Arrowhead Pride - Bengals beat Chiefs: Full coverageKansas City Chiefs news, rumors, roster updates and more.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46893/arrowheadpride_f.png2015-10-05T16:26:01-05:00http://www.arrowheadpride.com/rss/stream/92129162015-10-05T16:26:01-05:002015-10-05T16:26:01-05:00Chiefs vs. Bengals: The best and worst
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><a href="http://www.hisdirkness.blogspot.com" target="new">His Dirkness'</a> weekly KC Masterpiece</p> <p class="p1"><i>"We must rediscover the distinction between hope and expectation." -Ivan Illich </i></p>
<p class="p2">Maybe we were all too quick to anoint the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs as true contenders. Maybe we all put too much stock in an overachieving 2014 team that appeared to have gotten better in every phase of the game over the offseason.</p>
<p class="p2">Or maybe the team remains in a state of shellshock from the tragic loss to the Broncos - a fortnight of a hangover that's endured itself through the team's toughest stretch of the schedule. Traveling to all the wrong places, collectively carrying a briefcase full of post-traumatic stress along with them.</p>
<p class="p2">When "your time" suddenly isn't your time at all. It's still their time. Even though it's seemingly been their time forever.</p>
<p class="p1">We, the fans, weren't the only ones who fully expected to beat the Big Brother Broncos when they rolled into Arrowhead Stadium 18 long, miserable days ago. The players also thought it was their time. And they acted accordingly, for 59 minutes. But then everything changed. The season got turned upside down on itself. And I still don't think they're over it.</p>
<p class="p1">The Chiefs' expectations for this season have been fracturing slowly, like a thick sheet of ice. A Rodgers crack here, an even bigger Dalton gash over there. But it hasn't all broken through. Not yet.</p>
<p class="p1">Next week, Jay Cutler and the lowly Bears will attempt to cannonball through the Chiefs' thinning ice bed of expectation, shattering their 2015 season, and opening the door for all to come splash around in the now temperate waters.</p>
<p class="p2">Oh, hey Phil. Sup Teddy? You new around here, Derek?</p>
<p class="p1">Until then, we still have hope.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Best and Worst w/ His Dirkness</b></h3>
<p class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><b>Best teams in the NFL </b>- Patriots, Bengals, Broncos, Packers, Falcons, Cardinals, and maybe the Seahawks. That's seven teams. The Chiefs have played three of them. This is important to keep in mind.</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Worst teams in the NFL</b> - Browns, Dolphins, Texans, Jaguars, Texans, Bucs, Lions, Bears, 49ers. Wow, that's a lot of awful teams. The NFL is a fickle thing. It's all about matchups. And timing. And everything changes week to week. Confidence is another fickle thing. It's hard to quantify. But I do know the Chiefs aren't playing with any right now. You can literally see it on the field. Like, literally, literally. I've seen multiple instances of a defender with a runner in his grasps while the rest of the defense is just kinda chillin, making no effort to gang tackle, which sometimes leads to an extra yard or three. There's no drive, no tenacity, no "juice" as the great Terez Paylor would say. They aren't finishing plays. They aren't finishing drives (red zone efficiency yesterday, third downs for the season). They aren't finishing games (Donks). And, if they don't beat one of the worst teams in the league next week, then their isn't much hope they'll be finishing this season either. However, <i>when</i> they win next week, they'll get the Vikings, a (hopefully Big Ben-less) Steelers, and the Lions (at 8:30am!!!!) in a much easier second quarter of the season. The new goal is to be 4-4 at the turn.</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Worst performance in 2015</b> - Bob Sutton. What about Bob? Lets begin with some stats…</p>
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<li><span>The Chiefs didn't allow 30 points or more than 295 yards passing in 2014. They've already allowed each to happen three times in 2015.</span></li>
<li><span>The Chiefs allowed four rushing TDs the entire 2014 season. They allowed four to the Bengals yesterday.</span></li>
<li><span>The Chiefs ranked second in the NFL in scoring defense in 2014 (17.6). They rank dead last in 2015 (31.2)</span></li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/JoeGoodberry/status/651040824403304448" target="_blank">Andy Dalton juked Dee Ford in the open field.</a></li>
<li><span>The Chiefs allowed 8.9 yards per play yesterday.</span></li>
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<p class="p2">To give you an idea of the ineptitude of that last one, here are some follow up stats: The Cardinals lead the league this year at 6.6 yards per play. The Steelers led in 2014 with 6.1. The highest of the last 12 seasons is 6.7 by the 2004 Colts (Peyton's 49 TD season, 12-4) and 2011 Saints (13-3, loss in the divisional round to the 49ers - led by Alex Smith!). So, basically what I'm saying is, the Bengals were roughly 33% better than both of those historic offenses yesterday.</p>
