old: 2006 chiefs seahawks picks and recap

sk: yet another one. The follow-up to the San Diego incredible last-second 53 yard field goal win ... was another "holy effing shite!" finish against the defending NFC champs. Plus, it was arguably the best weekend of the season, the seafood fest on Friday night as our good friends from Oregon came in for the game. As always, enjoy. And feel free to comment if I forgot anything, it has been five years ...

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From: stevo.
To: multiple recipients.
Subject: my week eight predictions.
Originally Sent: 10/27/06 9:10am

So, this week's dilemma: should we use the extra hour we gain Sunday morning to (a) sleep in, or (b) start tailgating an hour earlier? Normally in late October, this is an easy call -- you stay under the electric blanket for an extra hour. But, if its really going to be low 80s and sunny, probably the last really nice day of 2006 ... tough call. Tough, tough call.

Last Week SU: 7-6-0
Season to Date SU: 63-37-0

Last Week ATS: 6-7-0
Season to Date ATS: 49-49-2

Last Week Upset / Week: (steve still fighting back tears) Tynes from 53 ... Good! Chiefs Win! Chiefs Win!
Season to Date U / W: 5-2-0
This Week's Upset / Week: Cowboys (+5) over Panthers. I don't get why everyone is writing the Cowboys off. This is still a damned good football team. One loss does not a season cripple ... unless said loss is in the playoffs or for a playoff berth. Monday night's game was for neither.

The Non-Chiefs Picks

at Titans 28 (-3), Texans 10.
at Eagles 31 (-7), Jaguars 20.
at Bengals 28, Falcons 27 (+4).
at Giants 27, Bucs 24 (+9).
at Bears 42 (-16), 49ers 3.
at Packers 24, Cardinals 21 (+3 1/2).
at Saints 31 (-2), Ravens 14.
at Chargers 21, Rams 20 (+9 1/2).
Steelers 13, at Raiders 10 (+8 1/2).
Jets 34 (+2 1/2), at Browns 24.
Cowboys 26 (+5), at Panthers 21.
at Vikings 21 (+1 1/2), Patriots 13.

Biggest Non-Chiefs Game of the Year So Far:

In my "Inside the Numbers" segment this week, I picked denver to win this game. Then came the news that All Pro LT matt lepsis is done for the year. It is not possible to put into words how huge a blow this is for denver, and how huge a gain this is for the Chiefs and Chargers. lepsis was arguably the best left tackle in football. he saved plummer's backside countless times over the years. Or, to put it another way, if you don't think the LT matters, here's two words for you: "Willie Roaf." A Colts win Sunday, coupled with a Chiefs victory, and the Chiefs officially control their own destiny. Under the "The only thing I hate more than rooting for a Manning is rooting for a bronco" Theory ...

Colts 19 (+2 1/2), at donkeys 7.

Chiefs Prediction:

Show up! Be Loud! Root for whoever we put under center, be it Huard, or Croyle, or some dude they pluck out of Lot N because they like how he throws a spiral during tailgating. Be Loud! Rattle their QB making his first ever start! Be, like, really loud! And most important of all, please ... don't leave if the outcome is in doubt. The Chiefs never quit on us last week. Let's return the favor this time, ok? Please? You're a Chiefs fan for crying out loud. The most knowledgable fans in the game. Start acting like it.

(then again, all of us who were there did stay to the end, as far as I know. Good job!)

Seriously, its going to be 80 and sunny at the end of October! Why the hell would you want to leave that early? To go sit in traffic? To beat the line to the port a potties in the parking lot? To go pass out in the car? OK, the last one kind of makes sense ...

Oh, and if somebody wants to keep me informed of the Cup race from Atlanta during the game Sunday, it would be greatly appreciated. (Hint, hint, hint). Kasey's not finished yet ... Go 9 Go! Go Chiefs Go!

Chiefs 24 (-6), Seahawks 3.

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From: stevo.
To: multiple recipients.
Subject: another sunday! another winner!
Originally Sent: 10/30/06, 12:16pm.

So. If you beat two legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the span of eight days, if you beat (arguably) the best all around team in football, and the defending NFC Champions, in the span of a week, does that make you a legitimate Super Bowl contender? :)

Man, I'm having more fun this season than I've had since 1999. I don't know if its the fact that I love our head coach, that I love the return to defense first football, or the fact that this team is so overachieving right now that you can't help but get caught up in it. But whatever the reason, this season has been just awesome to watch unfold. And with the schedule about to take a turn for the better, you gotta figure my excitement is only going to keep growing. Wow, that's a scary thought.

Some thoughts from yesterday:

* 80 and sunny on October 29th. Its like being back in Dallas, just awesome to be outside in.

* 47 home games and counting since I cheered our head coach during introductions. Come on Herm, just once, let them say your name. I'm ready to explode with emotion here.

