MVN - Most Valuable Network

Chiefs’ Offense Must Perform Against Denver, Or the Season Is Over

I am going to put this bluntly- if the Kansas City offense does not score at least 20 points against Denver on Sunday, then the Chiefs can start preparing for next year.  It does not matter if they win 10-0, 14-3, or 19-6; if the Chiefs do not score 20, their season is over.

It does not matter that Larry Johnson will not play.  It does not matter that the primary running backs for the game, Priest Holmes and Kolby Smith, have rushed for 17 yards total on the season (22 if you add Kris Wilson to the mix).  It does not matter that Rudy Niswanger might be in line to start his first NFL game of his career.  It does not matter that both starting tackles of a porous offensive line are banged up.

The fact of the matter is, their opponent this week has one of the most porous defenses in the league.  This Denver defense is likely to give up as many rushing yards in the first half as their opponent gives up in the entire game.   This Denver defense is coming off an embarrassing whipping against a Detroit team that seemed to do what it wanted whenever it wanted, a feat Detroit fans had rarely seen before.

Thus, the Chiefs can’t make any excuses anymore.  They must not only score points, but also have no more than two three-and-outs for the entire game.  They must not only gain significant yards, but gain them through the ground game.  They must give their defense incentive, but more importantly, they must give their defense a rest.

All eyes should not be on Priest Holmes or Kolby Smith.  Nor should those eyes focus on Damon Huard or Brodie Croyle.  All eyes should be on the right side of the offensive line, primarily the right guard.  Last week, Niswanger entered the game very early to replace a very disappointing John Welbourn.  The starting right tackle is undecided as well; it could be either Chris Terry or Kyle Turley.  Whatever the combination, that right side will be crucial because Holmes will look to bounce outside if the Broncos clog up the middle.  It will not matter if Mike Solari insists on attacking the middle.  If Holmes feels that his best shot is to bounce it out, he will do so and he will do so quickly.  Therefore, it is imperative for Niswanger/Welbourn to hold their ground and keep their man anchored, while Terry/Turley show enough mobility and guile to pave a way for Holmes on the outside.

The Chiefs simply cannot survive by rushing for 79.5 yards per game.  It will not matter if San Diego continues losing games it should not lose, because the Chiefs may not win games they should win unless they show that they can at least accomplish something against a bad defense.  Far be it for me to declare this game an automatic win, because it is not, but if the Chiefs’ offense does not score 20 points on Sunday, then go ahead and declare that the rebuilding project has begun.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 8:56 am and is filed under Preview, Analysis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.