Ten Things About Today's Game: Week Three

[gblowfish]

Ten Things About Today’s Game: Week 3

10. Man, New York really had a bad time with Native Americans today! The Giants got beat by the Washington Politically Incorrects, and the New Jersey Jets -let’s not kid ourselves, most of the Jet fans are from Jersey-has one of the biggest offensive abortions on record. I really don’t hate the Jets -like I hate the Donks, or Raiders, or Colts, or Dolphins, or Ravens, or Bills -did I miss any other AFC teams that have knocked us out of the playoffs in the last 20 years? The Jets are one of the few teams who actually best us in Super Bowl futility, and both teams’ ownership were foolish enough at one point to hire Herm Edwards as a head coach. So the teams historically are very similar. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Chiefs game where the team forced eight turnovers, and didn’t have a single sack. How weird is that? Probably a good thing, because with all the eating and drinking today with a late afternoon kickoff, the last thing we need to be doing tomorrow here in KC is pigging out on Big Macs.

9 I took a few pictures today. The weather was gray and rainy for tailgating, but rain cleared up about 20 minutes before kickoff. Hard to say if the parking was any better this week, because this time I went in three and a half hours early, and got in like normal, about 15 minutes from 40 Highway to park in Lot G behind the big scoreboard.

We had BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, beans and chocolate chip cookies, along with beers and other libations. Here’s my tailgate table and war hat:

Today Tony Richardson went in the Chiefs Ring of Honor. They had a bunch of Chiefs alumni back today, and even had alumni cheerleaders from years past. Man, if you think the old players look rough, some of the old cheerleaders will really scare the bejeezus out of you. Lots of empty seats upstairs again this week. I think attendance is slipping this year. I saw Marty Schottenheimer up close. The report on the CP where somebody said he might have dementia was hard to tell for sure. He’s definitely aging, but didn’t seem confused or in need of assistance as far as I could tell. Here’s my view from the seats for cheerleaders coming out:

Pregame player intros before the National Anthem:


8. Games like today is why I don’t bet real money on this stuff. Last week, Chiefs come out in Houston and can’t buy a break. Houston plays lucky and good enough to win an ugly game by a TD. Then they go to Foxboro and get embarrassed on National TV by Hoodie. Jets light up Rex Ryan in Buffalo, get three extra days to prepare for KC, come into Arrowhead, and play like the Chiefs played against the Texans - even worse than we played against the Texans. Chiefs should have won this game 30-3 save for the dubious call on the Ware fumble at the pylon….I still think it was a TD as it was called on the field…and boy, it sure seemed like the refs were trying to get the big TV market team back into the game to prevent tune outs, but luckily Fitzpatrick had a very bad case of green-red color blindness all day long. Today’s game is going to make the Chiefs giveaway-takeaway margin look gaudy, but this game was a total nightmare for the Jets. Fitz only had 15 picks all last year. He had six in one game today, three of them in the end zone. His QB rating was 18.2, and I’m sure the fans in New Jersey feel that is generous.

7. The Jets have two guys on the D-line who are monsters, Wilkerson and Sheldon “Mr. Allstate Mayhem” Richardson. Chiefs played two backup guards today who did a reasonably good job. What bothered me was Mitchell Schwartz got his fudge pushed in all day long. He was bad. Really bad. Andy kept running to his side too, which was weird. Have you noticed on stretch plays or sweeps, they always seem to run to the short side of the field, behind Schwartz? Not sure why. Watch this play: This is after Kelce gets them down to first and goal from the three, on second down they try an option. Watch Schwartz:
View My Video
Schwartz whiffs on his guy, who creams Alex and forces an early pitch, then Schwartz whiffs on the second guy who blows by him to tackle Ware for a four yard loss. We end up third and goal from the nine, end up kicking a field goal. Line gave up two sacks and a couple of other big hits on Alex, but all in all, not bad against a tough Jets front.

6. You’d think the Jets would have some practice covering tight ends, since they see Gronk twice a year. Not so much. Kelce was money all day with six grabs for 89 yards and a TD. Two other Chiefs TEs caught balls too, Harris and Travis. I was glad Harris got his special teams fumble recovery for a TD. Kind of makes up for his dropped pass in last week’s Houston game. Alex spread the ball to nine different receivers, which is usually a good sign for the offense. Alex totally missed some passes today, especially one down the seam to Conley that was tremendously wide open.

5. Specials did a nice job. They got the gift TD on the Jets kickoff fumble -ball took a room service hop right to Harris- but also did a nice job pinning the Jets on punts. Hill did well downing the ball at the one, and did pretty well overall in kick returning. No bad penalties on special teams, the two punters were exactly even on punting average. That doesn’t happen very often.

4. Chiefs defensive front did OK. I was watching Alan Bailey and Jay Howard closely, and both of them need to step it up. Forte only got 65 yards rushing, but no sacks. Of course, hard to complain about that when your defensive secondary goes totally ape shit and gets five picks. Peters got the first one. He came off the field, gave the ball to a kid in the stands behind the bench, and went back over a sat down. He was a pro today. Didn’t run his mouth, didn’t flex or draw undue attention to himself. He also dinged his right hand or wrist in the second half and was icing it in a towel on the sideline. Gaines left the field at the two minute warning of the second half, limping down the stairs. Andy Reid said in the post game presser that Gaines slightly twisted his knee. but should be OK. Charles was on the sidelines in street clothes. I think they’ll sit him until after the bye week, then roll him out. No reason to get him killed on the road in Pittsburgh.

3. Today was the DJ show. Man, he was great today. I remember him missing one -ONE- tackle on Forte, but he was lights out the rest of the day. He tipped the ball for Berry's pick, he got a 55 yard TD return to blow the game open. Watch this. It’s the DJ TD. Watch how the Jets players quit on this play. One guy is standing around putting his helmet on. Brandon Marshall makes no effort at all. Only the Jets #81 wide out tries to get DJ, and he makes a half ass attempt at a tackle on the goal line. This is pure “I GIVE UP” on the Jets Offense:
View My Video
Sorensen got a pick with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter. That was actually a bonehead play, because it was fourth down, and if he simply knocks the ball down, we take over on downs. His catch cost us about 22 yards of field position. Hard to get these guys to think strategically like that, but at least we came away with the ball.

2. Marshall only had three catches, Decker had one, and NO TDs for the Jets. Kudos to Bob Sutton and the defense. They were the stars today. Only issue was lack of a pass rush. Tamba’s not getting it done, neither is Ford. Think of what an upgrade its going to be to plug in Houston for Zombo? Can’t wait for that to happen.

1. In the battle of Pennsylvania today, the Eagles crushed the Steelers in Philly. Those two teams hate each other, and it’s an old in-state rivalry. Kinda sucks for us, because now the Steelers are going to be extra pissed. Add in that we have to play on Sunday Night Football, at Heinz Field -where I don’t believe we’ve ever won a game- and of course, our old pal Mister One Finger Salute will be masterminding the offense against us. Today was a critical win, since both the Donks and Raiders won. I don’t expect us to win in Pittsburgh, but stranger things have happened. Today was a very good day for us, a very bad day for the losing Jets. Man, can you imagine the talk around the water cooler for Jets fans tomorrow? Brutal. Let’s hope we represent well on national TV next week, and at least make it a contest.