Chiefs Over Chargers: Rookies Seal The Deal
By: SCUBA
Last night's Chiefs win in a swamp was much more than a mere check-mark in the win column, it was as important of a win for the organization as it was for Houston over Indianapolis on Sunday.
The Chargers have owned the AFC West for the better part of a decade. Last night's Monday Night Football win showed a national audience that we can compete with the Chargers, but more importantly it showed the Chiefs that they can beat the perennial AFC West favorite.
The Chiefs strung together a number of huge plays in the first half that allowed the team to have a 21-7 lead at half. The first of the big plays was a Jamaal Charles 56-yard TD run on his second carry, which tied the game at 7-7.
The next huge play was rookie Dexter McCluster taking a 94-yard punt return to the house, which is now the new Chiefs record for longest punt return.
Rookie Javier Arenas also had two returns for 24-yards, and a 36-yard return which would have been taken to the house had not been for that pesky punter.
The only TD pass from Cassel came after a Derrick Johnson forced fumble on Chargers' rookie Ryan Matthews. Cassel connected with rookie Tight End Tony Moeaki at the goal line three plays later.
Arguably, my favorite moment(s) of the game was watching Philip Rivers throw multiple temper tantrums. The Chiefs faithful went nuts for 60 minutes, and was the loudest I had heard it since the Vermeil days. The Chargers had a tough time with multiple 'delays of game'. Rivers couldn't get his center to snap the ball on the right count not one, but three or four times.
One specific time Rivers was snapped the ball a second too late and he just spiked the ball and then kicked it back at the Chargers' offensive line. It makes me laugh when I hear how much of a 'competitor' Rivers is...he cries more over football than Dick Vermeil. He stomps his feet, blames, yells at everyone on his team when something goes wrong....it's never his fault.
My game-balls go to:
- Jamaal Charles (for being as exciting as Chris Johnson even though Haley won't start you)
- Derrick Johnson (for making your presence known with 12 tackles and one big forced fumble)
- Dexter McCluster (for being another weapon on a team that desperately needs weapons)
- Romeo Crennel (for making the defense look like an NFL defense....the defense was fired up and put pressure on Rivers all night)
- The crowd (for going ballistic for 60 minutes, and showing a national audience who Philip Rivers really is)
Week 2: @ Cleveland
2-0? Count on it.