That wasn’t enjoyable. It was annoying.
I feel the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are clearly the higher workforce than the Jacksonville Jaguars. They simply weren’t the higher workforce on this recreation.
The Chiefs squandered a 14-point lead after which regained it with beneath two minutes remaining — solely to lose on what needs to be essentially the most uncoordinated and awkward-looking game-winning touchdowns within the historical past of the game.
Nonetheless, we must always give credit score to the Jaguars; they made a play once they needed to, and successful ugly beats dropping fairly any day of the week.
Sadly for the Chiefs, they didn’t do both. They dropped their third recreation of the season, dropping 31-28 on “Monday Night time Soccer.”
Listed below are 5 issues we discovered.
1. Proper now, particular groups aren’t very particular
This may need been the worst particular groups efficiency I’ve seen in a recreation the place the kicker didn’t miss a area purpose.
Nonetheless, Harrison Butker determined to take it a step additional, kicking the ball out of bounds with beneath two minutes left to play when the Jaguars had just one timeout remaining. On prime of that, the Chiefs dedicated so many holding penalties on kick returns that I needed to double-check to ensure Jawaan Taylor wasn’t enjoying particular groups.
On the finish of the day, this efficiency falls squarely on particular groups coordinator Dave Toub.
2. It’s arduous to cowl pace and mobility
The Chiefs rolled zone protection in opposition to Nabers. This week, Spagnuolo put a linebacker spy on Jackson. It is going to be thrilling to see what he attracts up subsequent week when Kansas Metropolis travels to Florida to face a sneaky Jacksonville Jaguars workforce.
Spagnuolo reverted again to the consolation zone that obtained them in hassle in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s no secret that the Chiefs wrestle to generate fast wins with their move rush. To compensate, Spagnuolo determined to blitz the pants off the Jaguars. The issue? Most of the time, the gamble didn’t repay. The rushers didn’t get residence — and with their pants nonetheless firmly in place, Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence was capable of finding favorable matchups — that are inevitable when in opposition to a blitz.
That included blitzing the slot cornerback, which left safeties in one-on-one conditions in opposition to a pair of elite athletes: Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter.
The issue wasn’t simply schematic. With out the blitz, the Chiefs nonetheless couldn’t generate constant stress — and it was lots simpler to lock up Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins than Thomas and Hunter.
3. The Chiefs aren’t successful high-leverage conditions
We’ve all seen the graphic on Chiefs broadcasts. Final season, the workforce went 11-0 in one-score video games and set an NFL report by successful 17 straight one-score contests.
However no one wins each single shut recreation without end. It’s the Legislation of Averages, proper?
False. The Legislation of Averages is a gambler’s fallacy.
Whereas randomness exists in soccer (the ball bouncing the unsuitable approach, for instance), most outcomes are inside a workforce’s management, and previous outcomes don’t affect future ones. Every play — like every coin flip — is an remoted occasion. So even when a coin lands on heads six occasions in a row, it’s nonetheless a 50 % probability the following flip lands on heads.
What’s occurring to the Chiefs in these shut video games isn’t unhealthy luck; it’s unhealthy efficiency in high-leverage moments.
Previously, Nick Bolton would have pushed Isaiah Probably out of the again of the tip zone to stop a landing. Now, Chamarri Conner will get flagged for move interference in the long run zone.
Previously, the Chiefs may transfer the ball from their very own 20-yard line and arrange a game-tying area purpose in 13 seconds. Now, a superb kick return will get worn out by an inexcusable holding penalty — and Hollywood Brown fails to get his head round, letting the ball bounce off his shoulder pads.
The Chiefs aren’t stepping up and making performs once they should. They’re standing there and watching as one other win slips by way of their fingers.
4. There isn’t a dominant workforce within the AFC
That is precisely what the NFL needed: a league filled with 9-8 groups, with video games coming right down to the wire and parity reigning supreme. The system is constructed to stop dynasties — and for years, the Chiefs have discovered methods to thumb their nostril at these efforts.
I’m nonetheless not able to throw within the towel on this season. It’s secure to say this workforce isn’t successful 14 video games, however it most likely doesn’t should. The AFC is full of groups which can be simply adequate to beat anybody and simply flawed sufficient to lose to anybody.
Whether or not due to accidents, inconsistency or underperformance, the convention is huge open — and it’ll doubtless keep that approach till late December.
5. This model of the speeding assault may simply work
Certain… Patrick Mahomes was nonetheless the workforce’s main rusher on this recreation. However it didn’t really feel prefer it was as a result of the Chiefs couldn’t run the ball. For as soon as, the bottom recreation was efficient.
Kansas Metropolis’s operating backs mixed for 15 carries and 89 yards — practically six yards per try. You’ll take that any day of the week.
An enormous motive for that success was a extra balanced utilization of Kareem Hunt’s dependability, Isiah Pacheco’s burst, and the X-factor that rookie Brashard Smith brings. It wasn’t excellent, however it was progress — and that’s one thing to construct on.
