Some random thoughts on the Chiefs 23-10 opening day loss to the Bengals.
Like all Chief fans, I had a sick feeling in my stomach as I watched Trent Green lay motionless on the Arrowhead turf. Seeing the whole thing play out, the thought crossed my mind that his career may be over. Thankfully his injuries aren’t that severe and he should be able to make a full and reasonably quick recovery.
Even if ready, Trent Green will not play Sunday in Denver. No way. The Chiefs will not rush him back. He will take off the Denver game and then have the following week off when the Chiefs have their bye. Look for Green to return to action against San Francisco.
Whenever Green does return he may not last long if the offensive line cannot protect him better than they did on Sunday. The Bengals recorded seven sacks, dropping Green three times and Damon Huard four.
If you couldn’t put your finger on it, it was the Chiefs uniforms that looked odd. Inexplicably expecting sun on a day forecasted for rain, the Chiefs wanted to beat the heat while wearing white jerseys in Kansas City for what is believed to be the first time since the franchise moved to Kansas City in 1963. The Chiefs wore white pants, giving them the white-on-white look for the first time since the 1999 season finale.
Lost in all the talk about the poor performance by the offense, the Chiefs defense did look pretty good against Cincinnati. They held Rudi Johnson to 3.4 yards per carry, kept Chad Johnson quiet and limited Carson Palmer to 127 passing yards on 13-of-19 accuracy. They also gave up just two plays of over 20 yards — Rudi Johnson’s 22-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard reception by Tab Perry.
Everyone remembers the Chiefs second offensive series, when with the game still scoreless, Kansas City put together an 11-play, 67-yard drive that stalled at the Bengals 11-yard line. On that drive, the Chiefs had a 1st down at the Cincy 15-yard line and ran the ball three straight times, including a draw play on 3rd and 5 that was stuffed by the Bengals. Apparently new offensive coordinator Mike Solari did not realize it was third down, mistakenly believing it was only second down. The Chiefs had to settle for a field goal and a brief 3-0 lead.
Chiefs Report Card
Rushing Offense: C-
Started out strong, finished weak.
Passing Offense: D
Protection, protection, protection.
Rushing Defense: C
Rudi Johnson had his moments, but so did the Chiefs D.
Passing Defense: B-
Held Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson in check.
Special Teams: D
Muffed punt by Dante Hall was a killer.
Coaching: D
What down is it anyway?