Letter From The Editor: Three Football Truths The Chiefs Possess
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve officially made it to the 2013 regular season, and now that we’re here, there’s no turning back.
No matter your thoughts on this new Kansas City Chiefs organization, there’s no choice but to move forward. Whether or not you believe Alex Smith is the answer at quarterback, he’s going to be the signal-caller for Kansas City moving into the future.
No matter your thoughts on Draft picks, cuts, or anything else general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid have done up tot his point, come Sunday in Jacksonville, every win and loss will matter—and everything is on the line.
There’s no turning back.
I for one, have been following this team since the first game of the preseason as editor here at Arrowhead Addict, and I feel pretty optimistic about the Chiefs’ chances of making a splash in 2013.
Why is that, you ask?
I believe we need to look at three universal and fundamental truths about the game of football in order to answer your question.
1. Running The Ball Is Still Crucial In The NFL
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
This is football at its purest, most fundamental level. If you want to win the game, run the ball. That’s still true in today’s NFL, and it will be true in the future as well.
Running the football establishes physicality right off the bat, and it also helps set up the passing game. Defenders will naturally start playing downhill and the defensive coaches may start sending a few more guys into the box. This opens up things over the top, and specifically, it opens up play-action passes.
Smith is a mobile quarterback who can excel out of the pocket on a bootleg, and he has some explosive and dynamic receivers to throw the ball to.
The key here will be Jamaal Charles. If he can establish the running game and force defenders to think run first, that will only help Smith and the passing offense.
There’s also the fact that running the ball helps a team shut the door in the fourth quarter. If you’re up by a score or two and need to milk the clock, nothing is more efficient than getting a few first downs on the ground.
The good news for Chiefs fans is this: Charles is one of the best in the league, so Kansas City’s 2013 running game should be great. That’s good for everybody.
2. Special Teams Wins Games
Some fans have a tendency to tune out when special teams is up, but in reality, those are the most important moments of the football game. One point (an extra point, for instance) can be the difference between winning and losing.
Momentum is huge during the course of the game, and more often than not, momentum is won or lost on special teams. Whether it be good—a punt or kick return—or bad—getting a field goal blocked—special temas is often times the difference between winning and losing a game.
Kansas City looks poised to have one of the best special teams units in the NFL thanks to coordinator Dave Toub, so look for the Chiefs to win at least a few games because of that.
3. Defense Wins Championships
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
This is not only a fundamental truth of football, but usually sports in general. Let’s say it all together now: “Offense wins games, defenses wins championships.”
This is still true in today’s offense-happy NFL. At the end of the day, it’s usually the defense who has to step up and make a play when everything is on the line.
Kansas City’s offense is going to be good, but the Chiefs can really make a splash because of their defense. Bob Sutton has promised to be aggressive, and we’ve seen glimpses of that throughout the preseason.
The Chiefs’ front three is going to get after people, and with stars behind them like Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, Sean Smith and Eric Berry, the sky is really the limit for this team.
Kansas City has the personnel to get after opponents and make game-changing plays.
Perhaps a championship in 2013 is a lofty goal (it is), but if that’s the eventual goal (it is), this defense is headed in the right direction.
Overall, Kansas City looks poised to play fundamental, winning football in 2013.