Welcome to the first (second) addition of Kansas City Chiefs "Choose your own adventure". For anyone that didn't play the first time around this might refresh your memory. Considering we have the draft complete and the actual schedule we have a better idea on how this adventure may play-out.
This is an updated version in which I went ahead and look the liberty of making it a little more difficult to cheat. Rather than having everyone's eyes go cross-eyed scrolling up and down like last time, now you'll have a link to which a window will appear with the particular scenario you have chosen. This should make your adventure a little more enjoyable.
The season is broken down into four different quarters in which you will play everything from general manager, quarterback, head coach, offensive coordinator, fan, Shaun Smith, defensive coordinator and maybe even water boy. This is a four week series that will post every Monday afternoon.
You'll be in charge of keeping track of your record throughout the series and for each game. Without further adieu, let's get started with the first four games of the Kansas City Chiefs 2011 "Choose your own adventure".
Week 1 - Home game against the Buffalo Bills.
The Kansas City Chiefs kick off their 2011 campaign with a home game that might not be at the same level as last years' Monday night game against the Chargers. But with an improved team and the once-thought risk of the season not beginning on time, there's no doubt that the atmosphere will rival the Arrowhead of old.
Ryan Fitzpatrick strolls into Arrowhead week one with his number one target in Steve Johnson and the needs-to-prove-he's-the-guy CJ Spiller at running back. Johnson, who after some off-season soul searching has realized that dropping passes in football games doesn't mean questioning the big guy upstairs is a good idea. He comes into this season as a real sleeper pick in most fantasy drafts and climbs into the top 10 in wide receiver projections.
The Kansas City Chiefs to everyone's surprise come out throwing on eight of the first ten plays of this game after receiving the kickoff. The first pass was a 12-yard completion to Cassel's new favorite target in Jon Baldwin. Arrowhead erupts as Baldwin throws Terrence McGee to the side with a stiff-arm to make what would have been a 6-yard completion a 12-yarder. After getting to mid-field, a vintage run-run-pass-punt series brought back painful memories to Chiefs fans. Six commenter's on the game-day thread on Arrowhead Pride call to fire Haley.
Eric Berry picks up where he left off last season and the Buffalo Bills aren't happy to see him after the performance he put on them last season. A sack, tackle for loss, and a pass break-up are just in the first quarter for the rising Chiefs superstar.
Heading into the 3rd quarter the Chiefs find themselves up 20-10. Cassel hooked up with Tony Moeaki for a 20-yard touchdown pass at the beginning of the second quarter. Brandon Flowers' interception off a tipped pass from Andy Studebaker set the Chiefs up for their second score asDexter McCluster took a draw in from the 16 yard-line to extend the Chiefs lead to 20-3 midway through the second quarter.
The Bills got back into the game with a 55-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to Steve Johnson that brought the Bills closer at 20-10. This happened when Brandon Carr bit on a play-fake and had Johnson inexcusably get behind the safety in the two-minute defense. Fifteen AP commentor's say Carr should have been traded.
Choose your own adventure.
It's the 3rd quarter and the Chiefs are on the Buffalo 30-yard line and it's 4th and 2. Ryan Succop has already hit from 49 yards in this game. The score is still 20-10 and Buffalo has been able to move the ball a little bit on the defense. You are the HEAD COACH.
Do you try for the field goal and risk putting Buffalo in good field position?
Or do you go for it on 4th down and try and put an exclamation point on this game?
Week 2 - Road game against the Detriot Lions.
Now that you've taken time to understand how this little game works we're going to take a road trip to Detroit. HIV and Arrowdread make the road trip as well but they carpool separately and funk is heard from miles away.
The Lions defensive line is talked about more in this week than "Free Jamaal Charles" or "Should have taken Ragi" was in any one-week span on AP, ever. Nick Fairley had a good first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But AP discusses whether or not it's Fairley's skill or Suh's dominance that is the reason why Fairley could be effective in this game and for the season.
The game opens up with a 3 and out by the Lions as Matt Stafford overthrows Brandon Pettigrewon consecutive 2nd and 3rd down attempts. In the first series on defense for the Chiefs one thing becomes painfully obvious to most Chiefs fans watching this game. Rodney Hudson will be the starting center before the season is over and Casey Wiegmann's consecutive snap streak will end before the season is complete.
Suh continues to show the NFL and everyone watching why he will be the most dominant defensive lineman in the NFL for the next 10-12 years. The Chiefs defense is the only reason this game remains close. Brandon Carr does a tremendous job on Calvin Johnson and keeps his completion rate below 50% on the day.
Choose your own adventure.
