Tuesday, January 15, 2019

PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: Eliminating the Ghosts of Chiefs' Past

For 25 years now, the Chiefs have yet to celebrate a single playoff victory. This abnormally long amount of time for a team to not see some post season success began the rumor mill running with talk of curses, negative energy and even speculations of Arrowhead being built on an ancient Indian burial ground. 

Two avid Chiefs fans even went as far as to have a paranormal investigator walk Arrowhead. The results included the angry spirit of former head coach Hank Stram. He was fired in 1974 which enraged many Chiefs’ fans. According to the investigator, Stram’s spirit holds a grudge against the Hunt family and the Chiefs. This grudge has supposedly prevented any future Chiefs team from achieving a post season victory.

Until now.

It seems the “Mahomes Magic” now includes ghostbusting!

The clouds were thick, the temperature was bone-chilling, and the snow fall was heavy. Arrowhead Stadium was a vast living snow globe. Fans braved the elements to watch their Chiefs face off against the Colts in the AFC Divisional playoff round. Those fans came expecting a football game, but what they witnessed, was an exorcism of the spirit of Chiefs’ past.

Head coach Andy Reid led the Kansas City Chiefs of 2018 with offensive plays that Mitch Holthus deemed “pure gold.” The Chiefs stormed out in red, ready to defeat the Colts and destroy any negative “paranormal” energy in their path. 

The offense got off to its usual explosive start. Touchdown runs were scored by the usual a cast of characters including running back Damien Williams, Tyreek “The Cheetah” Hill and even Mahomes dashed one in for a touchdown. The Chiefs offense racked up 24 points in the 1st half.

While the offense exploded in every which direction, Chiefs defense proved they weren’t “afraid of no ghost” and absolutely stifled the Colts. From the first Colts’ snap of the ball, the Chiefs defense blanketed the Colts as if they were the snow itself. Defensive End, Chris Jones was described as “smacking down passes with a snow shovel” at several points in the game by Mitch Holthus.

Going into the game, the Colts offensive line boasted the fewest sacks in the league. Until they were faced against Justin Houston, as he muscled his way through the Colts line like a hot knife through butter and gave Colts QB Andrew Luck a big hug - for a 12 yard loss. Before the Colts even achieved a first down, after being held to several three and outs by the stoutest Chiefs defense. Travis Kelce also came to “ghostbust”, amassing 7 receptions for 108 yards – the most for a tight end in post season franchise history. The Colts would only manage one offensive touchdown which ended on a missed extra point. The other Colts’ touchdown resulted from blocked punt returned for the score. 

In the first game of his career, Patrick Mahomes did not throw a touchdown pass. But an explosive offense with the kind of passing prowess we have come to expect from Mahomes, and a Chiefs D that was at their all-time stingiest - the curse was broken. The 2018 had eliminated the Ghost of Chiefs’ Past with a 31-13 playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts. 

The playoff challenge does not end there. For the 8th year in a row, the New England Patriots ascend through the playoff ranks and are on their way to Arrowhead, to face the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

The two avid Chiefs fans who initiated the paranormal investigation asked their investigator if the Chiefs were still cursed.

“Not anymore,” she responded.  “I don't know that it ever was, but it certainly isn't now."
Stay tuned, football fanz.

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