Charles in Charge? Let’s Hope Not
Palmer’s Pre-Game by PalmerSucks
December 18, 2014
Thanks to must-wins over Atlanta and Cincy, the Stillers find themselves someplace they’ve haven’t been in years: in the midst of a winning season, and in control of their own destiny.
The Falcons and Bengals are soft teams, but now the Stillers draw a different kind of opponent: the hardnosed KC Chiefs. The Chiefs come charging into Pittsburgh where they haven’t won in 30 years.
Unlike your basic QB-focused NFL team, KC concentrates on its stout defense and banging run game. They’re a throwback to Cowher-power football.
They can roll like that mainly because of the back who carries the load for them, the always-dangerous Jamaal Charles. I’m familiar with Charles having actually gotten to see him once in action when he played for Memorial High (formerly Thomas Jefferson) in Port Arthur, Texas. Charles electrified crowds with his game-breaking speed, racking up more than 2,000 yards in his junior year (which is amazing considering they don’t play 16 games at that level). He then moved to Austin where he starred for the Longhorns football and track teams.
After a slow start in the NFL, Charles broke out to become the standout back he is today, averaging a stellar 5.6 yards per carry for his career. But toting the ball is only part of the threat he poses: in six seasons for the Chiefs, he’s hauled in more than 200 passes for almost 2,000 yards. The fact is, Charles is as fast and crafty as a receiver as he is a runner. Considering the current state of the Stillers’ D, he could become a nightmare this Sunday.
Knowing the Stillers, they’ll try to counter KC’s run game with a big dose of Bell (especially if the weather gets rough). That might be a mistake. I love me some Le’veon, but he doesn’t possess the breakaway speed that Charles does; JC’s a threat to bust the 80-yarder at any time. As the Trib-Review reported yesterday, Charles is a bit dinged up coming into Sunday, but he still poses a threat to take over games with his catch-and-run skills.
KC’s passing game is led by the solid if not spectacular Alex Smith. The Chiefs rank 28th in the NFL in yards per completion and 26th in yards per attempt, which isn’t too impressive. But given the fact that most teams stack up to stop Charles, the Stillers have to be wary of downfield throws to big Dwayne Bowe. Employing the standard single-high-safety-and-eight-in-the-box D won’t guarantee success.
Lately the Chiefs have discovered the big play, as evidenced by Smith’s 70-yard score to Knile Davis last week. Smith also tossed 48-yard and 37-yard completions in the game. He’s a game manager who won’t awe you with splash plays, but won’t make many stupid ones, either – as evidenced by his sterling 18-6 TD-pick ratio.
The Chiefs’ defense brings it, starting with the league’s sack leader, Justin Houston. They’re also good at creating turnovers, so Bell will need to work to maintain his fumble-less streak. I liked last week’s run-pass mix against Atlanta, and again, the Stillers offense has to resist going all smash-mouth Sunday. (By the way if you want a good laugh, read a couple Chiefs fan message boards and see what they think of Haley.)
Bottom line: the Chiefs are a tough team, but the kind the Stillers have to show they can beat to be considered an actual contender.
IT’S CHICAGO ALL OVER AGAIN
Remember ’05 when the Bears came to town? Tough team, tough reputation and a lot of people questioning whether the Stillers could take them. Of course, they had to, or else the playoff dream was over. This game reminds me a lot of that one. The forecast calls for 30’s and no snowfall, so the weather may not turn out the same, but the pressure will be. A win at home is a must, both to set up the for-all-the-marbles showdown vs. Cincy, and to keep the Ravens (who’ve got the easiest schedule left) in the rear-view mirror.
Speaking of Da Bears, I’m reminded of way back when, when cocky Chicago fans bragged up Jay Cutler and boasted how much better he was than Ben. Cutler, who was once the dumb sports media’s choice as the “next great quarterback,” has been benched in favor of the immortal Jimmy Clausen. I wonder if those Bears fans still think he’s all that? If you’re a Stillers fan living in the Chicago area, you might want to ask around and find out.
Questions or comments? Email me at PalmerSucks@Stillers.com
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