We've lost so infrequently over the past couple years that I think we've forgotten how to do it. And how to cope with it as fans.
That defensive performance was about as pathetic as I can ever remember. Literally no saving grace on that front. And that's concerning. But we can acknowledge that these two matchups were particularly bad for this team and we've seen Spags' defenses look lost in the past only to make adjustments and find a way to improve to semi-respectable.
The reality is we played a NUMBER of close games like this last year and each and every time the ball bounced our way. Now, a lot of that is because we have Mahomes who has papered over endless deficiencies for the last few years, but even as a recently as last week, if Chubb doesn't fumble, do we win that game? What is the narrative like then?
Clyde looks bad. Like, even below the status of a normal JAG running back. But I don't think you can fault Andy for running the ball in that situation. It's not like the guy has a LeSean McCoy recent history of fumbling for you (or at all). It happened. It sucks.
Anyway, guys, this is no different from prior seasons. We can beat any team. We have Mahomes and 99% of the time Clyde isn't fumbling there, Butker kicks a FG, we end up winning the game, and we're all doing cartwheels and looking forward to the Chargers. It didn't happen here, but that doesn't make us materially worse as a football team.
This team ex-Mahomes has been soft. Hopefully this toughens us up. We'll be fine. [Reply]
The defense has improved in the past, yes, but there were a number of circumstances that may not be entirely applicable this year.
For whatever reason, Clark played up from his usual level of complete waste of space to decent for a stretch of games. Not sure that happens again.
The defense in 2019 needing time to develop cohesion is understandable given it was a completely new scheme with a bunch of new key contributors. Absolutely no excuse or reason for optimism except they just sucked so badly it can only go up from here.
There's also not a lot out there to plug in and fix the problem. Pennel and Suggs were arguably the adds that elevated this defense to championship level in 2019, and I'm not seeing a whole lot out there that Veach can pick up. Seeing the performances up to this point I am fucking baffled and more than a bit pissed we had Ingram in and let him leave without a contract.
As it stands I'm getting 2018 vibes from this defense and that's a horrible feeling to have. [Reply]
Fucking hell, CEH... I hope this is the start of his redemption arc but I seriously doubt it. Still can't believe that every trait that supposedly made him a worthwhile first round draft pick have just vanished into the ether but here we are. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
The defense has improved in the past, yes, but there were a number of circumstances that may not be entirely applicable this year.
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As it stands I'm getting 2018 vibes from this defense and that's a horrible feeling to have.
No disagreement there. I'm more making the point that this defense has much better coaching, better leadership, and better talent than the 2018 version. And it's found its way to show up in the past when we've needed it to.
Even in the Browns game, it felt like there were adjustments made that put us in a better spot.
It seemed more out of character that yesterday we seemed to have no more success defensively in the second half than we did in the first. I'm not ready to concede that as the expected norm. [Reply]
CEH had 46 rushing yards...46. Oh, and a game ending fumble.
That's...well, not good. He runs hard, but largely is not a factor 2 games in a row.
But that _efense...what the actual hell? Shades of 2018 indeed. We ain't going anywhere with that kind of production on D. It was nice to get a couple of INT's, but if a team has a half way competent rushing attack, we're not going to have much success on defense. Offensively, we'll score, but as last night proved, it may not always be enough.
Feels like 2018 again. We just needed a fucking stop at the end and can't do it. Ugh. [Reply]
Partly, yesterday's game was the Ravens desperate to finally beat the Chiefs. Better here, where adjustments can be made, than in the playoffs. The AFC is going to be very interesting this year. [Reply]
If only we could trade 4 or 5 of CEH's names for an extra yard or two on his per carry average.
Or at this point I'd also take holding onto the damn fucking ball on a motherfucking handoff and getting tackled at the LOS. Literally if he just pulls a Mike Cloud we fucking win.
Worthless piece of shit fuckface running back [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
Went to bed embarrassed and mad. Woke up fine.
We've lost so infrequently over the past couple years that I think we've forgotten how to do it. And how to cope with it as fans.
That defensive performance was about as pathetic as I can ever remember. Literally no saving grace on that front. And that's concerning. But we can acknowledge that these two matchups were particularly bad for this team and we've seen Spags' defenses look lost in the past only to make adjustments and find a way to improve to semi-respectable.
The reality is we played a NUMBER of close games like this last year and each and every time the ball bounced our way. Now, a lot of that is because we have Mahomes who has papered over endless deficiencies for the last few years, but even as a recently as last week, if Chubb doesn't fumble, do we win that game? What is the narrative like then?
Clyde looks bad. Like, even below the status of a normal JAG running back. But I don't think you can fault Andy for running the ball in that situation. It's not like the guy has a LeSean McCoy recent history of fumbling for you (or at all). It happened. It sucks.
Anyway, guys, this is no different from prior seasons. We can beat any team. We have Mahomes and 99% of the time Clyde isn't fumbling there, Butker kicks a FG, we end up winning the game, and we're all doing cartwheels and looking forward to the Chargers. It didn't happen here, but that doesn't make us materially worse as a football team.
This team ex-Mahomes has been soft. Hopefully this toughens us up. We'll be fine.
Embarrassed? What for? It’s not like you coached this team. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
The defense has improved in the past, yes, but there were a number of circumstances that may not be entirely applicable this year.
For whatever reason, Clark played up from his usual level of complete waste of space to decent for a stretch of games. Not sure that happens again.
The defense in 2019 needing time to develop cohesion is understandable given it was a completely new scheme with a bunch of new key contributors. Absolutely no excuse or reason for optimism except they just sucked so badly it can only go up from here.
There's also not a lot out there to plug in and fix the problem. Pennel and Suggs were arguably the adds that elevated this defense to championship level in 2019, and I'm not seeing a whole lot out there that Veach can pick up. Seeing the performances up to this point I am ****ing baffled and more than a bit pissed we had Ingram in and let him leave without a contract.
As it stands I'm getting 2018 vibes from this defense and that's a horrible feeling to have.
We didn't really add much last year either. But by the end of the season we got sneaky good on D. For whatever reason spags defense seems to start the season very slowly. [Reply]
These past two weeks we have played teams as good as any in the AFC. We will face one or both again. We could have lost or won either game. Same story down the road. Our margin for error has rarely been great. It’s not like us to fumble away the game at the end. I kept thinking the couple times we were up 11 with the ball. TD here and it’s over. We had at least two chances to do that. Not running so many times on first down would help. The Ravens got little pressure. Let Pat just dice them up. They could not cover anyone but Hill. [Reply]
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
We didn't really add much last year either. But by the end of the season we got sneaky good on D. For whatever reason spags defense seems to start the season very slowly.
I could be wrong here, but when we hired Spags as the DC, I thought I remembered reading where his first season or so at each place he was at his defenses were top 5 units. And they quickly fell to bottom 5 units. If so, we may be following that pattern again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Coogs:
I could be wrong here, but when we hired Spags as the DC, I thought I remembered reading where his first season or so at each place he was at his defenses were top 5 units. And they quickly fell to bottom 5 units. If so, we may be following that pattern again.
Sorry, but that kind of thinking is worthless unless you come up with some reasons why that has happened in the past.
It's not like the players go, "Welp, it's year 3 of the Spags system. Time to play like shit!" [Reply]