5 Reasons This Giants Game Is Totally Trap-Tastic

Be afraid, Chiefs fans. Be very afraid. Although KC is undefeated and the Giants are winless, this is a trap game for numerous reasons. At least five of ‘em.

1- An accurate QB is this team’s kryptonite. The defense had to be great in order to counter Romo and Dez Bryant, and even Vick gouged the Chiefs for huge chunks of yardage at a time, in a game which could’ve been very different if not for the +5 turnover ratio. Speaking of which…

2- This streak of turnover-less football is certainly impressive, but it only makes sense that it comes to an end today. Expect a pick, or a fumble, or something. It’s simply been too long without one. The Giants are 31^st in the league in turnover ratio, but they just plain aren’t that bad. Something is bound to change.

3- The Giants lost 38-0 last week, giving Carolina their most one-sided win in franchise history, and only the 4^th regular season shutout in team history. Today’s game is as much of a must-win as you can find this early in the season. Think they’ll be motivated?

4- Jason Pierre-Paul still plays for New York, as does a still-legit defense. The Giants rank 17^th league-wide in passing yards allowed against Peyton Manning, Tony Romo and Cam Newton-led offenses.

5- I hate to say it, but the Chiefs are lucky to be undefeated. The Chiefs’ offense was struggling against Dallas, but, thanks to turnovers and defense, KC snuck away with a W. The next week, the Chief’s offense was struggling against Philly, but, thanks to turnovers and defense, KC snuck away with a win. See a pattern here? If the Chiefs wish to really prove themselves as a top-shelf NFL team, the offense has to come together, and soon.

Thankfully, I believe they’ll take steps toward that today. Although this is indeed a trap game for the ages, KC should be able to pull out another gritty victory at home today. In a tense game, the D holds strong long enough for the Chiefs to get their act together on the other side of the ball. Chiefs win, 23-20.

3 Stats Each For the Optimists and Pessimists

A perfect record through the third week of the season has Chiefs Kingdom riled up and ready for Sunday's home game against the win-less New York Giants. Though some fans are already drifting to sleep with playoff visions swirling around in their eager minds, others are beginning to notice chinks in the armor. This team has a disproportionate ratio of believers to naysayers, but sadly, the skeptics present valid points. Today, I offer three messages each for the overly-optimistic Chiefs fan and the justifiably paranoid critic in an effort to (once again) simultaneously curb enthusiasm and relieve the woes of doubt. Let's start with a few distressing stats, if only for the sake of finishing in a happier mood.

1- A seemingly much-improved offensive line has allowed the 10^th most sacks and tackles for a loss in the NFL. The offense is losing an average of 11 yards per game on sacks, which is middle-of-the-road for the league so far this year.

Eric Fisher's effectiveness will be a huge factor in determining the success of this offense. That right tackle position is crucial in almost any situation- deep pass protection, setting up big run plays and earning YAC with short passes. His inability to seal the right side led to sacks and collapsed pockets on several occasions Thursday night. Fletcher Cox and Connor Barwin made him truly look like a rookie for the first time. Fisher did better in Dallas against a presumably stronger defense, so it leaves one to wonder. Only time will tell if the Philly defense is better than most assumed it would be, or if Fisher has trouble with that specific defensive scheme.

2- While a win's a win, the last two wins looked ugly on the offensive side of the ball. The Chiefs showed signs of weakness against a mediocre defense on Sunday, then again against a downright bad defense on Thursday in Philadelphia. Only the Raiders and the Rams have scored fewer points against teams the Chiefs have played this season. Thank goodness for a badass defense, which we'll get into later this week.

3- In a league dominated by passing and elite quarterbacks, KC's Alex Smith has thrown for 669 yards, ranking 24^th overall in the NFL. That's 474 yards behind the league leader in pass yards, Peyton Manning. Although fans know the teams' strengths lie elsewhere, it's still unsettling to think that the offense is producing only 58% of the passing yardage as our most significant divisional rival.

So sure, the offense has shown the fans its ugly side. It's a finesse-y kind of system that can look really bad without the proper rhythm. Alex Smith hasn't thrown for more than 275 yards in a single game, and that probably won't change much. That doesn't mean it can't do enough to win- but shit, we already knew that. 3-0 baby! Let's not forget the things that got the Chiefs this far without a loss.

1- Jamaal is one catch behind Matt Forte for the most receptions by a running back this year. For all the fans praying that 25 wouldn't be under-utilized, this may be the most promising stat of all. His limited, but consistent production running the ball will only get better over time- both through the season, and through each game. Andy Reid's strategy to slice through tired defenses with Jamaal in the 4^th quarter is a wise one. Whether Charles is catching the ball out of the backfield, lining up in the slot or running the ball traditionally, he will continue to be the bread and butter of this offense. That's comforting to anyone who cares about Chiefs football.

