Playoffs!

I haven't blogged in over 2 weeks.  Those who wondered if I was sick or worse, no I am not dead.  You be the judge of whether I am sick.

Over that 2 week stretch, a rather amazing thing happened.  The Chiefs made the playoffs.  The Chiefs have proved my prognostication skills are lacking several times this year.  First it was the opening game of the season, played in a rainstorm on Monday Night Football.  Going in, I saw no way for the Chiefs to win that game.  The Chargers were and still are a better team on paper, but have one glaring problem.  They can't win in bad weather as proved in their last loss to Cincinnati.  The Chiefs also proved me wrong by winning the last 3 games of the season.  I felt they could only win 1 or 2.  But with St. Louis and Tennessee games won handily, only Oakland remains.  This was to be a war with the winner going to the playoffs.  In that scenario it would have been a difficult win.  But with the conference title wrapped up and Oakland already eliminated from the playoffs, the Chiefs should win this game rather easily and finish with an 11-5 record.  Impressive on the surface.

I still hold the belief the Chiefs were given an easy schedule so that pro football would remain viable in Kansas City.  This team is marginally better than last year's 4-12 team. But due to weakness of schedule, they will be 11-5 and realistically could be 13-3.  They let 2 wins slip through their fingers in Houston and Oakland.  Do you remember the old man from KC that predicted a 8-8 season, only to be rebuffed by the young kid from Memphis, the self-proclaimed football expert?  That kid predicted a 4-12 season.  I don't feel a bit embarrassed by my 8-8 prediction.

The Chiefs deserve their playoff spot.  They had a very good season, weak schedule not withstanding.  They were just that bad the past few years.  But before KC becomes giddy with visions of a Super Bowl, a little realism is in order.  In the first round of the playoffs, KC will likely face the Jets, Steelers or Ravens.  If they draw the Jets, it could be an entertaining game.  If it is the Steelers or Ravens, forget about it.  Remember that each of these 3 teams compiled a similar season record playing a much tougher schedule.  Expect the Chiefs to go down in the first round. Bet the house on it.