Week 4 AFC West Roundup
By Justin Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
3rd Place in AFC West
Record: 2-2
Last Game: Loss at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) 43-14
Next Game: Bye Week
The score of last week’s game looks bad on paper. The game looked much worse in action. You could’ve told me that game ended 72-7 and I wouldn’t have blinked. The Steelers could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, in all phases of the game.
Ben Roethlisberger had 5 TDs (he could’ve had 9 if he wanted), including one to former Raider Darrius Heyward-Bey — who double-clutched a wide-open pass and almost dropped it, Raider fans — and looked bored by the third quarter.
The Chargers did the same to the Chiefs for three quarters in Week 1. There have been seven quarters of the 2016 season out of the 16 played where the Chiefs didn’t look like a bona fide NFL football team.
Yet they’re 2-2. How? Well, as I say every week: that’s the Chiefs. They are the Accountant of the NFL, without any of the intriguing mystery or coolness. Who is this team?
One that is aging on defense and it shows. Justin Houston is sorely missed. Derrick Johnson is still great but can only do so much. Tamba Hali actually celebrated making a tackle in the third quarter against the Steelers while they were being shut-out in the third quarter. No doubt — it’s the only play he’s made all year.
Marcus Peters is young and great at snaring interceptions — one of the best in the league. He’s also the best at giving up touchdowns and big plays. The rest of their secondary is nondescript and beaten repeatedly by all Steeler offensive weapons last week.
They need this bye week to re-assess themselves and decide on an identity. Do they want Alex Smith to make more plays? Keep running the ball? Will Jamaal Charles make a big difference when he returns? What is wrong with the defense?
The Raiders will find out as they play the Chiefs in Week 6 after KC’s bye. The Steelers showed KC can be torched by the deep ball. Carr can throw one hell of a deep ball. Fun times.