BRaG’s Breakdown
15 repliesLet’s take another look at the season gone by, shall we?
I feel like Emperor Palpatine of late, but everything really is unfolding as I foresaw back early in the season. The OL’s kept jelling, the DL’s gotten itself together, and we’re on another winning streak. Add to that the fact that we control our own destiny to the 1 seed, and life is good.
This season reminds me more of the ’19 run than last year’s campaign, and the elements are all there. Things were in disarray early on, and the pundits were so focused on the season-long stats that they didn’t even give our D a chance of slowing SF’s offense down, whereas they (correctly, to an extent) predicted that their D would stifle our offense. We all know how that worked out.
Last year was a different tale, because while we made it there, our OL got shredded along the way, and losing Fisher in the playoffs was the icing on that crap-cake. This year, everything is trending the right direction, with the OL plus Mahomes jelling, and the defense has hit its stride, too.
Those that look at the season-long stats for answers are going to draw the wrong conclusions again, because just as in the ’19 season, the stats from the first 8 games mean precisely squat. I said going in that we had some things that it would take time to work out, and during that period we managed to win enough games to keep us in it.
Now, we’re on a roll. Mahomes has learned to play Smith-like football and within the new OL scheme, and at a high level, too. The high-octane style of the past is, well, past = but make no mistake, the potential’s still there, all it takes is for the opposition to blink.
Which they often do, because they know they need to play their A Game to beat us. This last game demonstrates that effect, and while that would take a post of its own to discuss, it proves that we influence decision-making more than most teams even can. I don’t think that even the Packers carry that level of influence, even with Rodgers being one of the best who’s ever done it.
Now’s your chance to tell me how wrong I am.
Mahomes is playing Smith-like football? Just because quarterbacks throw the same pass does not mean that they are playing similar.
I interpreted it as simply saying dink and dunk verses long bombs on every play. Not really that they’re similar. Smith just played the dink and dunk and paid his bills that way.
Possible – Smith is a low risk low reward quarterback and Mahomes is high risk high reward. Which was easier for Andy? To get Smith to throw deep or to get Mahomes to check down.
That’s a tough one.
I would say that teaching Mahomes patience would be easier, simply because playing Smith-like football was necessary to win this year. Defenses played a lot of 2-deep shells so as to prevent the long-ball game from beating them, which in turn forced Mahomes to adapt. ChiefDog has the right of it, BTW. Mahomes didn’t become Smith, but he’s had to master the short-to-medium style this year, which was Smith’s mainstay.
And the thing is, that’s kind of what made it harder for Reid to get Smith to go deep more, it simply wasn’t a complete necessity when it came to winning games. The dink-and-dunk approach worked well, in that regard – at least during the regular season. There’s a downside to it, of course, in that you need a good D to make it work well, because if you fall too far behind, the O can’t catch back up on its own.
I suppose you can say that Alex was a victim of his own success, because his problem was much the same as Jimmy G’s in SB LIV. Jimmy’d been on a short leash WRT passing during that regular season – and when he needed to be able to go deep, the experience wasn’t there.
Mahomes didn’t stop being Mahomes this year, but he did have to learn to play a Smith-like style of football. That’s actually a good thing, because it challenged him to learn and grow. It was a challenge, too, as evidenced by some shaky play in the first half of the season. Now he’s got it down, and the NFL’s started to notice, too. They thought they had Mahomes figured out, and maybe they were even right about that. And it took Reid/Mahomes all of 8 games to figure them out. Now what are they going to do?
I don’t know the answer, and I don’t think they do, either.
Smiths last season having Hill was nothing like the first ones. He was dropping bombs to Hill all over the place.
Machines is playing Smith-like football …
wow, I remember the Smith “wars” and yeah, it’s different, but sorta the same, and I’m fine with whatever, long as Chiefs win
yeah, a Vermeil offense and a Schottenheimet defense every week … yes, please!
I’m happy “hard headed” Spags, Andy & EB read my posts & made changes 🙂
Evolve offense (slants, bootlegs, quick passes), demote from starter to backup Dan & Niemann, start Thornhill & Gay. Limit reps to Bozo Brothers (Hardman 1st round pick 3 years in systems & Robinson 4 years in system).
Chris Jones is not a DE, sign Melvin Ingram. Get more out of Frank Clark (aka Dee Ford). RT lucas niang is not ready. Gore is mini-priest holmes. Chiefs will be #1 AFC SEED, win AFC Championship, Win Super Bowl.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain (breaking my arm, pat myself on back hahaha)
Everything is proceeding as I have forseen”
Star Wars – The Book of Boba Fett | Disney+
Yesterday episode was OUTSTANDING!!
Agreed, but felt like I might want to wait and binge watch it… because, waiting each week for the next episode is gonna suck.
I knew you were right all along regarding the offense. I had my doubts that the defense would ever not be terrible this season.
I can’t ever remember going into the playoffs with such a great defense, at least since the Marty days. Now we have a championship caliber defense, and our championship offense AT THE SAME TIME!
It’s a delight to watch our defense dominate
No shit. Earlier in the season I threw beers. Now, I’m chugging beers when the D get’s a chance at the ball!