Earning Their Arrowheads
We gave out the game balls yesterday bit there were more than just a few players who contributed to the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Let’s take a look at which Chiefs are earning their arrowheads before we turn our attention to the Oakland Raiders.
Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel wasn’t having a great game on Sunday before the overtime period. To his defense, however, I think the Chiefs could do a little bit more to help him out. KC runs the ball so much that Cassel seems to never get into a rhythm. In the games where the team’s game plan was to air it out a little bit, Cassel has played pretty well. However, in the games where the Chiefs focused mostly on the ground game, Cassel and his receivers have struggled.
I’m not making excuses for Cassel’s poor passes. If the Chiefs call only one pass play a game, it is Cassel’s job to complete that pass. Though to be fair we must look at the whole picture and I think Cassel needs some help at receiver. With McCluster out last week, Tony Moeaki and Dwayne Bowe were targeted by the defense and appeared to be having trouble getting open. It may be frustrating when Cassel drops back and doesn’t throw the ball but he probably isn’t throwing it because most of the time, his receivers aren’t open. Since the Chiefs are putting so much emphasis on not turning the ball over, Cassel is keeping his team in the game by not forcing the issue and his interception numbers are evidence of that.
He needs to play better but when the Chiefs needed him in overtime and when they were forced to pass more than usual, Cassel came through. Just something to think about.
At any rate, his performance on the last drive of the Buffalo game is the reason the Chiefs won and for that alone, he earned his arrowhead.
Dwayne Bowe
There aren’t a lot of passes to go around but Bowe is catching them in the endzone and that is huge for the Chiefs.
And for clarity, Bowe did not drop that first pass in the endzone last week. At the very best the Buffalo DB made a good play and at the worst, he was early and it was pass interference. The play was close but the guy had a hold of Bowe’s arm so I’m not going to get mad at the Chiefs’ receiver for not making a one handed grab.
Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones
These guys rock.
Tony Moeaki
Moeaki was late to the party in the passing game Sunday but Chiefs’ fans are sure lucky he decided to make an appearance.
Wallace Gilberry
Gilberry started on Sunday over Shaun Smith who is playing very well and Tyson Jackson, last year’s 3rd overall pick in the draft. That is damn sure worth an arrowhead.
Derrick Johnson
Man it is frustrating that DJ is dropping those interceptions but don’t get greedy. He is having his best season as a pro and the reason he is getting so many shots at picks is because he is putting himself in excellent positions on defense. Remember that at linebacker, DJ often has less time to see the ball than a CB that is ten more yards down the field. Yes, DJ has to pull in a few more of those but be patient. He will.
Eric Berry
Berry has kind of been benefitting from being in the right place at the right time the last couple of weeks. His interceptions weren’t examples of superior coverage skills but as Todd Haley has said many times, good players always seem to end up around the ball. Berry is a good player and he has the potential to be great. He is coming along very nicely.
Brandon Flowers
Best corner in the league right now. What else do you need to know?
Tamba Hali
See Flowers, Brandon and replace corner back with 3-4 outside linebacker.
Ryan Succop
I would have curled up in the fetal position if the wind knocked my OT game winner off course like that. Instead Succop went back to work. Kid has ice in his veins.
Todd Haley and Scott Pioli
Both these guys get an arrowhead for starting Wallace Gilberry. They rotated Gilberry, Smith and Jackson all day but the fact that they are willing to put Jackson on the shelf when other guys are outplaying him shows people are wrong about Pioli’s ego and that Todd Haley means what he says. The Chiefs will play the guys that they believe give the team the best chance to win.
I like that they are still putting Jackson in there a little bit. He has the raw talent but he won’t develop without some playing time. However, the Chiefs aren’t going to put him out there if other guys are playing better and that should be comforting for Chiefs Nation.