2- Zero turnovers. Still. That gives KC the best turnover ratio in the league at -9, and that's after two defenses got consistent pressure on Alex Smith. The Giants will prove to be an intriguing challenge, and the Texans will strike fear in the hearts of any O-line in the league. But, who else is going to put more pressure on the QB than that? This offense overcame one of their biggest tests on the schedule against Dallas, even if they just barely earned a passing grade.

3- Well, they're 3-0. That's a big deal. 75% of teams in the modern era that start the season with three straight wins reach the playoffs. The rest of the season looks to be moderately difficult at worst, and the Broncos are the only team on the schedule still without a loss. The door to the playoffs is wide open, and only Peyton's massive head stands in the way.

I'll be back later in the week to explain how this upcoming match-up against the Giants epitomizes the phrase “trap game”. Until then, let's forget about all that skepticism and enjoy the fact that the team is undefeated and KC's playoff chances look great. Let's save our negativity for that sad, fateful Sunday when we lose to the Browns (no way) or the Raiders (please don't.)

A Hopeful Home Opener Preview

On my list of least likable NFL teams, the over-hyped and under-performing Dallas Cowboys would have to rank 3^rd overall. Since the Raiders are presumably still a joke and we don't play Cincinnati this year, this Sunday will yield for me the most enjoyment I can attain from hating someone for this entire season. Let us revel in communal disgust as we discuss this upcoming Chiefs home opener.

Last year, Dallas' offensive line ranked 22^nd in the league in run blocking and 11^th in pass protection. This year, they've added two new linemen to the starting offense that have zero combined snaps in the NFL prior to last Sunday. DeMarco Murray ran the ball 20 times for 86 yards last week against the Giants. That's not an outstanding performance, nor is it an embarrassment, especially considering that the Cowboys held on for a week 1 victory. MJD's production last week? That was embarrassing.

Maurice Jones-Drew played his 100^th game and carried the ball 15 times for 45 yards, averaging 3 yards per rush. MJD was only held to a lower yard-per-carry average once in the two previous seasons. For the record, Jacksonville's offensive line ranked 17^th in run blocking last year, and with the addition of the almost-1^st overall draft pick Luke Joeckel, they're sure to rank higher in 2013.

The Cowboys will presumably counter the Chiefs' strength in stopping the run by bringing a pass-heavy offensive plan to Arrowhead this week. Romo, who is currently listed as probable for Sunday's game, completed 73.5% of his passes last week against a solid defense. He only averaged 5.4 yards per catch though, which is the lowest average he's ever recorded in a game with at least 4 completions.

The Chiefs, with an uber-athletic secondary that knows how to tackle in the open field, will hope to keep this trend going. If last week's performance is any indication of their chances, their chances look pretty damn good. Just don't forget that those numbers are artificially inflated by Jacksonville's overall crappiness. Gabbert completed 16 of 35 passes. That's less than a 46% completion percentage. He played so poorly, in fact, that he lost his job; Chad Henne will start for the Jags this week against Oakland. Bob Sutton should probably send him some kind of classy fruit basket.

The chess-match was totally dominated by Sutton last Sunday. 3 sacks by future-perennial-Pro Bowler Justin Houston and constant pressure on the quarterback will prove that as coaches review the game tape this week. Not only were Chiefs consistently getting behind enemy lines, they were often doing so untouched.

But how will the Chiefs' offense fare against the Cowboy's D? Feel free to use Wednesday's post for reference, keeping in mind the aforementioned bad-team-based inflation. Dallas gave up 450 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air last week. While Eli>Alex Smith, it's not by a lot, and I'm slowly starting to believe the hype that this offense could be at least as good as New York's. Dallas held the Giants' running backs to 42 yards in 12 carries, but they'll have a wholly different monster to deal with when it comes to Jamaal. My faith will always be with #25. Until Demarcus Ware eats him.

Here are my five predictions for Sunday's home-opener-

1- KC doubles New York's yardage output from last week. That means 84 yards, at least. The offense surprised me last week with a somewhat balance run/pass ratio, so I expect Charles to get significant touches to keep the second level of the Dallas D on their toes. An emerging group of talented receivers will spread the defense out enough for Jamaal to slash and burn as only he can.

2- Romo's completion percentage will drop by at least 8 points, thanks to some applied pressure from KC linebackers.

3- Hali and Houston get at least a sack each, as Dallas struggles to decide which side of the line they should stack.

