KC Chiefs don’t need Arrowhead to be full to be successful

K.C. Chiefs don’t need Arrowhead to be full to be successful.

As we head into the start of the 2020 season, NFL teams across the country have begun to announce their plans as it relates to fans in the stands amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs joined the group of teams who’ve made public announcements, stating that they will allow 22% of maximum occupancy at Arrowhead Stadium when the season kicks off. With a stated seating capacity at 76,416, this means that the Chiefs will sell approximately 16,800 tickets to home games (at least for now).

What does this mean for Kansas City?

The most obvious result is that Chiefs fans will face an uphill battle if hoping to score seats to the defending Super Bowl Champions contests this season. With the season opener three weeks away, the organization will open up ticket sales on Monday, August 24th at their official site.. Not only will tickets be difficult to come by, especially for the banner-raising ceremony on September 10th, but they’re also likely to be incredibly expensive (especially on the secondary market).

It also means that owner Clark Hunt is likely to feel a sting in his pocketbook, as expected, due to the decreased revenues from parking, ticket sales and in-stadium concessions and merchandise. The predicted downturn will likely have significant ramifications for the salary cap next year and beyond.

What does it mean for the Chiefs on the field?

The answer is not a whole lot, to be honest. Yes, players like having fans in the stands, and they do draw energy from the feedback and noise. And yes, opposing offenses can struggle to communicate effectively in louder venues (like Arrowhead Stadium), which does benefit teams on the field with penalties and general confusion.

However, my argument is that, for this Chiefs team, the impact is relatively insignificant, and there are two reasons why I feel this way.

First, the Chiefs have plenty of players on the team, true emotional leaders who have the ear of everyone on the sidelines at all times, to get and keep the team amped up. Look no further than Super Bowl highlights when players like quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and pass rusher Frank Clark were seen energizing players on the sideline, even when the outcome looked bleak for Kansas City well into the fourth quarter. While the Chiefs might miss all-time great cheerleader Cam Erving, they’re unlikely to need the crowd noise they’re used to at Arrowhead Stadium.

Second, Kansas City is just miles better than nearly every team it will face this season at home. Almost inarguably, the team’s three toughest opponents are all road games this season: the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills, and the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs toughest home games are likely to be opening night against the Houston Texans, hosting the Denver Broncos and their Week 16 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.

Sure, those games may be tough, but there are very few people who would say that crowd noise should be the difference in the outcome of any of those games. In these, and the team’s other home games, if Kansas City is not dominating the opponent, it is simply because the team failed to properly prepare or execute.

Obviously, the playoffs may be a different beast all together, as the Chiefs will (hopefully) be hosting higher quality opponents in Arrowhead come January. However, there are other things to consider then, too. First, we do not know what stadium capacity may be at that time. Second, Kansas City still has Patrick Mahomes, the best player on the planet.

There is a general sense of frustration that the pandemic is taking away yet another beloved annual (or weekly, for some) tradition: traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to root for the Chiefs. But there is no reason to believe that it will have any tangible impact on the games. Kansas City is still the odds-on favorite to hoist its second straight Lombardi in February.

So, save your money, Chiefs fans. Invest in a bigger television and some excellent game day spreads, and enjoy watching the games from the comfort of your own couch! We’ll be back in Arrowhead before too much longer.

Chiefs Trivia

Each week’s column will feature a trivia question related to the Kansas City Chiefs. Challenge yourself by coming up with the correct response without looking it up! Enter for a chance to win a Chiefs prize via either Facebook or Twitter Direct/Private Messaging. Must retweet or share the column on your personal page, and provide the correct answer via PM/DM, to be eligible. Winner will be chosen at random on Saturday.

Last week’s winner was Justin Stinnett of Columbus, MO who received a Chiefs autograph for correctly answering that nine Chiefs quarterbacks had been named Pro Bowlers in the team’s history.

This week’s question trivia is: What was the Texans/Chiefs all time record in the AFL? 

Reader Question

Each week, we’ll answer a question or two from readers about our team. These can be about any topic related to the Chiefs, send me a question via DM (@kthomps58).

This week’s question comes from Kevin Kearns from Texas. Kevin asks: Who wins the starting defensive end spot opposite Frank Clark to start the 2020 season? 

Great question Kevin, thank you! The Chiefs have five players not named Frank Clark with a chance to make the roster at defensive end. Fifth round draft pick Michael Danna seems to be a likely candidate to spend the season on the practice squad. Unheralded prospects transitioning to a new position rarely lead to productive or meaningful rookie seasons.

That leaves Kansas City with five options to start opposite Clark: 2019 starter Alex Okafor and Super Bowl LV starter Tanoh Kpassagnon seem like the early favorites in Chiefs’ camp. Both have starting experience with this defensive line and both were highly productive players along the edge a season ago for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Between the two, the edge likely goes to Okafor, since players who lose their starting jobs to season-ending injury are often the presumptive starters the following season, if healthy. Kpassagnon has highly coveted versatility, as he can play any position along the defensive line, so keeping him as a key, often-used reserve may make more sense.

The other two players are wild cards for the Chiefs, players who could have absolutely benefited from preseason competition. They are third-year end Breeland Speaks, returning from season ending injury that knocked him out during the preseason a year ago, and former first-round pick Taco Charlton. It would be very surprising if either of these players made the jump to the starting lineup (barring injury), but the best-case scenario for Kansas City is that both look outstanding in camp.

In the event that all four of these players look healthy, the Chiefs could choose to keep five defensive ends, using one of the two ‘bonus’ spots (roster limit increased to 55 this year, plus whatever adjustments are made for COVID). Or, they could look to trade one of the four, three of whom are in contract years, for a draft pick (desperately needed) or a cornerback (also likely a need). Veach hasn’t gone a camp without trading a player the team would have cut, so expect that to be the likely option.

Chiefs Fact of the Week

In addition to founding the franchise, Lamar Hunt was also the primary founder of the AFL, and of Major League Soccer. Prior to the MLS, Hunt founded the North American Soccer League, and co-founded World Championship Tennis. At the time of his death, he owned three MLS teams: the KC Wizards, the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas!

Chiefs Record of the Week

Stephone Paige was the first Chiefs player to gain 300 yards receiving in a single game. He did so on December 22, 1985 by recording 309 yards against the San Diego Chargers. That number still stands as the record for Kansas City by 94 yards over the second highest single game total (Tyreek Hill, 2018, 215 yards).

Random Fact of the Week

There are more possible iterations of a game of chess than there are atoms in the known universe.

Sports Quote of the Week

“My motto has always been that you can’t say, ‘Oh, it won’t happen to me.’ You have to say ‘That can happen to me.’ So always be aware that things can happen.” — Venus Williams

Oddball Sport of the Week

“The annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival is held on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese calendar. Thousands of locals and tourists gather on the tiny fishing island of Cheung Chau in China to celebrate the festival and watch the bun climbing in amazement.

“The Bun Mountains are 60-foot-tall steel structures covered with delicious, decorative steamed buns and bamboo scaffolding. Men compete in a race to climb up the towers and grab as many buns as possible. The person with the most buns wins.

“This peculiar sport shouldn’t be taken lightly though, as potential bun climbers must take a training course to learn basic mountaineering skills. At the end of the training period, 12 finalists are chosen to compete in the bun climbing competition. For safety reasons, fake buns are now used to stop the possibility of climbers slipping.”