<p class="p1">So what the hell's changed? Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry, and Mike DeVito all came back. Marcus Peters replaced the Cooper / Gaines / Parker trio from last year. Jaye Howard got a whole lot better. The most valid explanation is Dontari Poe's health and Sean Smith's suspension, neither of which are a great excuse for yesterday's catastrophe. I ….I don't understand. It's as if Puff Puff Pass Rush has straight Puff Puff Passed Out.</p>
<p class="p1">Last season, the Chiefs key was to get after the QB with four while blanketing receivers with seven in coverage. A brilliant philosophical change from the prior season that put the onus on the defense's strengths, right where it belonged. It was the birth of HeisenBob. This season, and yesterday's game in particular, the pass rush wasn't up to the challenge. But, as we've been prone to see with Bob Sutton, the in-game adjustments never came. Whether it's TY Hilton in the slot, Jamell Fleming against Denver, or Tyvon Branch against Green Bay, Sutton's Plan B's always seem to fall flat on their face. I don't have the solution to what ails them, outside of playing with more intensity. The talent is there. It's on Bob to figure this out. Otherwise, we might be looking at a new nickname for him - Greg Robin-Sutton.</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Best thing to come out of yesterday</b> - Jeremy Maclin seems like the real deal. I highly doubt this holds, but Mac Daddy is on pace for an 112 catch, 1,592 yard season right now. He stretches the field. He turns short passes into long gains. And he even helps Alex out when he's lining up to spike the ball on 4th down.</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Worst thing you can do on 3rd and 30</b> - Turn the ball over. Why do Travis Kelce's fumbles always seem to come at the worst possible times?</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Best breakdown of exactly what went wrong in or around the red zone </b>- So, I charted all of the plays leading directly to each of the seven (<a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/rZmnqY5iJUg?t=27s">7! 7! 7!</a>) field goals - that is, the plays occurring in the series of downs before ultimately settling for a FG on 4th down. A few observations:</p>
<p class="p1">-Negative plays cripple this offense. Two sacks, an offensive PI call, an illegal formation, a delay of game (coming out of a timeout!), and DAT terrible reverse. Here's the yardage the Chiefs faced on those seven third down attempts prior to kicking field goals - 10, 7, 10, 12, 18, 10 and 9. This offense isn't built to pick those up. The failures came on first and second downs in the form of negative plays.</p>
<p class="p1">-C'mon, you know what's coming. My first time writing it this season - RUN JAMAAL! Whew, that feels good. The Chiefs called 19 passing plays to four running plays (counting two penalized plays). Charcandrick West had two carries. DAT had the one. And Jamaal had one. One carry. One carry on a second and 16 in which he gained nine yards. I know Jamaal was banged up, and they were losing, and the clock was running low on the final few drives, to which my response is short and sweet - RUN JAMAAL!</p>
<p class="p2"><b>Best way to solve an old fashioned A vs. B blame debate</b> - It's both. It's almost always both. Shed those absolutes folks, and step into the gray with me. Alex Smith has terrible pocket presence. He lacks the instincts necessary to buy himself time in the pocket. <a href="http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/9/30/9421421/kansas-city-chiefs-alex-smith-eye-level">His eyes drop down toward the pass rush</a>. He tries to scramble out of too many hapless situations instead of just throwing the ball away. This would be easier to digest if it led to big plays (a la Big Ben), but it never seems to with Alex. He's just looking to scramble for five yards, which isn't worth it. Most of this is directly related to the offensive line, which has remained on the back burner every offseason under Dorsey / Reid. It seems to spring a new leak every week, can't handle a stunt to save its life, and does weird stuff like <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeGoodberry/status/651014981551570944" target="_blank">pull Ben Grubbs away from an engaging block</a> to go help where help isn't needed. You could say this particular A vs. B debate is more like Hepatitis A vs. Hepatitis B, only they've combined to create this super disease of horrendous pressure, and the only doctor has no idea what he's doing and he has very little time to figure it out. And this disease has now allowed 19 sacks, five more than any other team in the league.</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Best</b> - Did I mention the Bears come to town next week?</p>
<p class="p1">Fire Mike Riley,</p>
<p class="p1">His Dirkness</p>
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/5/9456019/chiefs-vs-bengals-the-best-and-worstHisDirkness2015-10-05T10:00:03-05:002015-10-05T10:00:03-05:00Grubbs: We need six points, not three
