Chiefs Will: Prediction Thread
It is 9 AM here on the east coast. I am sitting here drinking my coffee, watching ESPN and thinking about today’s game.
The Chiefs are likely at the hotel engaging in a power breakfast. They’ll have different routines for getting ready for the game. Some will shut themselves away, earphones in listening to a mix designed to get them focused and pump them up.
Others, guys like Dwayne Bowe and Shaun Smith will work through their nerves with rambunctious behavior, clowning and general trash talking.
Matt Cassel is likely huddled at a table with Todd Haley, Charlie Weis, and Brodie Croyle. They’ll look over some last minute X’s and O’s and some snap shots of Indi’s various defensive formations.
Soon the first bus will come. This will be the ride for the specialists. They’ll hop on and head to Lucas Oil Stadium. Later, the rest of the team will join them.
Past that, nobody can predict what is going to happen this afternoon.
But let’s give it a shot anyway.
5 predictions after the jump.
1. Jamaal Charles will have a big, big day.
The Colts are one of the leagues worst against the run and they have propensity to give up the big play. All Jamaal Charles does is make big runs. He’s averaging 7 yards a carry. He’ll be averaging more than 7 yards a carry after today.
2.The defense will get pressure on Manning.
The Colts have got some problems with the interior of their defensive line. I expect the Chiefs to attempt to take advantage of that weakness. The quickest way to Manning is straight ahead.
That being said, I think the Chiefs will be very stingy with their blitzes. They will allow the Colts to get their yards and will try to stop them in the red zone.
3. Matt Cassel will struggle.
When you are playing a team like the Colts it can’t all be good. I still think Cassel is one of our team’s weaknesses and until he can play well on a consistent basis, I’ll be worried about how he will perform. Despite the Colts’ porous secondary, I think Cassel has a rough day on the road. Fortunately, I don’t think he needs to have a big day for the Chiefs to win.
4. The Chiefs secondary will get beat deep at least once.
Peyton Manning is just too good and our secondary is young. Despite all their preparation, chances are Manning gets them to bit at least once and makes them pay.
5. The Chiefs will win the game.
I said in my prediction thread for week one that I wasn’t always going to pick the Chiefs to win. I then picked the Chiefs to beat the Chargers. At the time, I was thinking ahead to this week as the first time I would pick against the Chiefs.
Little did I know what the Chiefs would do along the way. For a week at least, the Chiefs’ performance against the 49ers has me believing that they have the talent and the coaching to beat an injured and vulnerable Colts team, even on the road.
I will eventually pick the Chiefs to lose. I swear it.
But I’m not going to do it today. I think their lucky holds out another week.
Chiefs 22, Colts 2o when the Clts fail to convert a 2-point conversion late in the 4th quarter.
Ok, Addicts. I put it on the line. Now it is your turn.
The Chiefs will…