Please, learn who the Kansas City Chiefs are
A few months ago, Bad Matt came out. He was raging over irrational projections by the AFC West writers over at ESPN, who believe the Kansas City Chiefs are nothing more than an average team with average talent.
Unfortunately, Bad Matt is going to be making another appearance this evening.
My job is understanding the National Football League, and while I certainly miss on predictions and make errors, I have made it my life’s work to know everything about this game. It’s my job. Therefore, when I see a national analyst completely whiff on my team, I get annoyed.
I don’t care if you pick Kansas City to go 5-11, that is your right. Just back it up. Tell me you don’t like Alex Smith or think Andy Reid is overrated because he has not won a Super Bowl. Tell me you are worried about Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito staying healthy, or that the offensive line is a major concern.
But please, please, don’t tell me this, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
"Our prime concern with these Chiefs remains the roster construction. They have a few true superstars in Charles and outside linebacker Justin Houston. There are solid veterans like Smith, linebacker Derrick Johnson and Maclin. And there isn’t much else. The Chiefs have poor depth throughout the roster and subpar starters at a variety of positions throughout the offensive line, defensive line and back seven on defense."
Rosenthal has to be kidding with this analysis. Kansas City is loaded on defense, having finished second in points allowed last year and seventh overall. The Chiefs did not lose a defensive coach or defensive starter, but added Derrick Johnson, Mike DeVito, Eric Berry, Marcus Peters and Tyvon Branch.
Who is the subpar starter on the front line? Dontari Poe, Allen Bailey or DeVito? It’s just brutal analysis. It is the epitome of laziness. Rosenthal went on to write about E.J. Gaines (now correctly changed to Phillip) and how Berry overcame non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He actually had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Personally, I don’t see how anybody could pick this team to finish worse than 9-7. The Chiefs went 9-7 last year against a similar schedule and since then have added a rookie class, Ben Grubbs, Jeremy Maclin, Branch, Johnson, DeVito and Berry. Not to mention the continued maturation of De’Anthony Thomas, Albert Wilson and Travis Kelce while the coaching staff is in its third year.
What is the argument for Kansas City falling apart? I have the team at 11-5 and winning the AFC West, the first time I have predicted that level of success since the days of Trent Green. It does not seem like much of a stretch for the Chiefs to be a Super Bowl contender, especially in the wide-open AFC.
Kansas City deserves skeptics and naysayers, that comes with failing to win a single playoff game since 1993. What it does not deserve is lazy, uninformed opinions from writers who are paid to avoid them.
Hate the Chiefs or love the Chiefs, either is fine. Just know the Chiefs.