Our pal Craig Glazer is one of the most forthright football critics in Kansas City because he isn't bound by the front office in a search for access. Even better, he has an extensive knowledge of local football history and the overall NFL playoff picture. Check out Craig's latest post where he breaks down the challenges confronting the Chiefs . . .
Craig Glazer: Can Chiefs Fix Things For Playoff Run?
America is talking the stock market about to cross 20,000 and of course Donald Trumps upcoming presidency. Kansas City is talking Chiefs! The 'good, the bad and the ugly' can it all come together for the playoffs?
The big issues: I had promised to lay off Alex Smith in covering the Chiefs, but that's hard to do right now. Alex has been the biggest problem with making this team 'better' this season. Yes he has moments and the Chiefs are 10-4, still have a shot at a bye and the number 2 spot in the AFC playoffs. However with that horrid loss to the Tennessee Titans and Smith's poor performance, again, hard to overlook. Alex is just not the same as last year, when he was moving up in the NFL quarterback talk. This year he is moving down, badly. Alex has but 12 TD passes and 6INT's, three of those in recent games in the red zone that cost KC the game. Alex was a huge part of the Chiefs running game last year with over 500 yards on the ground and crucial runs to pick up first downs, this season not even 100 yards running and his short game is all but gone. Part of that is the poor play of the offensive line and no running game from Spencer Ware. Only Tyreek Hill with a handful of carries has shown explosive runs. Last Sunday he had 'one' carry for 66 yards, untouched for a Touchdown, he never got the ball again. Why? No real answer from Coach Andy Reid, the old, "I'll take responsibility for that one" answer...what's that mean? Replace me?
Travis Kelce, a newly named pro bowler and the only one on our offense to get that reward this season, said a few weeks back that Alex operates much better when the Chiefs are in the 'hurry up' mode, and Alex even improvises at times. Yet most of the time Reid and Alex take nearly 40 plus seconds to snap the ball between plays on offense. That gives the defense time to set up for the play, see what KC is about to do and be more effective stopping the play. The play fakes don't work well cause the defense doesn't fear Spencer Ware, who has been simply bad as a running back the last six weeks, shown little, can't gain a yard in needed short yardage situations at the goal line or anywhere else. Now if Tyreek Hill was in the backfield with Ware, different story. DON'T FAKE THE JET SWEEP GIVE HILL THE BALL, Hill was a running back in college and has proven to be your most dangerous weapon. Give him the football running as well as receiving from now on. It could open the field for Smith to go to Kelce and Jeremy Maclin, Chris Conley and others. Of course more throws to Travis Kelce as well.
Our defense sent two players to the all pro squad, Eric Berry and Marcus Peters, both having great seasons. Justin Houston and Dee Ford, as we saw Sunday, against better O lines, have not been effective at putting pressure on the opposing quarterback. That needs to get better and fast.
Can KC go deep in the playoffs? Well it won't help if we are a wild card, right now we are just that. Chiefs need to win both remaining games against a 'down' Denver team and a Charger team playing for pride at home. Both games the Chiefs should win. In fact with Denver on the downlow, I look for KC to have their overall best game of the season Sunday Night at Arrowhead. Broncos quarterback has fallen apart, ranks near the bottom in the league, they have no running game, their offensive line is worse than ours. Will their defense play hard in a game that likely doesn't help them make playoffs? My feelings are Denver is ready too start thinking about 'next year' now. Chargers are in the same boat, tons of injuries, will play a meaningless game next week with KC, coach likely to be fired, a team in trouble, but they might like to wreck the season for KC.
Of course Chiefs need help to get back to the number 2 seed, someone has to beat Oakland now and we have to win both games left. Colts come to Oakland Sunday, they could beat the Raiders.
Winning in the post season is a culture the Chiefs don't have anymore, its been decades since the Chiefs were an elite team. Today they are a good team trying to find a way to be great. All teams have flaws, we just might have a few too many. I was listening to 610 the other day and they said, 'Boy what if the Chiefs had a franchise quarterback like Matt Ryan?" Yes we would be a true super bowl contender. We don't have that type of quarterback, so its something KC will have to work around or hope Smith can get better and right now. Vegas has KC as a long shot to reach the super bowl amongst the playoff teams in the AFC. Can we beat the Steelers on the road? New England? Not likely, but hey anything can happen. Its been an exciting season for the Chiefs, maybe they can fix things. Tyreek Hill is awesome, lets see if he can help even more.
###############
Respect to Craig for this write up. The main challenge the chiefs are also facing is Reid's play calling. That will be the determining factor in their playoff success.
ReplyDelete"Alex has been the biggest problem with making this team 'better' this season."
ReplyDelete^^^
ABSOLUTELY!
If Smith doesn't bring his A game, then the Chiefs are going to have another quick playoff exit.
Football should be banned. It is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI thought this guy was a political expert, but now he is a football expert? Is this more fake news?
ReplyDeleteGod, guns, and football
ReplyDelete'Wait till next year!"
ReplyDeletePart 2017
Verse 48
:-)
'Glazier' and 'Chiefs' in the same sentence tells me all I need to know about not bothering to read further.
