defensive side of the ball especially, it's a team effort, and one good player is not going to carry a weak team.
I think we're done here.
Don't make me start pointing out the future of your franchise, player-by-player, cuz I don't want to give their website a hit.
Past, present, future? Whatever.
Denver: two Super Bowl wins
K.C.: zero Super Bowl wins
Scoreboard.
NOW we're done here.
Actually, KC won Super Bowl IV in 1970 against the Vikings. If you are going to bring up last century, may as well get it right.
Oh, now KC is only one game back. Nervous in the service?
My bad. So it's 2 to 1. I wonder if that one Super Bowl victory is why CowboyLaw left the Donks for the Chiefs?!?
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