Here we go, Chiefs fans. The wait is
kinda over. Today we can forget about training camp, team-building
exercises and boring preseason press conferences. There's plenty to
talk about and catch up on here, but for now we're keeping it
(comparatively) simple. Today, we're talking about preseason Week 3-
the first week of football that truly feels like football.
Week 3 of the preseason marks the
official moment when actual play is important enough that yelling at
TV screens becomes socially appropriate for the next five months or
so. To celebrate that important milestone, I have 3 lists of 3 for
Week 3. My goal today is to curb enthusiasm, temper negativity and
point out important things for fans to keep their eyes on today, all
with one oddly-structured welcome-back post.
3 Things to Watch For In Week 3
1- Dave Toub's effect on the special
teams play. This post from Mellinger, and the hilarious accompanying
video, showcases the positive change being made so far, but many fans
will surely continue to underrate this aspect of the game. Probably
for life. And it's a shame, considering we have some exciting tools
to plug into a proven system that's already shown its ability to
change a game completely. No one knows for sure if Devin Hester's
success was a byproduct of his own talents or the Dave Toub system.
Obviously, it must be a mixture of the two, but who's to say that
Dexter McCluster doesn't have all the traits to be the next big deal
on special teams? After witnessing the majority of an up-and-down,
historically streaky baseball season, the length of the NFL season
feels almost unjustly short to me. Every one of those 16 games is
huge, and that makes every kick return for a touchdown either a
devastating blow or an unequivocal advantage.
2- AJ Jenkin's ability, or lack
thereof, to become a factor quickly. This goes for anybody else
trying to gain a prominent role in this offense. Wanna guess who has
the most catches on the roster? That would be rookie running back
Knile Davis, with 7 receptions for 49 yards. To really get excited
about this offense, fans need to see guys like Donnie Avery (1 catch
for 6 yards this preseason) and AJ Jenkins (never caught an NFL pass)
to step up. Especially after losing some heigth with the
Baldwin/Jenkins trade, Reid will look to counter this lack of size
with a small army of shorter-than-average skill players. Those little
guys will make a big difference in Kansas City's 2013 playoff hopes.
3- The secondary's effectiveness in
containing another quality QB. Roethlisberger comes into tonight's
game with a 3-1 career record against the Chiefs. In those games,
he's completed 70.9% of his 110 pass attempts. Limiting Big Ben to a
lower percentage would be a welcome sign of improvement for this new
and, hopefully, improved secondary. The only other starting QB with
significant playing time against this Chiefs defense is Drew Brees.
He completed 7 of 10 for 65 yards, but it took the impressive
accuracy that you'd expect from Brees and few else to make the
Chiefs' secondary look small.
3 Things to Remember When the Chiefs
Look Great
1- It's the preseason. Everything is
still vanilla on either side of the ball, and within that context
athleticism rules the day. Don't be overly-wooed by good play from
returning Chiefs. Let's not forget that last year's team posted the
worst record in franchise history with the same 5 Pro Bowlers that
will take the field today. Tight coverage from Brandon Flowers and
jaw-dropping plays from Jamaal Charles are nothing new to Kansas
City, and by themselves they won't save the Chiefs from another
disappointing season. I know Derrick Johnson is great, I know Tamba's
a beast, and I dedicated a whole post to the unheralded greatness of
Dustin Colquitt. If KC wants to change their losing ways, fans need
to see productivity from someone new. I'm looking at you, Alex Smith.
2- Keep in mind when this offense looks
impressive and efficient that it's still limited. Don't let anything
fool you into thinking Alex Smith has an arm capable of spreading the
field. He just doesn't. This is going to bring consternation from the
fan-base, and probably some mostly-undeserved flack to Andy Reid's
hairy ear-holes. The third WR spot is also a topic of legitimate
concern. The team website's unofficial depth chart lists Junior
Hemingway and AJ Jenkins as starters at the 3rd WR
position. These two have a combined total of exactly zero catches in
the NFL.
3- Think Sean Smith looks great? He
does, until he gets burnt, which happens frequently. His ball-hawking
often resulted in big gains for the opposing team during his years
with Miami. In four seasons, his gambling yielded only 5 picks in 63
games, which averages out to 0.079 interceptions per game, or 0.98
per season. I know it's early to be skeptical, but getting snickered
at by Dolphins fans is a bad omen. I though I could skip my preseason
ritual of stocking up on blood pressure medication, especially when
Javier Arenas left town (one last dig on that guy, check.) I just
hope this new, talented-but-dangerous cornerback doesn't send me
running back to the drugstore in jittery rage this year.
3 Things to Remember When The Chiefs
Look Awful
1- It's the preseason. The success of
the 2013 Chiefs will depend greatly on the effectiveness of a
completely new coaching regime. Everything, as I've mentioned, is
still vanilla, and if KC finds themselves in the playoff hunt this
year, it will be because better coaching created a better product on
the field. This aforementioned vanilla-ness (vanillality?) limits the
potency of a good coaching staff. Andy Reid will win games this year
with X's and O's, but preseason week 3 is largely referred to as the
season's dress rehearsal. Winning the chess match is how Andy Reid
makes a living, but in this game, all his chess pieces are stuck in
the same, predictable spots.
Oh hey, do me a favor and try saying
“vanillality” out loud. You can thank me later.
2- Even if the Chiefs lose every
preseason game, isn't that better than using preseason as a glorified
2-hour workout? I know it's been a while, but damn. Seriously. How
awful was that? More to my point, how awful was that coaching staff
in general? Remember Todd Haley sabotaging his own team with 4
consecutive starts by Tyler “The Tricycle” Palko? Yep, he's gone
(and he's actually on the other sideline, coaching the Steelers
offense.) Speaking of past woes....
3- Just remember last year, and compare
the hope we have now to the disgust we had just months ago. Remember
Scott Pioli's big, sweaty head? Gone. Remember Romeo Crennel's
complete lack of explanation or understanding as to why his team was
so dreadfully bad? Never would I imagine that I'd be so happy to
substitute “lovable black Santa Claus” with “man who
oh-so-closely resembles a walrus.” Remember Matt Cassel? I don't
have a smart comment for that one, I just want you to close your eyes
and think deeply about Matt Cassel starting at quarterback for your
favorite team.
Yeah. The queasiness you're feeling
proves my point better than words ever could. There's so much to look
forward to, and not only because we can embrace not sucking. We have
reasons to believe this is the foundation for a playoff team, if not
this year, then soon. If I haven't murdered the word “hope”
through overusing it on this blog, I'm sure that I'll finish the job
this season. Welcome back, and thanks for reading.
