Chiefs pull shocker in Denver!
THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS DOMINATE DENVER IN SEASON FINALE, by Wayne Hodges
DENVER, CO – How bout dem Kansas City Chiefs? In what could be described as their best performance to date, the Chiefs (4-12) made quick waste of the floundering Denver Broncos (8-8) in a shocking 44-24 upset. It was KC’s first win ever at Invesco Field. KC halfback Jamaal Charles delivered a classic Walter Payton impersonation; rushing for a career high and team record 259 yards on just 25 carries. Looking back, Larry Johnson’s dismissal was truly a blessing in disguise for the Chiefs. To call Charles a ‘diamond in the ruff’ would be a silly understatement.
The Broncos tipped their hat to the speedy Charles. But, needless to say, the donkeys are still pissed. “Charles is a good back, no doubt about it,” said frustrated Denver defensive end Vonnie Holiday. “We knew that coming in. But what did he have, 300 yards by himself? That’s embarrassing.” Hey, don’t hate. Give the young man his props. After all, the former standout at the University of Texas has been absolutely stellar since taking over the starting job a few weeks ago. Only Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, a 2000-yard rusher, has had more success the past 8 weeks. Had Charles not volunteered to come out the game early, he would’ve easily shattered Adrian Peterson’s single game rushing record of 296 yards.
“I could have [gone] back into the game, but I just went up to the coach [and said] I’m satisfied right now,” said a modest Charles (pictured above). “I’ll get it some other time.” Charles, however, wasn’t the only former Longhorn with a breakout game. Derrick Johnson, the talented linebacker who has spent the majority of the season inside Chiefs coach Todd Haley’s doghouse, returned two Kyle Orton interceptions for touchdowns. The first was a highlight reel grab where Johnson elevated off the ground while backpedaling into coverage. He then sprinted 45 yards to pay-dirt, setting the Chiefs up with a surprising 27-17 lead.
Johnson’s second pick was equally crafty. He simply baited Orton by pretending to blitz before dropping back into a zone. An unsuspecting Orton fired the ball directly into Johnson’s hands. 60 yards later, it was another spectacular touchdown return; good for a 37-24 advantage. And the Broncos would never threaten again. It should be noted; Denver coach Josh McDaniels deactivated Pro-Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler prior to game time for disciplinary reasons. To be frank, I’m not sure either would’ve made a difference. Underachieving wideout Jabar Gaffney filled in rather nicely by reeling in a career high 14 receptions for 213 yards as Marshall’s replacement.
Overachieving veteran Chris Chambers led KC in receiving with 80 yards on 5 catches. The quarterback battle, at least statistically, was a complete mismatch. A prolific Orton completed 32 of 56 passes for 431 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. His counterpart, Chiefs QB Matt Cassel, went 13 of 24 for 207 yards with no TD’s and one pick. KC, as a team, compiled a mind-boggling 317 yards rushing to the Broncos 84. Defense was a complete non-factor as both teams accumulated well over 500 yards of total offense.
Denver, after starting the season with an impressive 6-0 record, has flopped for the second consecutive year. Afterwards, McDaniels vowed there would be some psychological changes. “We’ve got to look at what may be the common denominator in why we’re not finishing better than we’re finishing,” said a puzzled McDaniels. “I can’t speak for years prior, but I can speak for this year and we certainly didn’t play nearly as well in the second half of the season as we did in the first half. We’ve got to find an answer. This isn’t an acceptable ending to the season.”
As for the Chiefs? The victory is bittersweet. The win, as impressive as it was, cost KC at least a couple spots in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Chiefs have secured the 5th overall pick. The chances Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will be available at that slot are practically slim to none. If you were Haley, what would you have done? Play to win against a bitter rival? Or better your draft position by inserting a bunch of young and/or unproven players into the lineup for evaluation? Haley’s choice was obvious. Now let’s wait and see if it was the correct move.
Wayne Hodges, an MBA from St. Mary University, is the Editor-in-Chief of “Mass Appeal News.” He is also an adjunct professor, MPA at Kansas University, and intern with the Kansas Senate. Wayne welcomes your comments at whodges@massappealnews.com
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January 5th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Hodges are you crazy??? You go for the win everytime. The Chiefs suck at drafting anyway. A higher pick wouldn’t do us any good. I don’t care how good N. Suh is, the Chiefs will still figure out a way to screw him up. Look at Ryan Sims, Glen Dorsey, Tank Tyler, Tyson Jackson hell i can go on and on. Nah dog, the Chiefs need to learn how to win a game. We can worry about the draft later.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:41 am
I understand where KC Dave is coming from. But I believe the Chiefs could use a defensive lineman with the size and power that Suh has. The D-Line in my opinion is the weakest area on the team. Dorsey and Tyson Jackson look like busts to me. Suh if Im not mistaken is a cant miss prospect. the Chiefs cant apply any pressure with the D-linemen they have and now the corners are starting to get exposed. Suh can fix the pass rush by himself.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:44 am
dude how many times do i have to say it: THE CHIEFS SUCK NO MATTER WHO THEY DRAFT!!! the coach is bad. the GM is bad. The cheerleaders are bad. The hot dogs are bad. The beer is bad. The philly cheesesteak is bad. the whole damn organization is bad.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
yeh gotta agree…the chiefs need to re-tool the entire coaching staff and get some players. dwayne bowe is not a go-to receiver. we need to upgrade that position. haley and derrick johnson need to kiss and make up cause we need him on the field. DJ makes to many plays to be ridin da bench. i am not a big fan of matt cassel but they gave him $60 mil so he aint goin nowhere. But at least we discovered Jamaal Charles is a pro-bowl caliber runningback. we still need a pro-bowl caliber defensive lineman and a pass catchin tight end. i hope the chiefs dont blow this draft pick.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
I think hiring Charlie Weis to coordinate our offense was a good move. We still need to get some players obviously, but we got some pieces to work with. J. Charles is the best runningback the Chiefs have had since Priest Holmes. Now we have to shore up the offensive line, re-tool the safeties and add a play-making wide receiver and we might contend next year. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.