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<figcaption>Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><span>Cairo Santos</span> was golden for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Kansas City Chiefs</a> on Sunday, but even he admitted after the game that he wished it would have been seven extra points instead of seven field goals in the team's loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a>.</p>
<p>The Chiefs were 0 for 3 in the red zone and failed to put a single touchdown on the board despite 24 first downs and 461 total yards on offense. After the game, left guard <span>Ben Grubbs</span> said his unit deserves part of the blame for the team's inability to punch it in.</p>
<p>"We've just gotta find ways to get into the end zone," said Grubbs after the game. "I'm pretty sure when we look at the film, it'll come down to blocking and making good decisions at times in the game where it's really needed. In the red zone, we've gotta come away with six points, not three, especially against a defense like the Cincinnati Bengals. We've gotta put more points on the board. More than three."</p>
<p>Grubbs refused to question any of the coaching calls after the game, despite head coach Andy Reid's insistence on pointing at himself concerning the team's recent stretch of losses. In fact, Grubbs said that he "didn't think twice about it." Instead, the veteran guard said the most important thing was to "stay together."</p>
<p>"This is a tough time," he said. "This is not a good feeling. A lot of times, players start pointing fingers, start placing blame other places than themselves. This team, we have good character. Coach, he stressed to stay together as a family. We are a family. This is a tough time, but we're going to stick together, weather the storm and just go back to work. We'll go back to work, practice and keep pounding away and come away with a win hopefully next week."</p>
<p>The Chiefs host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> in Week 5 at Arrowhead Stadium.</p>
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/5/9451727/chiefs-ben-grubbs-red-zone-six-points-field-goalsMatt Conner2015-10-05T08:08:26-05:002015-10-05T08:08:26-05:00Dear Andy: Keep up the good work<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/ArrowheadPride/status/651021065385148416">Dear Andy: Keep up the good&nbsp;work</a></h3>
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https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/5/9453539/dear-andy-keep-up-the-good-workJoel Thorman2015-10-05T07:35:08-05:002015-10-05T07:35:08-05:00Chiefs ran 21 more plays than the Bengals
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Kansas City Chiefs</a> lost 36-21 to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> on Sunday and we have the snap counts from the game. Here are a few of my observations along with the full snap count report from the game...</p>
<p>The Chiefs ran 75 offensive plays while the Bengals ran just 54 while scoring 15 more points. Ah, that's frustrating. Really frustrating. The Chiefs moved the ball well but couldn't put it in the end zone.</p>
<p><span>Chris Conley</span> played a full time role at WR with <span>Albert Wilson</span> out of the game. Conley had two catches and recorded a negative Pro Football Focus score.</p>
<p>More on this later but it would appear that <span>Charcandrick West</span> has overtaken <span>Knile Davis</span> as the No. 2 back.</p>
<p>The Chiefs second and third tight ends continue to split reps. <span>James O'Shaughnessy</span> had 17 snaps to 16 snaps for <span>Demetrius Harris</span>.</p>
<p><span>Ron Parker</span> played every snap in the game. He was the one who ended up playing in the nickel against the slot receiver.</p>
<p><span>Sean Smith</span> played almost every snap in his return from suspension. He was out for two snaps.</p>
<p><span>Josh Mauga</span> went down in the game with an injury and rookie <span>Ramik Wilson</span> took his place with 38 snaps.</p>
<h3>Offensive line</h3>
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<p id="paragraph9">G <span>Ben Grubbs</span>: 75</p>
<p id="paragraph10">G <span>Zach Fulton</span>: 75</p>
<p id="paragraph11">C <span>Mitch Morse</span>: 75</p>
<p id="paragraph13">LT Donald Stephenson: 75</p>
<p id="paragraph14">LT Eric Fisher: 75</p>
<h3>Quarterback</h3>
<p id="paragraph15">QB <span>Alex Smith</span>: 75</p>
<h3>Wide receiver</h3>
<p id="paragraph16">WR Jeremy Maclin: 74</p>
<p>WR <span>Chris Conley</span>: 68</p>
<p id="paragraph19">WR Jason Avant: 34</p>
<p>WR De'Anthony Thomas: 15</p>
<h3>Running back</h3>
<p id="paragraph21">RB Jamaal Charles: 59</p>
<p id="paragraph23">RB Charcandrick West: 17</p>
<p>FB Anthony Sherman: 5</p>
<h3>Tight ends</h3>
<p id="paragraph24">TE Travis Kelce: 70</p>
<p>TE <span>James O'Shaughnessy</span>: 17</p>
<p id="paragraph25">TE Demetrius Harris: 16</p>
<h3>Cornerback</h3>
<p id="paragraph27">CB Sean Smith: 52</p>
<p>CB Marcus Peters: 49</p>
<h3>Safety</h3>
<p id="paragraph31">S Ron Parker: 54</p>
<p id="paragraph32">S <span>Eric Berry</span>: 52</p>
<p id="paragraph33">S <span>Husain Abdullah</span>: 33</p>
<p id="paragraph34">S <span>Tyvon Branch</span>: 8</p>
<p>S <span>Daniel Sorensen</span>: 1</p>
<h3>Linebacker</h3>
<p id="paragraph35">LB Derrick Johnson: 54</p>
<p id="paragraph36">LB Justin Houston: 54</p>