4- Kansas City earns 25 more yards with kickoff and punt returns than Dallas, as Ryan Succop begins his season without a miss. That's a prediction twofer right there. Lucky you.

5- I'm going to be a downer with my first call of the season, but only for the sake of the unknown. We really have no idea how this offense will react to a better defense, or how this defense will react to a real quarterback. I'm going to guess that the Chiefs will compete, but ultimately get outgunned at home. Chiefs lose, 27-24, and curb the enthusiasm of this tense, excited fan-base just a little bit. It may be disappointing, but unless it's a blowout it won't be enough to stop us from daydreaming about the playoffs. It should be “dropped your beer in the stands” disappointing, not “dropped your heart medicine in the ocean” disappointing. Still, nobody enjoys spilling their beer, so let's all hope I'm dead wrong.

Acing The Easy Test

Well, that's a good start. Take away that embarrassing first set-of-downs and subsequent blocked punt for a safety, and you're looking at a dominant shutout victory for the good guys. KC outperformed the Jaguars in every facet of the game, as they damn well should have. We'll look at the defensive performance later this week, and review some matchups for the upcoming game against Dallas. Today, we're taking a closer look at this new offense's first real-game performance. As always, everything about the offense begins with the quarterback- and holy crap, how things have changed.

Smith completed over 60% of his passes (21/34) and threw for 2 touchdowns to earn a 94.4 Quarterback Rating. For reference, Matt Cassel never achieved that QBR last season, and never threw 2 touchdowns in a game while completing 60% of his passes. This wasn't even a great game from Alex Smith. In fact, it was pretty average- his 2012 QBR was 104.1 and the year prior it was 90.7. He completed 70% of his passes last year, and 61% in 2011. Smith completed passes to 9 different Chiefs, including 4 passes to new fullback acquisition Anthony Sherman.

Some things still worry me about this offense: it isn't built to score early and often, and it isn't built to come back from behind. The quick pace, no-huddle offense wears the defense down with consecutive successful drives. Unfortunately, that fatigue won't show up until later in the game, meaning the Chiefs could have difficulties scoring early against top-tier defenses. Since the offense isn't made to strike fast and come back from a big deficit, this could be a problem with more competitive teams. Still, hypothesizing about how this offense will perform against playoff defenses is considerably more fun than hypothesizing about the number one draft pick.

Speaking of which, Eric Fisher looked strong and the running game was successful. At least to me, it was surprising to see Reid decide to run the ball as often as he did. Along with many other Chiefs fans, I was concerned that the run-game would take a back seat when Andy came to town. 24 run plays and one comfy victory later, I'm convinced that Reid knows how to use this team's talent to its full effect.

6 out of 7, and 9 out of the last 13 seasons began with 0-2 records for KC. For a team that never seems to take a strong first step, a solid performance from the offense and a nearly flawless outing from the defense in week 1 means a hell of a lot. This first test was about as easy as it could be, but the Chiefs passed it with flying colors. Step one for being a winning football team is beating the teams you're supposed to beat, and KC has proven it can do just that.

Many questions remain unanswered. We still don't know how these new-and-improved Chiefs will react to a playoff-caliber team. Thankfully, we don't have long to wait. This week, an all-together different, and much more difficult test comes to Arrowhead. We'll take a closer look at Romo and the Cowboys later this week. Don't you just hate 'em? I know I do.

3 Important Lists For Preseason Week 3

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 3^rd 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.

Happy Time

If I had a press pass right now, my first question would go to Dwayne Bowe. If anyone on the team can be more deeply affected by the recent offensive acquisitions, it would be the man who Matt Cassel almost solely targeted last year. I'd like to ask him how he feels about the Chiefs having more viable threats for their passing game. I like to think that makes me a positive kind of person, since I know damn well he must be mighty pleased. There are probably a dozen more poignant or interesting questions I could ask, but now's not the time for that. Offseason is a wonderful, wishful-thinking period full of what-ifs, when everybody's still undefeated. So we're not talking about negative things today. I'm not making any angry criticisms of Branden Albert or Scott Pioli or Todd Haley. Not today. As someone way more famous than myself likes to put it, it's happy time, people. So today, we're talking about happy things.

The Chiefs made big moves to upgrade the offense in recent weeks, so there's plenty of optimism to discuss. The Chiefs not only spent their 2^nd round pick on TE Travis Kelce, they also signed free agents Anthony Fasano and Donnie Avery. Donnie will earn $8.55 million for his three seasons in KC, averaging $2.85 a year. Now listed as the 73^rd highest-paid receiver in the league, he'll find it difficult to make this a bad investment.

