Here we are, hours away from the first round of the 2013 NFL playoffs. It’s Wild Card weekend, and the Kansas City Chiefs may be the biggest wild card of them all.
The Chiefs, who went 2-14 in 2012 before John Dorsey and Andy Reid took over the organization, have been a trip to watch this season. Even the most delusional homer of fans probably didn’t see the 9-0 start coming, but without a doubt, it captured the attention of not only Chiefs’ Kingdom, but the NFL as a whole.
Some claimed the Chiefs were a fraud. Others, legit. Some thought that quarterback Alex Smith was an anomaly of his true self. Others felt he was the right fit for the right team.
No matter what though, it was tough to dispute that with a ball-control offense, a dominant defense and a truly special, special teams; Kansas City was on the map.
Love ’em or hate ’em, they were still talking about ’em.
Here we are, hours away from Kansas City’s matchup with the AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City has lost five of its last seven games, and that includes a 7-23 loss to this very same Colt’s team at Arrowhead. It also includes two losses to San Diego and two losses two Denver, both playoff teams in the AFC.
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Still, that stretch featured key injuries to players like Justin Houston, who’s expected to be back for tomorrow’s game, tight end Anthony Fasano, Branden Albert and Eric Fisher—all starters.
It also featured dominant wins on the road at Washington and at Oakland, and running back Jamaal Charles launched himself into the MVP race. This is for the league mind you, not just for the team.
It could be easy to have mixed thoughts on this team, but one thing is for certain; it possesses all the pieces to be a very dangerous playoff draw. With Houston back, expect Kansas City’s pass-rush to get back on track. Though the secondary has had its issues as of late, it still features play makers like Marcus Cooper and Eric Berry.
Offensively, there’s little doubting that Charles is one of the best players in the league. There’s also no doubting the fact that the offense grew by leaps and bounds during the second half of the season, and when the Chiefs’ offense is clicking; they can put up some major points.
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Throw in a special teams that can and will change games, great coordinators and an experienced head coach in Andy Reid; and no team will be able to take Kansas City lightly during these playoffs.
The Chiefs are the ultimate wild card, and they’ll get their chance to shake things up this Saturday.