You're heading into the 4th quarter and the Chiefs are winning 13-10 with five minutes left in the game. It's 3rd and 5 from the 50-yard line and you are MATT CASSEL (Couldn't help but have HIV and Arrowdread be Cassel on their funk trip). The play-call is a swing-pass to the right side to Charles. You notice a blitz coming from the right side.
Do you audible to a sweep left?
Week 3 - Road game against the San Diego Chargers
The Chiefs head out to San Diego in week three and set themselves up for a pretty big showdown early in the season. The Chargers are known for their slow starts and hopefully Jonas Mouton and Marcus Gilchrist are not answers for their special teams' issues. The two 2011 draft picks should be counted on heavily on special teams the moment they walk in the door.
After a late-night out in the gaslamp district, many Chiefs fans (yours included) will have to suffer through the 65-degree weather on this late September day in San Diego to cheer on the Chiefs in what will undoubtedly be a huge game in determining the AFC West champion.
There seems to be a lot of empty seats in Qualcomm on this Sunday afternoon. The week leading up to the game was pretty cloudy and Sunday was a beautiful day. When faced with the choice, Charger fans took to surfing on this Sunday as late-September is right there in the middle of the best surf season.
The Chiefs fall behind late in the first quarter as Philip Rivers shows Chiefs fans again why he and Antonio Gates are impossible to stop. You can only try to slow them down and through the first quarter the Chiefs were not able to do that. Chargers up 10-0 after one quarter.
Dexter McCluster comes ready to play once again against the Chargers as he took a delayed handoff in the second quarter 63 yards for the touchdown to bring the Chiefs within striking distance at 13-7. The Chiefs were finally able to get some pressure on Rivers towards the end of the first half as a Wallace Gillberry sack on Rivers on a crucial 3rd and 9 gave the Chiefs a chance with 3 minutes to go in the half.
Four straight completions in two minutes by Matt Cassel that totaled 47 yards got the Chiefs in field goal range, and 37 of them were yards after the catch to McCluster, Charles and Moeaki. Succop nails the field goal to end the first half. The Chiefs head into the lockerroom down 13-10. A firrestorm of put Stanzi comments flood the AP gameday thread because the Chiefs are behind....against a good team.....on the road.
Choose your own adventure.
As you go over your second half game-plan on defense you have a couple of different options. Antonio Gates has absolutely been killing it again with 72 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Ryan Matthews has been pretty average and it's obvious that this game is falling on Rivers' arm, again. You are the DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.
Do you make a concerted effort to go after Rivers and blitz as much as possible?
Do you continue to do what you had been doing by holding the Chargers to just 13 points?
Week 4 - Home game against the Minnesota Vikings
The week leading up to the Chiefs/Vikings game is filled with lots of different story lines. Most of which have been discussed at-length several times over. These story-lines include Jared Allen's return to Arrowhead, AP vs JC, the 2008 draft and memories of training camp in River falls. The game brought a new storyline in the Chiefs/Vikings history.
The game starts off as good as you could possibly ask for if you are a Kansas City Chiefs fan. Jamaal Charles is running with a chip on his shoulder, the 6'4 Jon Baldwin is absolutely abusing Antoine Winfield, and Tyson Jacksonis making life very difficult for Adrian Peterson and Christian Ponder-who is making his NFL debut in Arrowhead. The Vikings have struggled in their first three games against San Diego, Tampa Bay and Detroit. The front-office felt as if getting Ponder some experience in an environment like Arrowhead will help when they travel to Chicago two weeks later.
With two-minutes remaining in the first half the Chiefs find themselves with a 21-3 lead against the Vikings. The Chiefs have the ball at mid-field and it's 3rd and 14. The play-call is a screen that is going nowhere as it's sniffed out by everyone in the stadium, even to the guys not paying attention in the nosebleeds. After Cassel gets rid of the ball Carl Peterson's best friend comes barreling down on Cassel and does his best James Harrison imitation and slams Cassel down well-after the play was over.
To make matters worse, he does he rope-tie dance with a yellow flag sitting at his feet. The crowd goes nuts and players had to be separated.
Choose your own adventure.
You're sitting with a group of fans right behind the Chiefs bench and tunnel where the team heads for halftime. You have an opportunity to tell one player on the Chiefs how to get back at the Vikings for what they just did. You are A FAN.
Do you tell Matt Cassel to run up the score?
Or do you tell Shaun Smith to welcome Christian Ponder to the NFL?
The Kansas City Chiefs 2011 "Choose your own adventure" will run every Monday afternoon for the next four weeks.
So the first quarter of the season is over. How'd you do?