Not only is Avery a known deep threat, but in this system he should prove to be a productive check-down option for Alex Smith. He has the speed to get YAC, and the sheer amount of dangerous eligible receivers on the field should give him the space he needs to get open. With Avery and McCluster being viable check-down options, and with Jamaal inevitably catching more short passes than ever before, we can expect to see ordinary check-downs turn into big gains this year.

Donnie Avery played two seasons in St. Louis after the Rams drafted him with the 33^rd overall pick in '08. He then spent a year with the Titans before played last season in Indy. 2012 was his most productive season, with 60 catches for 781 yards. Many, including Adam Schefter, believe Avery has the talent to break out as a big-time receiver. With all the new options for Smith to target, Donnie might get open more than ever before, but he may also catch less passes. That's just fine. He's a deep threat- the guy runs the forty in 4.2 seconds. Every play where he goes deep, he'll influence the game, whether he touches the ball or not.

Avery's speed is going to stretch the field, clearing out the middle for everyone else. This makes D Bowe more dangerous and gets him open more often. This limits the opportunity to blitz, especially with corners or safeties. It makes Jamaal even more deadly in the second level, and it does wonders for tight ends trying to find space in the middle of the field. If KC gets to Week 4 or 5 and Avery doesn't have 10 catches yet, don't worry about it. As long as the guys around him are putting up solid numbers, Donnie's doing his job. Like I said, though, for the reasons mentioned above, he may just break out and be the next big deal. This article explains why Avery will get comfortable quickly in this new offensive system, so fans can expect him to make an impact immediately.

Speaking of tight ends (like five sentences ago, but I'm bad with segues), the Chiefs hope that 2^nd round pick Travis Kelce turns out to be a big deal, as well. Kelce is perhaps a new name to Chiefs fans, but not to Andy Reid. Travis' brother, Jason Kelce, is a consistently productive and gloriously bearded member of the Philadelphia Eagles. In Philly, older brother Luke (and his beard) thrived under Andy's well-groomed tutelage, starting every game of the 2011 season. While still with the Eagles, Reid got to know Jason's younger brother and took note of his potential.

I won't pretend to be an expert on Cincinnati University football, but this article's collection of highlights does a pretty good job of presenting Travis as a strong, gritty player with impressive athleticism. He should fit in well and get a chance as a starter quickly, if not immediately. Tony Moeaki, Anthony Fasano and Kevin Brock are the only other TEs on the roster. Brock played on the practice squad for six teams before playing in two games for Buffalo and recording 2 catches in total. After that, he was out of the NFL until the Chiefs signed him. That means Kelce's only real competition should come from Anthony Fasano.

Fasano started all but 4 games for Miami since 2008, but he's only averaged 2.3 catches per game over that span. Kelce is a proven run blocker with great hands, so why not give him a shot over the veteran? That is, if he looks ready. He'll be high on my list of things to pay attention to in the preseason games. I'll be rooting for him. If KC wants that deadly tight end duo that's proven to be so productive in recent years, they'll get it by starting Moeaki and Kelce. Start thinking up good duo nicknames now.

The Report will return soon with more on free agents, draft picks and any other breaking news. Stay tuned.

The # 1 Pick, And What To Make Of It

Another draft has come and gone, and this year KC made top billing in the headlines with their first round pick. With an insanely over-promoted event such as this, it felt like the whole world was waiting with bated breath as the Commish announced Eric Fisher as the #1 overall pick. It was a predictable choice- many assumed Fisher's last few public workouts edged out Joeckel by just enough to ensure the #1 pick. It didn't make anyone in Radio City faint, and it won't be talked about on ESPN like the picks for Geno or Barkley or Tavon Austin. In fact, you probably won't hear Eric Fisher's name on Sportscenter again- until he goes to the Pro Bowl.

The fact is, Tavon Austin will be inflated into an elite, game-changing receiver before he plays a single professional down. The ascension of EJ Manuel and Geno Smith will be fluffed up to represent this year's changing of the guard at QB. They'll both be compared to Luck and RGIII ad infinitum, even though neither one is as talented or NFL-ready as any 1^st round QB pick from last year's draft. But, the fans need their fresh-faced, rookie QBs with something to prove. That story-line needs to exist. Fans have love affairs with QBs and other flashy, dynamic skill-players, so that's what we'll hear about in sports news. They are the celebrities of the sport- the stars that people idolize.

