Chiefs game balls vs Denver

I said last year, that I knew the Chiefs were rebuilding, and I wanted to ignore the losses but revel in the wins. Last year I only had to write 4 of those posts. That's what we're on pace for this year.

Without further ado, the Chiefs won a game! Regular season too!

For the record, the Chiefs had lost 12 in a row, dating back to last season. That's a lot of losses. And when you're 0-3 facing a 3-0 team with the league's best offense, not to mention you're starting 2 rookies in the secondary, it's not a great matchup.

Sure, the Chiefs won by 14. But the last 7 were after an onside kick, that the Broncos really had their hands on. If they catch that with 2 minutes to go, after just scoring, this could easily be a 0-4 team.

In order to narrowly beat a much better Broncos team, the Chiefs need to outperform them in several areas, and come up big in the 4th quarter. The biggest thing about this game was turnovers. Four for Denver. 1 for KC. Without the Brandon Marshall fumble that got returned to the 1, who knows if the Chiefs keep it close. The D gave up 360 yards passing, but got 2 picks and 2 fumbles. What I'm trying to say is that to make up for the talent disparity, the Chiefs needed to be +3 in the turnover department to eek out a win at home.

So I'm not exactly confident that this a turning point, but hey, I'll take it.

Hon. Mention: Nick Novak

No one makes a big deal about kickers unless they miss, but making 4/5 was crucial to getting points on the board.

Hon. Mention: Damon Huard

He's no fantasy stud, but he made the plays to move the chains when he needed to, and got a nice TD to Gonzo. Most importantly: zero picks.


3. Brandon Carr & Brandon Flowers & Derrick Johnson


Rookie cornerbacks and a still young linebacker (though he's a veteran on this defense). They accounted for all four turnovers and held their own against the NFL's top offense. This bodes well.

2. Larry Johnson

203 total yards, two scores. Including two big crunch time runs to secure the game, when they knew we were going to run. Next time, don't fumble.

1st round pick Albert and LJ

1. Offensive Line

Never thought this was going to happen. When you open up big holes and only allow one sack, you get the game ball. Those 200 rushing yards belong to you, just as much as LJ. God, it's good to get a win. Keep it up.