Thoughts after the Chiefs playoff loss.

[Pappy13]

Weather and aggressive CBs took out our passing game. It was a game we needed to be able to run it between the tackles and like many times ... we just couldn't do it. Until we get that fixed we will have similar results to this year. We have to be able to run even when they know it is coming. Maybe we can sign Derrick Henry for just that? hahaha

Or a couple of offensive lineman? We need an offensive line that can move the line of scrimmage a yard or 2 and not hope that a RB can find a hole.

[masterfins]

I liked Smythe a lot and thought he was a better fit here than Gesicki.  Smythe would run in the seam and was effective, but was a good blocker.

I think a bigger issue is o-line that can control the run game in short yardage.  I really do think that would do a lot to open things up.  Once teams figured out that we have to run WR screens out of shotgun on short yardage, we were cooked.  It kills drives.

I agree.  Smythe did exactly what McDaniels' game plan wanted him to do.  Blocked well and caught a few passes here and there.

[Phishfan]

I agree.  Smythe did exactly what McDaniels' game plan wanted him to do.  Blocked well and caught a few passes here and there.

I haven't checked the stats but it doesn't feel like drops were a problem either. If his number was called he caught most of what he should.

[Dave Gray]

I haven't checked the stats but it doesn't feel like drops were a problem either. If his number was called he caught most of what he should.

I noticed this too.  Nobody drops a tough 3rd down catch like Gesicki.  We were calling his number on tough plays, but Smythe seemed to be more "naturally" open.

[CF DolFan]

I haven't checked the stats but it doesn't feel like drops were a problem either. If his number was called he caught most of what he should.

Smythe was the third leading receiver on the team this year. He can catch when they throw it to him.
Durham Smythe TE He was 35 of 43 with 366 yards besting Cedrick Wilson Jr.    

[CF DolFan]

Or a couple of offensive lineman? We need an offensive line that can move the line of scrimmage a yard or 2 and not hope that a RB can find a hole.

That would work too. Kyle Crabbs who is a numbers guy was on Joe Rose today and brought this up. He said the next evolution for this offense is to be able to run between the tackles. He then said with all the rushing yards we had that we were towards the bottom between the tackles.

[Downunder Dolphan]

I thought the O-line did a fantastic job, in spite of all the injuries.  I didn't see Tua running for his life every play, like in some prior seasons.  Sure there can be upgrades, I'd love to see them draft an All Pro Center to solidify the line.

I agree, I thought it was pretty decent the majority of the game. Overall this season I've been happy enough with how Armstead, Wynn, Hunt, Jackson, Jones and Cotton have played.

Williams is going to be the big question mark as to if he can come back at Center after that ACL injury, especially as he wants a big contract. Do we go after someone else?

[Downunder Dolphan]

Weather and aggressive CBs took out our passing game. It was a game we needed to be able to run it between the tackles and like many times ... we just couldn't do it. Until we get that fixed we will have similar results to this year.

The frustrating thing was that during the game, Mostert ripped off five runs in a row for positive yardage (particularly to the left behind Armstead). Then on 3rd and 1, we follow it up with a short pass behind the line of scrimmage that went nowhere, and another incomplete pass on 4th down.

Stuff like that just drives me crazy! It's a cold weather game, we're starting to get some momentum rushing the ball, and physically hurting their defense in the process... and McDaniel gets cute and blows it.  

[Downunder Dolphan]

I have a mixture of thoughts about this loss - about how it went as a game and where it sits in the season in whole.

Disappointing yes, but not unexpected. Given our injuries, we were up against it - throw in Tua's first game in those sort of conditions and an injury to his throwing hand going in, I wasn't expecting an awful lot to go our way - and it didn't.

Probably the most disappointing thing was McDaniel - he didn't seem to take into account the conditions and the team they were playing in any part of his thought process. Maybe it's because he's a second year coach, maybe he was too cocky and stubborn, maybe he smoked a little too much of the medicinal green going in?

We needed to get off to a good start - so after winning the toss we defer to the Chiefs who march right down for the TD and we're 7-0 down. He persisted with the short throws way behind the down line hoping the receivers can make up the yardage in icy conditions. All he had to do was look at how the Chiefs were succeeding - with passes beyond the first down marker... but we seemed to go back to (in those conditions) the high risk/low reward plays, that not surprisingly, failed.

We were off right from the beginning, and when we seemed to get a bit of momentum going, would shoot ourselves in the foot. The Wilson illegal formation penalty was a killer in the context of the game - the next pass Tua forced it, and the rest is history... Abandoning the run after Mostert just ripped off five successful rushes was just as frustrating and deflating.

Fangio's group had a poor first series, then battled hard the rest of the game. Most of Mahomes success was whenever we went with a four man rush and zone defense, which he proceeded to pick apart (plus the occasional run). I'm guessing our lack of depth meant we couldn't blitz even more than we did - it would have been ideal to get in his face every snap (like we did when we shocked the Chiefs early last year) but maybe that was never going to happen.

So that's the end of the season and it sucks to go out like this. Ultimately though, what happened was no worse than the Eagles, and nowhere near as bad as the Cowboys (who had no excuses at all for that abysmal display).