Fountain City Blues
Love Everybody
well, really, the chiefs season from here will depend on how they adjust to what offenses are doing to them over the past month. o-coordinators started to figure out that the way to beat the aggressive, up-field chiefs defense is to run the ball and implement a quick, short passing game. and it's working. the chiefs gave up about 460 yards a game during november.
whether hali/houston are healthy really doesn't matter at this point because they have been non-factors for a month. the chiefs need to re-think their defense or teams will continue doing this to them. and all 5 of the chiefs remaining opponents have proven they can run the ball and/or implement a successful short, quick passing game. which is why i say i could easily see them only winning 1 of their remaining games. if they can't be successful in their adjustments on defense, they are in trouble.
I agree and disagree on some of the things said in your post:
Non-factors? Absolutely not, they were getting a substantial amount of pressure on Rivers and were being chipped constantly prior to injury. Hali and Houston being non-factors in November is not what the play-calling, the chips on Hali and Houston, and pressures indicate at all.
Yes, of course adjustments are needed, and unless Sutton is awful at his job, he should be able to do it with the plethora of talent at his disposal regardless of the absence of Houston. It is well documented the crossing routes/picks have been used to exploit the rookie Cooper and the terribad angles from whoever is playing safety not named Eric Berry.
Can't stop the run? Seems rather questionable. Outside of the Redskins, none of the opponents on the upcoming schedule have proven that they can run the ball against the Chiefs. Even in the defensive meltdown against the Chargers, the YPCA is 3.9 with Hali and Houston being superior run defenders to Zombo and Moses as well as DeVito not being present due to injury as well. Granted, the YPC given up to RB's this year is right around 4.0, but outside of Spiller (Buff), McCoy (Phi), and Jackson (Buff), who has blown up this Run D in any way, shape, or form? The answer would be nobody on a consistent basis. This tells me that unless you have well above average to elite backs and/or a mobile QB, you can't run the ball for a respectable or consistent YPC against the Chiefs.
Short passing Game is the biggy, the YAC quite frankly, is out of control. It was somewhat understandable against Denver ( in fact, they held them to their lowest point total at home this season) given how successful they have been throwing the ball this season, but it does get on my nerves to see a simple Crossing/Mesh play go 20 yards. My only objection to this premise is almost all the QB's on the schedule, with the exception of Manning and Rivers, are highly questionable right now. The soft zone against Buffalo made some deal of sense (and worked, look at the points allowed:13) given the QB was an UDFAR. With all of this being said, I doubt KC "stops" Denver regardless unless they force turnovers (or Denver does it to themselves as they did in NE).
RG3's problems are well documented, if anything, he has proven he can't throw the ball worth a crap if he can't run.
Mcgloin is no known commodity, period. However, Mcgloin does look somewhat competent so far with an awful O-line and very meh receivers.
Luck (and the Colts in general) haven't looked anything like the team that beat the Broncos just a few short weeks ago, and quite frankly, they look awful all around... including Luck. Additionally, this game would be in Arrowhead with Houston more than likely healthy. It seems rather questionable to say Luck will tear up the Chiefs Defense when he didn't even come close to doing that last year against a 2-14 team that isn't nearly up to par with its cousin in 2013.
While I agree with that if the Defense can't adjust, then the team will have a hard time winning games ( would probably be a fireable offense given the amount of talent on the Defense and stubborn coaching) I don't agree that Hali, and Houston in November was irrelevant at all. I certainly don't agree the offenses outside of SD, Den, and MAYBE Washington if RG3 looks like 2012 RG3 can put up points (yards are rather irrelevant in the end) on the Chiefs defense.