"That's not your baby's Kansas City Chiefs. That's your grandfather's Kansas City Chiefs."
Now that's an opening sentence. The Kansas City Chiefs were featured on NFL Network's Playbook this week and there was some high praise for the Chiefs.
Mike Mayock on GM Scott Pioli: "Everybody he drafts, there's a commonality. The kid loves to play football -- Tony Moeaki, Javier Arenas, Eric Berry, McCluster. They're all physical, tough kids that, if you weren't paying them, they'd probably still be playing.
Marshall Faulk Sterling Sharpe on Thomas Jones: "Whoever Thomas Jones is in the backfield running for, I'm going to pick that team because he does a great job of not just teaching his craft to the younger kids but showing a sign of bringing physical, bringing some physicality to the football team.
Mayock and Faulk broke down the tape of the Chiefs 31-10 stomping of the San Francisco 49ers and highlighted Eric Berry's strong play in run support, the nose tackle doing his job so the inside linebackers can make plays and the overall discipline of the Chiefs defense.
Mayock seemed to be impressed that the Chiefs defense was lead by a pair of rookie safeties. Here's what he said on Kendrick Lewis' pass breakup on Sunday: "How about this guy? 5th round free safety from Ole Miss. Everyone told me too small, not fast enough and ran a bad 40 at the combine. The corners covered so it will effectively turn to man coverage. Watch him drive this route, please. Quick feet. Go through that again. I love that!"
The NFL Network crew believes in the Chiefs but brought up Matt Cassel as an unknown at this point.
"I look at the Chiefs and I don't know if they're a playoff team this year, but the foundation has been laid," Mayock said.