R-E-L-A-X
Culture. Great teams are built on it, poor teams crave it. It takes years to achieve. Years of consistency, years of hard work. To achieve a winning culture you need leadership, discipline, and a belief that their is always a brighter tomorrow.
Because of guys like Andy Reid, Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry, Jeremy Maclin, and yes even the currently unpopular Alex Smith, the Chiefs have built one of the best winning cultures in the NFL. This culture has led the Chiefs to 18 wins in their last 21 games. This culture has spoiled fans like you and I. Spoiled us into believing that after one loss to a .500 team, the sky is falling. But I am here to tell you that the sky is not falling, we just need to get our heads out of the clouds (pun intended).
We saw a battered Chiefs team on Sunday who simply beat themselves. Similar to the last couple of weeks, the Chiefs defense struggled to get off of the field on third down, and the Offense continued to underachieve. Alex Smith continues to play some of the worst football that he ever has. The pass rush continues to be a non factor, even with all-pro Justin Houston back in the lineup. These issues are all new, and concerning. They leave us with so many questions. So what are the answers?
?The Offense:
? How can an offense loaded with so much talent consistently be below average? Some point to play calling, some point to quarterback play. These are the easiest people to blame and in this case they are part of the problem. But it is deeper than that. Kansas City has fallen in love with the idea of doing "just enough". This "just enough" philosophy leads to field goals, field position battles, conservative play calling, and a whole lot of nail-biter wins.
So let's first address play calling. Andy Reid has to find a way to push the ball down the field. This week the Chiefs attempted 2 passes of 20+ yards and completed them both for a total of roughly 80 yards. Guys like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are elite vertical threats and in order to free up the short pass game that Reid loves, he has to keep the defense honest with the deep ball. The Tampa Bay secondary squatted on all of the Chiefs short and intermediate routes and made Alex Smith noticeably uncomfortable by doing so. This issue has to be fixed moving forward, and I am willing to bet that it will get fixed (back to that whole "culture" thing).
Now let's address the elephant in the room, Alex Smith. He is undoubtedly in a slump. He is missing throws, missing reads, and refuses to use his mobility that once made him a dangerous dual threat. With his critics at an all time high, Alex Smith has to respond boldly. I truly believe he will, and here is why.
Regardless of how you feel about Alex Smith's football ability, I think we can all agree that he is a man of great character. He is extremely competitive, and has a drive to constantly better himself. These are super bowl winning characteristics. While we watch Alex at his worst, we must try and remember what he can be when he is at his best. Playoff Alex Smith, comeback vs. San Diego Alex Smith, even undefeated in San Francisco Alex Smith, and the list goes on and on. We have seen Alex Smith have great success at times throughout his career. All Alex has to do is string together 3 or 4 above average games in the playoffs and the Chiefs will put a ring on their, thus-far, naked fingers. While we can scream "TRADE!", or beg the font office to draft and develop a young QB; these are only options for the future. Alex Smith is, and will be the Kansas City Chiefs starting Quarterback for the remainder of the 2016 season. And in this 2016 season, the Chiefs can still win that ever-so elusive Super Bowl. So it's time to get on board with fixing this problem, as opposed to working around it as if we are playing madden and have the trade-deadline turned off.
I will briefly address the run game and other parts of the offense. The run game has been average, and at times very effective. I wish the Chiefs relied on it a little more. I think Ware is a back similar to "Zeke" Elliot or Marshawn Lynch in the way that he wears defenses down throughout the game and should be fed late in the 4th quarter. As far as receivers go, these guys have to make the easy catches. This mainly goes for Travis Kelce, and the tight end group. The tight end group in Kansas City had a lot of build up this off season between guys like Demetrius Harris and Travis Ross, but their hands and lack of consistency have shown to be a real problem. While Travis Kelce is still an elite NFL tight end, having a reliable 2nd team tight end is important for a team like Kansas City.
The Defense:
The Kansas City defense has been it's typical self this season, forcing turnovers and winning the Chiefs games. When healthy, the secondary looks very promising and suits Bob Suttons scheme extremely well. Marcus Peters has developed into an elite NFL talent and terrifies offenses, while Philip Gaines, Steven Nelson, and Keneth Acker have proven to be competent in man coverage against #2 and #3 receivers. The defensive front has done a great job shutting down run games and at times has gotten pressure. However the pressure has been too inconsistent, and too individualized. Dee Ford alone has been the Chiefs sole hope for a pass rush. The addition of Chris Jones has helped further the pass rush up front, but Poe and Hali are not getting home often enough. The return of Justin Houston, alongside potential pro bowler Dee Ford, should help create a formidable pass rush.
But now that I've kissed the defenses butt enough, it's time to address a problem. The Chiefs can not get off of the field on third down. This is mainly attributed to a lack of pass rush, but can also be attributed to poor play calling by Bob Sutton. How many times will the Chiefs leave guys like Steven Nelson, a very average NFL corner, one on one against Elite talents such as Mike Evans or Kelvin Benjamin on third and long? Teams are simply loading up in max pass protection, and playing catch with their best receiver on third down. Sutton either needs to travel Marcus Peters (when healthy), or needs to give his other corners some help. Asking Keneth Acker to cover Mike Evans one on one on the most crucial third down of the game just isn't fair. The Chiefs are winning on first and second down, which is a sign of a good defense. But they are losing on third and long, which is a sign of poor play calling.
In Closing...
The Chiefs lost a mid-season game that they should have won, so what? This team has created one of the best cultures in the NFL. A culture based on winning football games. Andy Reid and this Chiefs unit will find a way to bounce back and string together some crucial wins down the stretch of the season. We have seen what this team can do at its best, and when it is healthy. Alex Smith will get out his slump and start playing good football again. This defense will be a force when fully healthy and intact. And Andy Reid, as he always does, will find a way to win.
