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As we sit here on Thanksgiving eve, we're supposed to be thinking of things for which we're thankful. For me, Tony Gonzalez comes to mind.
In the final years of Gonzalez's Kansas City career, we repeatedly heard that his focus was winning a Super Bowl, whether that was in KC or not.
He was aging and might not have known that his best shot to win the Super Bowl as a Chief had passed him. 1997, Gonzalez's rookie year, saw the Chiefs go 13-3 with the 5th ranked offense and top ranked defense while the 2003 Chiefs also went 13-3 and had one of the best offenses of all time.
Both years the playoff result was the same -- one and done.
Gonzalez is now on an Atlanta Falcons teams that can make a case as the best in the NFL. They sit at 8-2 tied with the New England Patriots and New York Jets for the best record in the NFL through Week 11.
Maybe TG will get his Super Bowl wish after all.
Atlanta's defense ranks seventh in the NFL while the offense has arguably the best young quarterback in the game. Their running game is solid and they can stop the run. They don't have any major weaknesses. Gonzalez says on what seems to be an annual basis that the team he's on may be the best he's ever been on. He said that with the Falcons (this year, and the year before, and with the Chiefs) but there's reason to believe it this time.
Gonzalez is on pace for 62 receptions, which would be his lowest total in 12 years. His stats are down but this Falcons team would give the '97 or '03 Chiefs a fight.
I can't say that I'd root for anyone other than KC to make it to the Super Bowl but a KC-Atlanta matchup sounds pretty damn good right about now.