Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills: Three Key Observations

The often overlooked red-headed step-daughter of the NFL team family is special teams.  However, all too often, the neglected child is the difference maker in key games.

Less talented teams require exceptional plays on special teams to keep themselves in games.  Great teams call on the favor of special teams to tip the scales in close games. 

With two mediocre teams facing off as the Buffalo Bills battled with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead stadium fans of both teams had to know special teams would be key. 

Therefore it is a look at special teams that will wrap up our highlight of the game’s three key elements, but first, a look at the face of the franchise.

Face of the franchise:

The new arrival with a monster contract acquired via trade and touted as the quarterback of the future for the Kansas City Chiefs is not the most important part of the offense…right now.  Rather it is second-year running back Jamaal Charles who looks like Kansas City’s best player.

Dare I say the reincarnation of Priest Holmes?  A patient runner, exceptional in the passing game, but with an element of speed that is new to Kansas City at the running back position, Charles is a threat to score anytime he gets into the open field.  He had a 76-yard touchdown run against the Bills.

Charles has very quickly become the key player on a majority of Kansas City’s offensive plays.  The speedster not only racked up well over 100 yards, but also led all Chiefs with seven receptions.

Use this player wisely and don’t let his body take too much of a beating and he can be a meshing of Priest Holmes and Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles (pre-injury bug).  Give this man a new contract!    

What about Matt Cassel?  Lingering concerns and new improvements:

Struggling with accuracy for much of the season, Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel showed an exceptional completion percentage against a staunch Bills defense in the first half, but by the end of the game had thrown four interceptions and now touchdowns.

Cassel doesn’t get a lot of help from his receivers, as the Chiefs’ receiving corps leads the NFL in dropped passes.  However, there is visible improvement in Cassel’s reads and mid-range accuracy.

Perhaps Cassel is finally developing a rapport with what has been a rotating cast of characters catching passes, and maybe he now understands the scheme Haley is attempting to install.  The numbers don’t tell the tale of a quarterback situation that looks more promising after this week than week’s prior.

Still, where’s the tenderness?  Cassel has shown no touch throwing the deep ball.  Repeatedly running under overthrown balls, it is difficult not to wonder if Cassel throwing to Moss in New England made him appear better than he is.  This is old hat, and has been much discussed, but in the face of adversity perhaps Cassel will show he can persevere.  

Special Teams:

Field position is vital to a struggling team that finds itself competitive in low-scoring games.  Not only does a struggling offense turn to its kickers to salvage points by kicking for three when an offense fails to get in the end zone, but a short field means requiring less of the offensive unit. 

However, too often, the Chiefs have struggled to capitalize on great field position (typically inherited due to forced turnovers) and again, special teams comes in to play the unheralded hero. 

Down 13-10 in the fourth, Kansas City should have had great field position, but the entire tone of the fourth was established after Buffalo punter Brian Mooreman booted a 73 yard punt.

Backed up, the Chiefs went three an out.  Dustin Colquit kicked an atypical poor punt.  Seemingly doomful for KC, Buffalo returned the graces of special teams’ errors with a missed field goal.  With good field position after the Ryan Lindell miss for Buffalo, Kansas City turned the ball over, but because of the length of the field the Bills had to march they were limited to a field goal and the fame stayed within one score for Kansas City, who was down by six. 

Twice after this, Kansas City had the ball with a chance to make the game-winning score.

Perhaps it says something of the excitement of Chiefs’ football this season that the most intriguing element of the larger portion of the fourth quarter was derived from an examination of field position and special teams.