<p id="paragraph37">LB Tamba Hali: 42</p>
<p>LB <span>Ramik Wilson</span>: 38</p>
<p>LB Dee Ford: 12</p>
<p id="paragraph38">LB Josh Mauga: 3</p>
<h3>Defensive line</h3>
<p id="paragraph40">NT Dontari Poe: 47</p>
<p>DE Allen Bailey: 44</p>
<p id="paragraph42">DE Jaye Howard: 32</p>
<p id="paragraph43">DE Mike DeVito: 13</p>
<p id="paragraph44">DE Nick Williams: 6</p>
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/5/9453415/the-chiefs-ran-21-more-plays-than-the-bengals-and-scored-15-fewerJoel Thorman2015-10-04T15:23:37-05:002015-10-04T15:23:37-05:00Did you hear the "Smith you suck!" on the broadcast?<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/UniqueCrtiq/status/650768022723010560">Did you hear the "Smith you suck!" on the&nbsp;broadcast?</a></h3>
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https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/4/9450743/did-you-hear-the-smith-you-suck-on-the-broadcastJoel Thorman2015-10-04T15:20:37-05:002015-10-04T15:20:37-05:00Chiefs kick field goals, Bengals score touchdowns
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<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 36-21.</p>
<p>Find the stats<a href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015100403/2015/REG4/chiefs@bengals#menu=drivechart&tab=analyze&pbp=gc-pbp-cd"> HERE</a>.</p>
<p>What we learned...</p>
<h3>Touchdowns > Field goals</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chiefs</a> kicker <span>Cairo Santos</span> had SEVEN field goals in the game. That's nice for him but that was the problem for the Chiefs; they couldn't find the end zone. The worst field goal decision came when the Chiefs were down by 14 points with nine minutes left in the game. Andy Reid decided to kick the field goal there instead of go for the touchdown on fourth down. I'm not really sure what he accomplished by kicking it there (besides Cairo Santos' franchise record for field goals in a game ... the NFL record is eight)</p>
<h3>Is there something wrong with the defense?</h3>
<p>Maybe? I don't know. Part of me wants to write this off as facing <span>Aaron Rodgers</span> and <span>Andy Dalton</span>, who is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league right now. Another part of me wonders if there is more to it. The Chiefs have good corners and good safeties (at least I think). They're supposed to be one of the best defenses in the league. Why can't they step up and make a play? Where are the turnovers? Is this a scheme issue? They're not really a 30-point a game defense, are they?</p>
<h3>Travis Kelce's fumbles crop up</h3>
<p>Remember the Arizona game last year where Kelce lost a critical fumble (and we're not sure if it was really a fumble)? The same thing happened in this game as Kelce fumbled, which led to a Bengals touchdown. CBS's ref expert, Mike Carey, predicted the call would be overturned and ruled NOT a fumble because Kelce's arm was down. The refs on the field didn't see it that way and ruled it a fumble. The Bengals went down and scored. It was a big play at the time because the Chiefs were within six points.</p>
<h3>Chiefs passing game came alive</h3>
<p>For the second straight week, <span>Jeremy Maclin</span> surpasses the century mark. He had eight receptions for 140 yards last week and 11 catches for 148 yards this week. <span>Alex Smith</span> looked sharper and stretched the field more than he has in any game that I can remember. He finished with 376 yards passing on 31-of-45 passing. That was legitimate progress ... which didn't matter because they lost the game. It's not easy but the Chiefs can move the ball with this offensive line.</p>
<h3>1-3 is a big hole for the Chiefs</h3>
<p>The Chiefs move to 1-3 on the season after losing their third straight game to an unbeaten team. They are not this bad; they caught two of the best teams in the league at home in Green Bay and Cincinnati. But it tells you that, while the Chiefs could possibly end up competing for a playoff spot, they are not on the level of the league's best teams. The Chiefs play the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bears</a> next week, which <i>should </i>be a win. It <i>should </i>get them on the right track. If they don't, it's going to be a long season.</p>
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/4/9450449/chiefs-bengals-final-score-andy-dalton-cairo-santos-field-goalsJoel Thorman2015-10-04T14:38:21-05:002015-10-04T14:38:21-05:00Alex Smith's record when defense gives up 20 points<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/cdotharrison/status/650756695015030784">Alex Smith's record when defense gives up 20&nbsp;points</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Ouch.</p></p></div>
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/4/9450389/alex-smiths-record-when-defense-gives-up-20-pointsJoel Thorman2015-10-04T12:50:07-05:002015-10-04T12:50:07-05:00Alex is hit hard by Michael Johnson<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/PFF_Sam/status/650728855997693952">Alex is hit hard by Michael&nbsp;Johnson</a></h3>
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https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2015/10/4/9449869/alex-is-hit-hard-by-michael-johnsonJoel Thorman