December 27th, 2010, Monday
On the Cover
Gateway to the West
Gateway to the West
The Chiefs win the AFC West
With all the talk about the San Diego Chargers in December someone forgot to mention to the Chiefs that they were not supposed to win the West. After defeating the defending West champions on the first Monday night of the season the Chiefs have not looked back.
After 16 weeks of sitting in first place of the AFC West with their decisive win over the Titans this past weekend the Kansas City Chiefs have locked down their first division title since the 2003 season. It really should come as no surprise seeing the Chiefs win the division when you look at how they got it done.
The Chiefs were not expected to contend for the division title this season, but rather the Chargers were the preseason pick. And when the Bolts started to play and look better in December a lot of folks, including myself expected them to take the division as they have time and again. One thing I did overlook was Todd Haley and the Chiefs.
From week one the Chiefs have clearly been the best team in the AFC West with a balanced offense that features the league’s number one ground attack. The Chiefs have proven this season to be a ball control offense with a run first mentality, but their 28th ranked passing offense led by quarterback Matt Cassel should not be overlooked.
Cassel is having a fantastic (3,001 yards passing, 60.2 completion pct) season under center in only his second season with the Chiefs; his 27 passing touchdowns this season ranks 6th in the league, while his five interceptions rank 2nd fewest. The Chiefs signal caller is also the 5th highest rated passer in the league behind names like; Brady, Rivers, Vick, and Rogers.
While some may be surprised by what the Chiefs have managed in only Todd Haley’s second year at the helm, they should not be. What Haley has done is constructed a well balanced club that in many ways mirrors a team from the northeast (that has enjoyed similar success).
The Chiefs play ball control (ranked 8th in the league in TOP) with the league’s best ground attack lead by running back Jamaal Charles (1,380 yards rushing) and Thomas Jones (6 touchdowns), but they also have weapons with players like wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (15 touchdowns) to stretch the field. The secret to their success is playing mistake free ball and their 11th ranked opportunistic defense (three defensive touchdowns this season); their +10 turnover ratio ranks 5th in the league.
At 10-5 the Chiefs will have a chance this weekend to earn their 11th win of the season with a victory over their divisional rival Oakland Raiders. This is quite a turnaround following a season where they won just four games. With a perfect 7-0 record at home this season and their first playoff game since 2003 to be played at Arrowhead Stadium, the under-rated Chiefs might not be done just yet.
With all the talk about the San Diego Chargers in December someone forgot to mention to the Chiefs that they were not supposed to win the West. After defeating the defending West champions on the first Monday night of the season the Chiefs have not looked back.
After 16 weeks of sitting in first place of the AFC West with their decisive win over the Titans this past weekend the Kansas City Chiefs have locked down their first division title since the 2003 season. It really should come as no surprise seeing the Chiefs win the division when you look at how they got it done.
The Chiefs were not expected to contend for the division title this season, but rather the Chargers were the preseason pick. And when the Bolts started to play and look better in December a lot of folks, including myself expected them to take the division as they have time and again. One thing I did overlook was Todd Haley and the Chiefs.
From week one the Chiefs have clearly been the best team in the AFC West with a balanced offense that features the league’s number one ground attack. The Chiefs have proven this season to be a ball control offense with a run first mentality, but their 28th ranked passing offense led by quarterback Matt Cassel should not be overlooked.
Cassel is having a fantastic (3,001 yards passing, 60.2 completion pct) season under center in only his second season with the Chiefs; his 27 passing touchdowns this season ranks 6th in the league, while his five interceptions rank 2nd fewest. The Chiefs signal caller is also the 5th highest rated passer in the league behind names like; Brady, Rivers, Vick, and Rogers.
While some may be surprised by what the Chiefs have managed in only Todd Haley’s second year at the helm, they should not be. What Haley has done is constructed a well balanced club that in many ways mirrors a team from the northeast (that has enjoyed similar success).
The Chiefs play ball control (ranked 8th in the league in TOP) with the league’s best ground attack lead by running back Jamaal Charles (1,380 yards rushing) and Thomas Jones (6 touchdowns), but they also have weapons with players like wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (15 touchdowns) to stretch the field. The secret to their success is playing mistake free ball and their 11th ranked opportunistic defense (three defensive touchdowns this season); their +10 turnover ratio ranks 5th in the league.
At 10-5 the Chiefs will have a chance this weekend to earn their 11th win of the season with a victory over their divisional rival Oakland Raiders. This is quite a turnaround following a season where they won just four games. With a perfect 7-0 record at home this season and their first playoff game since 2003 to be played at Arrowhead Stadium, the under-rated Chiefs might not be done just yet.
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