3 Reasons Chiefs Fans (Might) Want To Watch The Pro Bowl
Ladies and Gentlemen, that time of year is upon us again. It is the penultimate week of the football year. The question “Who is going to make it to the Super Bowl?” has been answered. Two fan bases are ecstatic, and 30 are, well . . . not.
The last college football game has been played, including the East-West Shrine Game. Draft declarations have been made and not made (looking at you, Cardale Jones). The combine is a month away, and the draft another month after that.
While we will all be joining together to have one last celebration of football (or at least, a celebration of eating junk food with friends and hoping the commercials are actually good this year) on February 1, we are entering a football wasteland. To help us all ease into that wasteland, the NFL gives us the Pro Bowl this weekend.
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Admittedly, that is not much of an offering. While the Pro Bowl has the potential to be amazing on paper, in reality, it is often anything but. Theoretically, the best players from all around the league should be converging for a battle royal. Practically, it can end up something more like the NFL equivalent of a playground pickup game. Or the preseason.
When the level of competitiveness can be compared to a preseason game, you have a problem. But it is football, and because it is football (and the only football on TV), we watch it.
However, even though the game itself is not always the greatest, there can still be a decent reason to watch. So for the Chiefs Kingdom, I have put together three reasons you (might) want to watch the Pro Bowl.
3. Jamaal Charles
Oct 19, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) runs while defended by San Diego Chargers strong safety Marcus Gilchrist (38) during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Watching Jamaal Charles is always a pleasure.
Even with an injury that sidelined him for what was essentially two games, Charles still managed to come back and put up 159 yards on the vaunted Seahawks defense.
He also ended the year with a total of 1,033 rushing yards, nine touchdowns on the ground, and another five touchdowns through the air. The yardage was good enough to put Charles just outside the top 10 rushers in the league (he finished 13th). The touchdowns account for the second most in both rushing and receiving in any season of his career.
Seeing Charles in the Pro Bowl should be a real treat. For starters, he will have an offensive line that is leaps and bounds better than the group he ran behind during the season. There is also the fact that the Pro Bowl has a tendency to bring out soft defense. That combination should allow Kansas City’s all-time rushing leader ample opportunity to showcase his skills in the form of big gains.
Is it the same as seeing him do it in Arrowhead? No. But it is Charles with a chance to run over some of the biggest defensive names in the NFL. That is certainly better than nothing.
2. NOT having to watch Alex Smith run for his life
Oct 19, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Jarret Johnson (96) chases down Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) for a sack in the second quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
No matter what you think of Alex Smith as a QB or a person, you have to admit that watching him take a beating week after week was brutal.
Smith was sacked a total of 45 times during this season, which is tied for fourth most in the NFL. But if you watched the Chiefs play, you know that No. 11 spent a lot more time taking hits than just when he was sacked. The punishment was enough that Smith ended the season sustaining a lacerated spleen against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This has become common enough for Smith that ESPN’s Pro Bowl promo features Smith avoiding a sack by throwing the ball while being unceremoniously dragged to the ground in last year’s Pro Bowl. Oh Joy.
But that will not be the case this year. Smith will not be among the Chiefs at the Pro Bowl.
I don’t know about you, but the ability to watch a game where there are Chiefs to root for—and no possibility of the having to watch Smith get creamed again—is a refreshing proposition to me.
1. Hali and Houston together (one last time?)
Oct 13, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali (left) celebrates with outside linebacker Justin Houston (50) after a sack against the Oakland Raiders in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 24-7. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Much like this past season, the offseason in Kansas City is going to be about Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.
Hali and Houston consistently provide an outstanding pass rush for the Chiefs. Hali ended the year with 47 tackles, 12 assists, and 6 sacks. Houston had a monster year with 59 tackles, nine assists, and 22 sacks, breaking Derrick Thomas’ single-season record.
However, Hosuton’s contract is up. At just 25 years old and coming off of a record season, you can be certain of two things: (1) He will demand a high price to re-sign, and (2) the Chiefs should absolutely pay the man.
Though you can get a more detailed look at what the Chiefs’ offseason options are here, you may already know that cutting Hali is one of the most popular potential methods of freeing up enough cap space to keep Houston.
Though most Kansas Citians would love to see the duo return for the 2015 season (myself included), the reality is that one of them will probably not be back in a Chiefs uniform next year.
That means that this weekend could be our last opportunity to see the Hali/Houston combo on the same field, wearing the same helmet.
That is perhaps the best reason to watch the Pro Bowl this Sunday.
Stats per espn.com and profootballreference.com