Roughing the Kicker

On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco breaks down the Chiefs’ Christmas night victory over the Denver Broncos.

Who woulda thunk it? Running the offense through Travis Kelce gave the Chiefs some of the most functional stretches of offense they’ve had all season. But Sunday’s offensive showing still isn’t enough to win in Foxborough. What do the Chiefs have to do to get to New England and get the W?

The offense was built on a fantastic pass-protection performance from the Chiefs’ offensive line, making Alex Smith’s life easier. Plus, a couple big Tyreek Hill plays on the ground gave the Chiefs the extra spark they needed.

Defensively, Terrance Mitchell and Chris Jones continue to shine in absolutely unexpected ways - performing at league-best levels since they’ve gotten starting jobs.

By the way, the Broncos are not going to throw the Raiders game to spite the Chiefs after Dontari Poe’s touchdown pass further embarrassed them on national television. And yes, the Bloated Tebow certainly was an extra flourish on a fun night spent eliminating the Denver Broncos from the playoffs, but if you’re a Chiefs fan, you have no reason to be a Scrooge.

Also, have I been inconsistent in my Chiefs analysis? I try to defend myself.

All that and much more on this episode of Roughing the Kicker.

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On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco previews Chiefs-Broncos, discusses the problems of the Chiefs running game and breaks down the issues with Andy Reid and Alex Smith’s partnership.

Justin March-Lillard’s return is a nice boost to the Chiefs’ defense, but it finalizes the hard truth that Jamaal Charles will not be returning to the Chiefs this season. Now seems like as good of a time as any to break down the tremendous weaknesses in the Chiefs’ running game.

Andy Reid and Alex Smith, as a duo, probably aren’t ever going to win anything big. But whose fault is that? Well, both of them should share the blame. The problem for Smith is that he certainly seems easier to replace.

Also, it’s not all fire and brimstone. Myriad of fatal flaws notwithstanding, the Chiefs should be able to take care of business against the Broncos on Christmas night.

On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco tries to decide who is most to blame for the Chiefs' embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Zero points in the second half for the second consecuctive week. A team with two offensive coordinators and Andy Reid as head coach cannot generate points. Tyreek Hill spent roughly half of the Chiefs' offensive snaps on the bench. Travis Kelce was not involved in the offense. Alex Smith's highlights were overshadowed by his mistakes. The offensive line was not good enough. Justin Houston and Dee Ford didn't record a single tackle, much less a single sack.

This is how you lose.

And the blame falls to Andy Reid before it falls to Alex Smith, and here's why.

Andy Reid is calling these plays, and we’ve seen time and time again that Alex Smith wants nothing more than to be a good little soldier. He wants to do whatever Andy Reid wants for him to do. So he does it. And what Andy Reid has been asking from him in the second half of the last two games has been absolutely miserable. Andy Reid's offense has been terrified and Smith is Andy Reid's pawn. He's fulfilling his purpose. To be Reid's arm. And it isn't working.

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On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco previews the Chiefs’ matchup against the Tennessee Titans and breaks down what KC will have to do to avoid the upset. Plus, the Chiefs are good in ways that can't totally be measured. Is that okay?

On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco breaks down the Chiefs' win over the Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night Football.

Tyreek Hill shined brightest in the primetime lights, but big nights from Travis Kelce and unlikely-starter Terrence Mitchell helped expose the holes of the Raiders’ defense and held down a struggling Derek Carr in a game to determine the new king of the AFC West. But now the Chiefs have to account for the loss of Derrick Johnson as the playoffs inch closer to the new No. 2-seed in the AFC.

On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker podcast, Joshua Brisco recaps the Chiefs’ win over the Atlanta Falcons, previews Thursday night’s AFC West showdown vs. the Oakland Raiders and discusses the Chiefs’ intangible “they just find a way to win” factor.

There’s something inexplicable about the 2016 Kansas City Chiefs. Even in games that they seem poised to lose, there’s a new sense of trust among Chiefs fans, because we’ve seen this before. We’ve seen this team find a way to turn a loss into a win, a way to turn a knockout punch into a glancing blow. And now after defeating the Atlanta Falcons on the road the week after going to Denver and beating the Broncos, the Chiefs have shown that they can beat anyone.

Now, does that include the Raiders at home on Thursday night?

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On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco previews Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons and discusses how Andy Reid can fix the Chiefs offense.

The Chiefs seem to be just a few degrees from being a true Super Bowl contender, and the seriousness of Kansas City’s contention is going to depend on Andy Reid’s attitude.

If the Chiefs win in Atlanta on Sunday, they move to the driver’s seat in the AFC West. If they lose, the division is still in play, but it gets a lot more difficult.

The AFC West keeps getting more wild, but how will it play out and where is the Chiefs’ place in it?

Injuries continue to plague the Chiefs; what is the importance of Jeremy Maclin and how does Bob Sutton keep replacing injured defensive linemen?

All this and much more on this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast.

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On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco breaks down the Chiefs’ miraculous victory over the Broncos in Denver on Sunday Night Football.

Highlighting the absolute best and absolute worst of the team, the Chiefs showed the country everything on primetime. The offense struggled every step of the way until they absolutely had to put together an incredible drive. The defense lived on the back of Justin Houston, who wreaked havoc all night long. Tyreek Hill emerged into the spotlight with a rushing, receiving and return touchdown - accounting for 18 of the Chiefs’ 30 points.

Kansas City has a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the ball, but even with a broken and battered defense, the Chiefs pulled off an incredible feat by beating the Broncos in Denver. Now it’s time for the defense to get healthy and for the offense to learn from its mistakes.

On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco identifies six things the Chiefs absolutely must do in order to pull off the upset against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.

The offense has struggled mightily since the loss of Jeremy Maclin, but Maclin wasn't producing before his injury. What do Andy Reid and Alex Smith have to do in Maclin's continued absence to get the offense back on track?

Dee Ford is going to be absent from the Chiefs' active roster in Denver and Tamba Hali has been a ghost. What does this mean for Justin Houston on Sunday?

How does the Chiefs offense stack up against the Broncos offense, led by Trevor Siemian?

What is the most important piece to fixing the Chiefs' repulsive offense?

What percentage chance to the Chiefs have to pull off the upset?

Answers to all of those questions and many more on this episode of Roughing the Kicker.

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On this episode of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast, Joshua Brisco recaps the Chiefs’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and discusses the true source of Kansas City’s recent failings.

Alex Smith is not the problem for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's simply an extension of Andy Reid. Don't believe me? Ask Andy Reid.

Even after allowing an infuriating number of third down conversions against the Bucs, the Chiefs defense is still absolutely not the problem. Even battered by injuries, the defense is keeping the Chiefs in games.

Looking ahead, the Chiefs are still going to make the playoffs, and they're still contenders for the AFC West. But if Andy Reid can't fix the holes in his current offensive philosophy, Kansas City will go no farther than a playoff appearance.