Kansas City, Mo. – Having navigated an early-season schedule filled with potholes – like losing their Hall of Fame-caliber offensive lineman for long stretches and their all-star rusher for the remainder of the year – and facing a season-ending slate seemingly designed to ensure the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs insist they’re not out of the playoff race.
“Yeah, we can make it. Why not?” tight end Tony Gonzalez asks. “I’m an optimist.”
Gonzalez embraces what to others would be a sobering scenario. Beginning with Sunday’s game against the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium, four of the Chiefs’ five remaining opponents – Denver, Dallas, the New York Giants and Cincinnati – are in or have a share of first place in their divisions, with a combined record of 31-13.
“We know it will be tough; there’s no doubt about that. Denver is the biggest game we’ve played all year,” Gonzalez said. “But that’s why I know we’ll play well this week. In the past, we’ve definitely been guilty of playing to the level of our opponent. We’ve done it this year. But I can promise you that we won’t hold anything back on Sunday. You can’t do that against a good football team like them.”
The Chiefs’ postseason push actually began last weekend, with a 26-16 victory over a New England team that, while clearly a shadow of its former self, is nonetheless a division leader. But more important than beating the Patriots was how Kansas City did it.
On offense, Kansas City displayed a balance it has lacked much of the season. Larry Johnson, who has led the NFL in rushing since taking over for Priest Homes almost three weeks ago, had 119 yards. Quarterback Trent Green threw for more than 300 yards, not only spreading the ball around to receivers but getting it up the field as well.
With lineman Willie Roaf back on the field after a hamstring injury, Green had the time to make five completions of at least 20 yards against the Patriots. Considered the NFL’s big-play standard, that matched the Chiefs’ total in their previous three games.
“It’s important that we play like that,” Green said. “It just makes everything work better – you run the ball better, which makes the play-action passing work more. And when you go up the field more effectively, defenses can’t just sit on the short routes like they’ve been doing against us.”
And while the Chiefs have been guilty of false-starting when it comes to truly making strides defensively, there have been signs of consistent improvement. In a 45-17 win over Houston two weeks ago, they limited the Texans to 78 yards rushing and allowed them just one third-down conversion in 11 attempts. And while the Patriots were missing Corey Dillon and a few other of their normal offensive components last weekend, Kansas City did hound Tom Brady into four interceptions and sacked him three times.
When New England nudged over the 300-yard mark in total offense, finishing with 306, it marked the first time in four games the Chiefs’ defense, heretofore as cheesy as the latest WB sitcom, had let a team reach that figure.
Now the only question is whether it will amount to too little, too late for this season. The Chiefs would be in better shape if they hadn’t blown an 18-point, second-quarter lead against Philadelphia in October, or laid a three-point egg in a loss to Buffalo this month. But through the injuries and bad losses, Green says, “I never thought we were out of it; if we could win five out of these last six (including last week’s win), we’d be in pretty good shape. And we can do that, too. It’s in our hands.”
That’s what everybody – except perhaps Nick Saban and the Miami Dolphins – thinks at this time of the year. And it’s not like Kansas City will be facing down teams with nothing to play for – none of the opponents on its upcoming Murderer’s Row has clinched anything, and each has a great deal to play for.
Gonzalez admits that at best, the Chiefs probably could lose only one of their last five games and retain any chance of making the playoffs, which pretty much leaves the team in the most difficult of must-win situations each week.
“You can say you don’t talk about the playoffs, but they’re always there,” coach Dick Vermeil said. “You can’t pretend like you’re not trying to be a playoff team, but the thing is, in order to be one you have to play like one.
“I think our guys like that kind of pressure. I think they’ll take this pressure we’re under and use it to motivate us. It will make us work harder, prepare harder and play harder.”
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
