Chiefs goal for 2016: Playoffs at Arrowhead
As we all are proudly aware of, the loudest outdoor stadium according to Guinness World Records is Arrowhead (142.2 decibels). In 2014, Chiefs fans took back the sound record from the Seattle Seahawks faithful on a Monday night against Tom Brady. Arrowhead is always a tough venue to play at, but for big games it can easily be defined as a madhouse.
This leads me to the goal for the Chiefs in 2016: capture home field advantage and host a playoff game. If you can host two playoff games as a one seed, even better. Is it easier said than done? Absolutely, but it is something KC must shoot for.
Although the improvement for the Chiefs the last three years has been a little unorthodox, their next logical step from here is to capture the one or two seed in the AFC.
They exorcised the playoff demons and got the win in Houston, but then they ran out of steam against the Pats in Foxboro.
While the effort was valiant, beating Brady and Belichick in Gillette is the equivalent to hitting the lotto. It just doesn’t happen too often. But if the Chiefs could find a way to bring the Pats or maybe a team like the Steelers into Arrowhead, you and me will take those chances. Kansas City is a combined 16-7 at home since Andy Reid’s arrival in 2013, a mark that could easily be more impressive if not for some devastating conclusions late in games.
This team’s style of play is also built for their home turf. The Chiefs are a ball control type of team that relies on their defense. With the crowd at their backs in crucial situations, the defense could thrive in a January affair, leaving the offense to keep the chains moving and chew up clock. Chiefs fans are also incredibly thirsty for a trip back to the Super Bowl.
They want nothing more than a chance to win it all for the first time since 1970. That makes this fan base crazy and dangerous, especially when they can look to the seat to their right and left and see someone just as nuts as themselves.
Next: Chiefs training camp preview: Quarterbacks
If the Chiefs are going to take the next step this season and contend for a championship, they could use a little help from their friends in the loudest venue in the world. It will take a hot start out of the gates to compete with the likes of New England, Denver, and whoever else may emerge out of the AFC.
The easiest way for this team to reach the promise land is through One Arrowhead Drive, and the Chiefs need to find a way to utilize a benefit not many organizations have. Can you imagine an AFC Championship Game in Kansas City under the lights? Until then Addicts.