KC blogger takes a hard look at tomorrow’s Packers vs. Chiefs game
So, will Aaron Rodgers and the Packers notch win #14 easily in Kansas City Sunday or will the Chiefs give the Packers their best shot?
OK, so it’s that time of the week when we hear from the opposing camp about this week’s Packers vs. Chiefs game.
With just three weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, we asked Patrick Allen, the bigwig over at Arrowhead Addict, what is thoughts are heading into Sunday’s Packers vs. Chiefs match-up. He was so kind to take some time to answer our questions.
Enjoy! He’s brutally honest.
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Q. Ok, so will it be Kyle Orton or Ricky (who?) Stanzi? If Orton can’t go, tell us who Stanzi is and how he can take this team to a win over the Packers?
A. Orton is going to start. His finger is healed up well enough for him to get zip on the ball so unless there is a setback, he is the QB you will see Sunday.
Stanzi was a 5th round pick out if Iowa. He’s a rookie and hasn’t seen any action since the preseason. Todd Haley didn’t seem to be very fond of him but then again, Haley was fond of Tyler Palko so can we really trust his judgment?
Q. Does Romeo really want the head coaching job or are Chiefs brass looking toward a Gruden or Cowher?
A. Romeo does want the job. He said as much this week.
I think there are both pros and cons to keeping Romeo. Sure, he failed as a head coach in Cleveland but who hasn’t? Bill Belichick failed as a head coach in Cleveland.
Romeo makes sense in that the players know and like him. He would offer a pretty seamless transition from Haley which would help the team from taking any major steps backward.
The problem with Crennel is his age and less than stellar health. This is Scott Pioli’s second hire so he probably wants someone that he can have in place for the long haul. It is hard to imagine Crennel coaching for more than three or four more years.
Most experts think Pioli will go with a guy in his coaching tree but I have a hunch he is going to go after Fisher. Whether he gets him or not will depend on if Clerk Hunt wants to pony up the cash it will take to land a big fish. I have my doubts.
Q. Do any Chiefs loyalists really believe the Packers can be beaten? If so, how?
A. Of course the Packers can be beaten. This is the NFL. The unstoppable New England Patriots lost to a less talented Giants team in the Super Bowl. It’s hard to go undefeated.
Is it probable that the Chiefs will win? Certainly not. But it could happen. The Chiefs are young and talented on defense and as much as Rodgers seems like an unstoppable robot, he’s bound to slip up and have a bad game eventually.
That being said, I think the KC offense is too dysfunctional at his point to keep up with the Packers. It would take Green Bay’s worst game and KC’s best for this one to even be close I think.
Q. Tell us something we didn’t know before about the Kansas City Chiefs …
A. You might not know it from looking at some of the games that ended in blowouts but the Chiefs get up for big games. They play really well in primetime and even gave the Patriots all they could handle (for a half). They’re talented on D and the young guys are coming on stronger every week. This makes them a very dangerous team, even with all their best players on IR. The Packers should be fine but they would do well to stay focused going into Arrowhead.
Q. The Chiefs have had some devastating injuries and loss of key players this year … Charles, Cassel … But the Packers lost 15 players last year to IR, but still won a Super Bowl … What’s the difference between the two teams?
Aaron Rodgers.
A Hall of Fame QB, and let’s be honest, that is what you have unless he suffers a career ending injury, can make up for a lot of problems.
Cassel is serviceable but he is no Hall of Famer. The Chiefs are also really shallow on depth. The entire team was gutted in 2009 and Scott Pioli is slow as Moses at filling holes. KC just isn’t yet at the place where they can absorb losing three Pro Bowlers.
Give them a franchise QB and that may change.
Q. So, be honest on this one … Tell us how this game will go and give us your prediction for a final score.
Romeo Crennel is an excellent defensive coordinator and he seems to really excel at stopping pass happy teams. Remember, for years in New England his job was to figure out how to slow down Peyton Manning. He did a pretty good job of that. Manning didn’t get his ring until after Romeo left the Patriots.
I’ve seen the Chiefs play really well against the likes of Rivers, Manning, Roethlisberger and Brady (for a half).
KC has more trouble against more balanced teams that run the ball. That is why they struggled against the Jets last week. That, and because they couldn’t score.
I could foresee a situation where Rodgers struggles a bit in the first half. But he will eventually figure it out and the KC offense won’t be able to score enough for a strong half of D to matter.
Green Bay 35 Kansas City 17