ReplyDeleteKANSAS CITY CHIEFS KEEP KC-METRO DUMBED DOWN???
ReplyDeleteYes, sadly it's true. The hyper-promotion of professional football contributes to the detriment of our society as a whole. Let me give just a few examples:
The Chiefs are owned by an out-of-town Texas billionaire family, yet receive generous tax subsidies for their business from KCMO, Jackson County, and Missouri taxpayers. They are unapologetic corporate welfare recipients.
The Chiefs, and the NFL as an organization are super-predators in that they are playing a modern-day version of indentured servitude, in which minority groups are exploited for the amusement and economic benefit of their masters. Recent statistics note that blacks comprise some 69 percent of players, while whites total some 29 percent. Additionally, the percent of black players has been increasing, while white player participation has been decreasing.
see here: https://www.aei.org/publication/overall-the-nfl-gets-a-letter-grade-of-a-for-race-but-for-kickers-and-punters-wouldnt-the-nfl-get-an-f/
Whites retain only a clear majority of quarterback and kicking/punting slots.
Every year in KC, and other NFL team home cities, players and staff exhibit bad behavior. Whether it's fighting, domestic violence, drugs or homicide, if there's an NFL team in your town, you can count on these men making the news in a bad way. It's so common anymore that it's become a commonplace stereotype.
Corporate media, the same folks who brainwashed you into believing that Hillary Clinton was the do-no-wrong inevitable next President of the U.S., misses no opportunity to bend over and take one for the NFL. Constant hype from the training camp onward, the word "Superbowl" gets dropped after the first win of the season, the news crew broadcasts from the stadium interviewing tailgating drunks, and now even a local newsie has offered up Chiefs bedtime stories for the kids to corrupt their innocent minds and continue the madness.
Don't give your hard-earned dollars to corporate welfare billionaires.
Do spend your money to improve yourself and family.
Don't encourage and promote the abusive cycle of minority kids chasing the pro-athlete dream.
Do encourage youth to excel academically.
Don't participate in the economic sham which is the NFL model of gouging fans for parking, tickets, food and drink.
Do patronize consumer-friendly businesses like QuikTrip, where you can get a hot/cold drink for about a dollar.
Don't hold up professional athletes as role models, unless they've proven themselves off-the-field as intelligent, law-abiding, good citizens.
Do encourage the smartest people you know to represent your community and serve as a leader.
Saw our boy Glazer on Metro sports two nights back, I'll be damned he was the expert interviewed person on the KC Chiefs. My brother said he was on a similar program about the Royals this year as well. Guess he's an expert.
ReplyDeleteWonderful breakdown Glazer. We agree and its gonna happen.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAll that matters just now, this week, is that we take and the Denver Ponies give us a great big Christmas present, Christmas Day.
Another idiot as stupid as Glazer
ReplyDeleteJust three days ago your so called stupid expert was saying,
ReplyDeleteGlazer: There Goes the Chiefs Super Bowl Chances.
Well, the Chiefs hopes of a Super Bowl are all but gone…
Their luck ran out at Arrowhead in a game they should have easily won. We have no running game. We just don’t have the offense. We really never did. Otherwise another sad season. Alex Smith just can’t get it done and he won’t. Nice guy, works hard, just not good enough.
His story here sounds just like what I heard on ESPN all week long about the Chiefs. Not an original thought can come out of that drug friend brain.
This asshole contradicts himself from one hour to the next. I am guessing his next prediction will be that summer is coming in 2017, But I am sure he will fuck it up by claiming it will happen in October.
Sure would be a much better world if most evil, sin, and suffering was drastically reduced. But, let's not broadbrush NFL team owners and players. General Motors, many banks, movie moguls, major music industry concerns, casinos, very many other enterprises, and individuals access allowed fiscal "benefits". Enron, WorldCom, and Martha Stewart Corporations' greedy leaders got caught taking more than allowed--let's blast those baddies.
ReplyDeleteThe yuuuge commerce netted from having the Chiefs is a big benefit for KC. From stadium staffing to players' and their agents' paid income taxes is no small amount. Plus all the consumer spending at games and throughout the metro brings profits and sales tax revenues. Think beers with your buds at bars watching the multiple bigscreens, liquor store runs, getting extra groceries, logo'd gear, outfitting the mancaves, and fuel the RV tailgates at Arrowhead or away.
Then there's more from those high paid players, physicians, and other pro personnel making it rain in the local real estate sales and retail sales markets. We get paid for pet pampering, kiddie care, spa spoiling, posh parties, very lux vehicles, charitable giving, and the list goes on.
12:06 Glazer said nothing here he didn't say before. You are clearly just a hater...come on man you are JO/JO/Harley/Super Dave right.
ReplyDelete^^^^^^^Just should how stupid you are as well, I am none of those people.
ReplyDeleteWhen is Glazer going to write a recipe book?
ReplyDelete12:53 is Glazer thinking only 3 people in the world can't stand him. Probably fill Arrowhead with those who can't stomach him.
ReplyDelete