Chief Concerns: Case in Point

I don’t know if you’ve heard the story about the reason the Seahawks — and more specifically quarterback Russell Wilson  — have all flourished in their past eight games, but the general idea surrounds the absence of RB Marshawn Lynch. With Marshawn out with a muscle injury and recovering from abdominal surgery, the offense has been forced to… defer to, run through, and be more dependent upon… Russell Wilson. Consequently, Wilson has evolved into an even better quarterback, field general and team leader.

On teams where the quarterback is the clear cut “captain” and alpha-male, it’s never a question of who will lead the team. With the Seahawks star running back gone, their quarterback has blossomed and the team has had a lot of success as a result.

Could the same dynamic be applied to the Kansas City Chiefs?

Alex Smith came to K.C. three seasons ago when running back Jamaal Charles was already clearly ensconced as the primary leader of, and principal contributor to, the offense. Beyond that, Charles was the ace in the hole that the team turned to on and off the field. So, why wouldn’t Charles be considered… the chief of Chiefs! After all, he’s been considered one of the best running backs in the NFL since he took over full time for Larry Johnson in 2009. What’s more, his yards per carry is still the best in NFL history.

Alex Smith, as well as head coach Andy Reid, have said many times that they must figure out ways to get Jamaal Charles the ball. The question is, have the Chiefs been placing the ball in Charles hands so much that it’s been a detriment to the ever expanding skills of their quarterback, Alex Smith? Since Charles has been out Smith has also blossomed.

Has Alex Smith been thinking, as he hands the ball to Jamaal Charles, “Gee, I better get JC his carries?” That is probably true in some form or another. Is he thinking anything like that when he hands the ball to Spencer Ware or Charcandrick West? I doubt it. What Alex Smith is focused on now is running the offense effectively, not trying to please any particular player on the roster.

Whoa. 30-to-nothing. As in zip-zero-nada. The the stuff of defensive coordinators dreams come true. Dominating? Oh my goodness yes. The better team? Emphatically yes. In fact, I’m hard pressed to think of another team left in these playoffs who anyone would consider a clear and decisive favorite over the Kansas City Chiefs. In other words, these Chiefs have as good a chance of any team left in the playoffs, of winning the Lombardi Trophy.

Back to the shoutout. Chris Chase, in his piece for USAToday called, “You’re Right: Chiefs-Texans was One of the Worst Games in NFL History” says this about the final score,

“Starting with the Super Bowl era, only four postseason games have had bigger shutouts than Kansas City’s 30-0 destruction of Houston…. The Giants beat Minnesota 41-0… ”

There have only been about 30 shutouts in the history of the game but in the past 20 years the most notable thumpings were the Giants and Vikings game in 2000, and when the Jets whipped the Colts by the same 41-0 score in 2002. So… this may not have been the Mother (of all) Goose eggs but, it clearly qualifies as the best Step-Mother ever.

Next: Have the Chiefs drafting needs changed in 2016?