Know Your Enemy: Kansas City

[soxfan121]

Get to know the Chiefs Offense (by SuperDave Archibald & a cast of thousands): http://central.sonsofsamhorn.net/nfl/new-england-patriots/know-your-enemy-kansas-city-offense/
 
Get to know the Chiefs Defense (by Mark Schofield): http://central.sonsofsamhorn.net/nfl/new-england-patriots/know-your-enemy-kansas-city-defense/
 
Patriots Passing Game Preview [SIZE=14.3999996185303px](by Mark Schofield)[/SIZE]: http://central.sonsofsamhorn.net/nfl/new-england-patriots/passing-preview-game-planning-for-kansas-city/
 
Patriots Running Game Preview [SIZE=14.3999996185303px](by Mark Schofield)[/SIZE]: http://central.sonsofsamhorn.net/authors/mark-schofield/this-week-in-running-kansas-city-preview/
 

The Chiefs were one of the worst teams in football in 2012, finishing at the bottom of the NFL with both a 2-14 record and a -214 point differential. The offense in particular struggled, finishing dead last in scoring and next-to-last in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. Predictably, this led to a full house-cleaning. General manager Scott Pioli, head coach Romeo Crennel, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and quarterback Matt Cassel ‒ all four of whom had served with or under Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ‒ were kicked to the curb.
 
In rode new head coach Andy Reid, who had been fired after a dismal 4-12 ending to his largely successful 14-year run as head coach of the Eagles. In Philadelphia Reid was known for his walrus-like moustache, clock management issues, and for instituting successful Bill-Walsh-style offenses. Doug Pederson, Reid’s quarterbacks coach from Philly, made the trip to Kansas City to take the offensive coordinator post. John Dorsey, who previously worked with Reid in Green Bay, became the new general manager. And the Chiefs traded a second-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for former #1 overall pick, quarterback Alex Smith.
 

 

New England travels to Kansas City for their first nationally-televised game of the season. Following losses against Tennessee and Denver, the Chiefs rebounded with a 34-15 win last Sunday in Miami. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton leads a fast, attacking unit with tremendous talent in the front seven. Kansas City uses a 3-4 as their base defense, but they deploy various sub packages depending on the situation. The defense has lost two players for the season to Achilles tendon injuries, defensive end Mike DeVito and linebacker Derrick Johnson, and safety Eric Berry is battling a high ankle sprain. The ability of this group to generate pressure in the interior and on the edges is cause for concern heading into Monday night.
 

 

[soxfan121]

After reading these previews, it seems like the defenses on both sides hold the advantage; the KC defensive line will give the makeshift Patriots OL trouble and the WR/TE will need to make plays after the catch because there won't be a lot of time to throw; meanwhile, the Chiefs offense has sub-par receiving options and a shaky OL while possibly having Charles limited, giving the Pats defense less to worry about. 
 
This should be an ugly offensive game. Whichever team protects the QB better probably gets the win. 

 

[ShaneTrot]

For some reason this tweet gives me renewed confidence in the Pats: 

NFL Network @nflnetwork · 1h


"Chiefs will intercept Tom Brady 3 times." -@WarrenSapp #BOLDpredictions

Ah yeah, the dumbassery never ends with some people.

 

[Reggie's Racquet]

I do respect Ron Jaworski. Warren Sapp not so much.

Jaws seems to put in time watching tape and doing his homework.

He said some concerning things on Mike and Mike this morning.
Paraphrasing...
Patriots offensive line getting consistently pushed back.
Not seeing separation from receivers.
Brady consistently not getting time and on the ground a lot after plays.

My thoughts...
I realize building a team is not easy under the salary cap but it seems pretty shortsighted to not have a first class offensive line protecting an irreplaceable asset like Brady. If this line doesn't improve quickly the guy is going to get hurt. It has already effected how he plays the game.

That said I do hope they win tonight but it ain't going to be easy.

 

[soxfan121]

My thoughts...
I realize building a team is not easy under the salary cap but it seems pretty shortsighted to not have a first class offensive line protecting an irreplaceable asset like Brady. If this line doesn't improve quickly the guy is going to get hurt. It has already effected how he plays the game.

 
For context, the Patriots have a first-round pick at LT, a second-round pick at RT, a fifth-round pick at LG and a C/RG who were undrafted. 
 