* that might have been the worst rendetion of the National Anthem ever. First of all, who in the hell came up with the idea of having an Elvis impersonator perform? And what the hell is Eco Elvis? Is he some environmentalist wacko, or an Elvis impersonator? Why give yourself a nickname like that if you aren't going to pimp your cause once you get the mic? I'm confused.

* As frustrating as it was to see live, when you go back and watch the tape of the game, Morelli got two of the three replay challenges right. I thought Branch made the catch on the first challenge, and Branch clearly stripped Allen of the football, got possession, and two feet in, on the final challenge.

* the middle challenge, though ... how could you not rule that as a forward pass? (steve yelling at referee morelli) Its pretty simple here Pete: if a player makes a throwing motion (as Colquitt did), and the ball goes forward (as it did), then its a forward pass, and because said pass hit the ground (as it did), its an incompletion. Not a 62 yard fumble return for a touchdown.

* the first challenge though, it was funny to watch Herm on that. First, he waited through the entire timeout, then waited until Seattle lined up ready to snap the ball, before (literally) sprinting down the sideline and chucking the red flag right at the tight end.

* I had no problems with not going for two on the touchdown right before the half that put us up 19-14 at that point. I'm ok with kicking the extra point there to go up 6. But the touchdown to open the second half that put us up 26-14, why wouldn't you go for two there? How does a 13 point lead help you any more than a 12 point lead? And a 14 point lead there is huge, that's two full touchdowns. Herm's stupid decision to kick, instead of go for two, damned near cost us the football game, because it allowed Seattle to go up 28-27, as opposed to potentially being tied at 28.

* everybody stayed to the end yesterday! Which means either (a) the 30,000 f*cking idiots who left early last week did the right thing and gave their tickets to someone who knows what it means to be a fan, or (b) the 30,000 f*cking idiots who left early last week learned their lesson and did the right thing this week. Either way, I'm good with it.

* the Chiefs are 3-1 in the last four weeks (and 4-1 overall since the bye). In the last 3 victories, the offense scored on its final possession to give us the lead (Tynes FG at Arizona, Tynes FG vs San Diego, LJ touchdown vs Seattle). Impressive. But ...

* even sweeter than that, in all 3 victories, the defense shut out the opposition on their final drive (missed FG by Arizona from 51 yards, punt by San Diego, Seattle stopped on 4th down). Hmm, sounds like a subject that needs some more research, to see if its a fluke, or if the Chiefs really are back to being a shut down defense again ...

* thanks to the Colts win at denver yesterday, the Chiefs control their own destiny in the division.

* why this week's game at St Louis is huge: after a battle against the 4-3 Rams, the Chiefs next four games? At Miami (1-6), vs Oakland (2-5), vs denver (5-2), at Cleveland (2-5). If you beat the Rams (who've lost 3 of 4), you get to 5-3, and have an outstanding shot to have caught denver in the standings (who plays at Pittsburgh, with the Steelers now in a desperate must-win situation). Then you have two very winnable conference games to get to 7-3, with denver coming to town, on a short week, after having just survived a showdown with the Chargers 5 days earlier.

* But, all that is kind of moot if we don't win Sunday. The Rams game is anything but "must win", but certainly, a win on Sunday goes a long way towards launching the Chiefs into legitimate AFC home field discussion.

* and since Sunday is now such a huge game, we should get together somewhere and watch it. Chiefs football is always more fun with other Chiefs fans. And my entertaining, smart a** take on the game.

* and, we got a sh*t ton of help yesterday. denver losing at home. Cincinnati losing at home. Pittsburgh somehow losing in Oakland. New England in for a battle at the Metrodome tonight. The only three AFC contenders who won were San Diego (who we've already beaten), Baltimore (who we still get to play at Arrowhead) and Jacksonville (who we still get to play at Arrowhead). You can't ask for much more help than what we got.

* the one thing I couldn't figure out yesterday is why Seattle played cover 2 so much. They almost never went to man coverage, and Huard just tore them to shreds because of it. Gonzalez over the middle, automatic. Kennison topping 100 yards, including the beautiful 51 yard bomb that set up the game winning touchdown. If only LJ could remember to use the stick-em, his inability to catch the swing pass could hurt us at some point ...

* speaking of the 51 yard bomb, here's what I really loved about it. You just endured a 49 yard bomb to give Seattle the lead. The crowd is in stunned disbelief at how awful Law was on that play, and how there was zero safety help, despite the fact that we were in a cover 2 man. (OK, I was in stunned disbelief. Wesley totally took that play off. Just awful stuff). So what happens? We strike right back with the same f*cking play they dropped on us. God, I love Herm Edwards.

* and since I do believe in giving credit where its due, take a bow Mike Solari. That was a magificent game plan yesterday. Anytime you drop 500 yards of offense on an opponent, you're doing something right.