It doesn't matter if Britney Spears ever does anything with artistic value again- if she gets noticed in a gas station wearing an ugly sweater the world will hear about it. The same goes for Tim Tebow. We're going to hear his story until it reaches its bitter, ugly end whether we like it or not. It's the same for any high-profile athlete, with Super Bowl champs and failing underachievers, alike. Just as men across the globe would weep if Christina Hendricks announced a breast reduction, women would die crying if Tom Brady ever shaved his head. I could make comparisons like this all day, but it is starting to confuse the narrative here. My point is, the elite QBs and offensive skill-players get all the media attention, and that's okay. It's just the way media pushes their story-lines forward. It's natural. Sadly though, much as it is in normal life, the people who protect our beloved stars hardly ever get the credit they deserve.

Scouts commonly reported that Eric Fisher is a hard-working lineman- a real blue-collar kind of guy. You may not hear his name much more outside of Kansas City, but he'll be here. He'll be pumping iron and memorizing the playbook and learning this new offense. John Dorsey wanted to find a no-doubter with the #1 overall pick. He wasn't looking for someone to lead the league in headlines, he was looking for someone solid. From the sounds of things so far, solidity is just what he got.

So the news is good, albeit not shocking, but it does lead to some convoluted circumstances for the Chiefs offensive line. There are a bevy of new concerns now, but let's just say they're all good problems to have.

We can assume that Eric Fisher will be a starter this season, probably even in Week 1, but where will he play? The Branden Albert situation is still completely up in the air, even after talks with Miami sounded promising before the draft. It seemed for a moment like the Dolphins would forgo trading picks for Albert and use those picks to snag a top-shelf lineman high in the draft. They ended up improving their defense early, choosing not to draft an OL until Dallas Thomas in the 3^rd round. Sources say Thomas isn't even cut out for playing tackle in the long run- his footwork leaves much to be desired, so he'll inevitably make the move to guard. If there's any interest in a trade for Albert, it will probably still come from Miami. If there isn't, the Chiefs really have Albert by the you-know-whats.

After all his complaining and holding out, this is still a crucial contract year for a weathered veteran that will soon reach his career's downward slope. If he wants any kind of security in his next contract, from the Chiefs or anyone else, he'll play wherever the coach tells him to play. Adam Teicher of the Star predicts that Fisher will start the season playing right tackle, avoiding any drama from Albert. Should the Chiefs really be that concerned on keeping Albert content, though? He's paid his dues, and he's a proven talent at left tackle, but should that stop the organization from putting the team in the best position to win, not to mention putting their #1 overall pick in the best position to properly develop? What it comes down to is this: right now, Fisher>Albert on the field, so Fisher should play where he is at his best. If you think Albert is better suited to cover the blind spot, that's a completely different argument. Fact is, Fisher projects to be better right out of the gate than Branden Albert will be in his 6^th year of service. If that's the case, he should be plugged right into the spot where he'll hopefully dominate for years to come.

Fisher told the press he's willing to play whatever position the Chiefs ask him to play. Albert has often sounded less than ecstatic about the idea of moving from LT. Based on this, a betting man would guess that KC takes the path of least resistance and keeps Albert at his native position. If my sterling advice goes unheralded yet again, I won't lose any sleep over it. The Chiefs O-Line looks excellent on paper, wherever you plug in the pieces. Along with Fisher and Albert, Kansas City has two high-celing linemen from last year's draft, as well as Jon Asamoah and newly acquired Geoff Schwartz. Now, it seems a familiar face may be joining this growing pool of talent.

In the middle of April, rumors started circulating about Ryan Lilja coming out of retirement for a return with the Chiefs. Ryan called it quits last year after five years protecting Peyton Manning and three more with Kansas City. Nobody could blame him for not returning to the same hopeless offense to defend Matt Cassel. Now that things in KC have changed for the better, Lilja's interest has done the same. Word is though, Ryan only wishes to return if he can play his native position- left guard. He continues to recover from knee and toe surgery as well, but he should be healed up in time for the beginning of training camp. If he does return, it adds to an already impressive upgrade for 2013. With Lilja and Albert, it could project to be top 5 or 10 league-wide. Without them both, Schwartz can play either tackle or guard, and the young linemen from last year's draft will get a chance to develop. Really, the worst possible outcome for this year is light-years ahead of last year's best-case scenario. Yet again, that's something for which all Chiefs fans can be excited and appreciative.

UPDATE: Today on Sirius radio, Andy Reid said he would start Albert at left tackle this year, if he was still a member of the team. This post, released this afternoon, explains that Albert might be willing to hold out should the Chiefs push him to right tackle. So yeah, that's one reason to keep him happy. It is a contract year for him, and he seems far less willing to budge from his opinion than Reid. So, barring a trade of some kind, Albert starts at left tackle, with Fisher at right. Like I said- doesn't break my heart at all.