In 2004, the Patriots had a LT drafted in the second-round, a fifth-round pick at C, a seventh-rounder at RT and both guards were undrafted.  
 
They've invested more assets in building this line than in their most successful years. IOW, it isn't the talent or the pedigree. It is the execution. 

 

[Stitch01]

They signed Vollmer instead of Welker, used a 1st round pick on Solder, used three picks on OL this year, and had given Mankins all the money to play guard until his play deteriorated.  With the notable and valid exception that they seem to have screwed up their player evaluation at guard given moving Mankins was a possibility, I have a hard time calling the Pats approach to the OL as shortsighted.

 

[Toe Nash]

Well, they didn't develop anti-aging serum for Dante. Way to go Belichick.

 

[Reggie's Racquet]

They signed Vollmer instead of Welker, used a 1st round pick on Solder, used three picks on OL this year, and had given Mankins all the money to play guard until his play deteriorated.  With the notable and valid exception that they seem to have screwed up their player evaluation at guard given moving Mankins was a possibility, I have a hard time calling the Pats approach to the OL as shortsighted.

Maybe not shortsighted but their moves have not been wise and I hope it does not cost us the player we can least afford to lose.
We rank in the bottom half of the entire league in both sacks and QB hits allowed. Not the way to reward a guy that has made significant concession for this team to win...IMO.  

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I'm typically not a fan of expecting road teams to win NFL games......doing so is almost always a 60-minute grind. Tonight however I feel different. Kansas City is an awful team living off last years smoke and mirror 9-0 start agaiant the sisters of the poor. Since then they are 3-8 including wins agaiant the Redskins and Raiders at the end of last year when those teams had already packed it in. Alex Smith isn't dangerous and they don't have many receiving threats so we can focus on our front 7 stopping the run.

New England Patriots 31
Kansas City Football Team (PC version) 13

 

[j44thor]

Of course kc went into MIA, lost the turnover battle and still won handily.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Of course kc went into MIA, lost the turnover battle and still won handily.

Until I see a larger sample this falls under "any given Sunday", even Tampa Bay bounced back off a 70-point loss to win yesterday......I'm excited for tonight.

 

[Stitch01]

Maybe not shortsighted but their moves have not been wise and I hope it does not cost us the player we can least afford to lose.
We rank in the bottom half of the entire league in both sacks and QB hits allowed. Not the way to reward a guy that has made significant concession for this team to win...IMO.  

They're definitely accountable for the product on the field and that product hasn't been close to good enough through the first three games, so no argument there.  
 
I just view it as a combination of some curious/misttaken player evaluations, a really unexpected decline in play from Solder, and the rookies they drafted not being ready to contribute yet rather than shortsighted planning or underrating the importance of the O-Line.

 

[Tony C]

I

My thoughts...
I realize building a team is not easy under the salary cap but it seems pretty shortsighted to not have a first class offensive line protecting an irreplaceable asset like Brady. If this line doesn't improve quickly the guy is going to get hurt. It has already effected how he plays the game.

That said I do hope they win tonight but it ain't going to be easy.

 
What others said in response to this. That said, I'm sure we all agree in principle -- and watching the Cowboys last night was a good example of drafting OL paying off. But there are a lot of needs. I think consensus was that the Pats had to invest resources in the defense, and we can see the results with Hightower/Jones/Collins along with signing Revis. If Easley was playing better -- and I expect him to -- that'll be another desperate need filled, what with the lack of interior DL depth.
 
So, basically,  building a football team is like plugging leaks in a sinking ship. Plug one and another springs.
 
Knock on wood the good news is the Pats haven't had much of an injury bug so far this year.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I'm typically not a fan of expecting road teams to win NFL games......doing so is almost always a 60-minute grind. Tonight however I feel different. Kansas City is an awful team living off last years smoke and mirror 9-0 start agaiant the sisters of the poor. Since then they are 3-8 including wins agaiant the Redskins and Raiders at the end of last year when those teams had already packed it in. Alex Smith isn't dangerous and they don't have many receiving threats so we can focus on our front 7 stopping the run.

New England Patriots 31
Kansas City Football Team (PC version) 13

LOL!!!

He chuckled humbly.

 

[j44thor]

Until I see a larger sample this falls under "any given Sunday", even Tampa Bay bounced back off a 70-point loss to win yesterday......I'm excited for tonight.

 
Too bad any given Sunday doesn't apply on Mondays...