Success

It happened pretty quick, but I see KC as our biggest rival now.

I didn't realize it at the time, but BB was kind of daring him to run. We were just so caught up in what got us there - especially after the video game against the Raiders. Thurman probably could have broken 200 that game if we went that route - and it wouldn't have been 40-20 in TOP. But no one played well. That 10 minute drive was a clinic in how not to tackle.

I can't root for Brady. But I will celebrate either outcome. That's sort of a rarity.

As the week rolls on, I'm starting to think that this was the best outcome. Maybe it's my rationalizing mechanism taking over. I let myself come to believe that we were better than we are - understandable given how we were in December. But facing playoff defenses like the Colts & Ravens, we were starting to get a bit exposed. We've seen it a few times through the years - an offense that seemed unstoppable all season getting smacked when they run into a good D in the playoffs. The 2001 Rams and 2007 Patriots come to mind. You just can't fake your way to a SB win with a middlin' defense. When all you are is a high-flying offense, you have no Plan B when that offense isn't clicking. I think we'll look back on playing the Chiefs & losing like we did as the best thing that could have happened. Beane is already on it. He'll make the changes we need to make to become a championship team.

We played a video game offense. You HAVE to play it safe w/ the personnel we have. Try to take away the big play and go bend/don't break. Play overly aggressive, and chances are that the game would have been over even sooner.

We're a better team than Cleveland - but they have a better defense. I'm old school, so buy into the old adage that defense wins championships. We were too one-dimensional to win the SB without some real luck. I think the Bucs would have been a bad match-up for us. Part of me is actually a little relieved - I want the team to have just a little more balance when we finally do make it to the last game.

I saw that KC is missing their 2 starting tackles. That could be very impactful w/ the pass rushers that the Bucs have. Mahomes didn't have to deal with too much pressure from the Bills.

It really wouldn't have occurred to me to go to the Ravens board last week, and talk about how I thought the Bills were set up to be just as awesome for years into the future.

The Chiefs message board is the 1st in internet history (at least in terms of sports) that I won't visit anymore. I like to check out other fans boards, particularly teams we are playing or have played. I went there once after the game on Sunday, and won't go back. It redefines "toxic." Just an unpleasant place to spend time, even just as a viewer. No other board like that I can remember. The Pats boards are bastions of positivity and humility by comparison.

I was kind of thinking this. It's more of a perception thing; if the Chiefs win big, the perception will be, "oh - no one was beating that team this year, they're just too good." I think the reality is more that it's about match-ups. The Bucs might just match up better to them. I think it will actually be a competitive game. Championships tend to be a little more about defense, and the Bucs have a better one. Looking more at the Bucs, I also think they would have been a tough match-up for the Bills.

They can stay competitive as long as they have Reid and Mahomes - not unlike BB and Brady. But they won't be a video game much longer. I'm curious how they handle a few SB wins, too. I don't think they have the psychotic driven thing that BB and Brady had, where they were just never satisfied. I could see the Chiefs getting a bit happy if they win next Sunday.

It's very easy to look at how that game transpired, and think we have miles to go to catch that team. They're at a plateau right now, while we're still climbing. Our trajectory is up. At best, theirs is level - but likely inching down, if not next season than the season after. They can't keep some of those difference-makers, and everyone knows it. I think just a couple of players could have turned Sunday into a win - notably, an impact pass rusher, and a genuine starting RB (no disrespect to Motor, but he's not a 30 carry a game guy). It doesn't seem like it, but a few plays could have really turned the outcome of what happened. We'll get there. It's rare you knock the bully off the hill w/ the 1st attempt.

Exactly. The most common sentiment I've seen from them is along the lines of "even though we didn't make the playoffs, I feel like we're in the Super Bowl!" Not acceptable. Go Chiefs.

Reid and Mahomes don't have that psycho drive like BB and Brady did. I'll root for them because I think it benefits us. They're more likely to get happy about winning 2. Not that they won't keep striving, but it will take some edge off and I'd bet they get sloppy.

It is hard, hard, hard to root for KC. I heard people talking about the "new money" nature of Chiefs fans, but didn't really see it until this past week. Man, are they a bunch of brats (and I know, I know - a few people on the internet don't represent all fans. But they're awful). But root for them I must. We're talking 20 years of my life here. I'd probably root for Voldemort over Brady.

I'd prefer that they didn't get cute w/ this. Sign him asap, and pay him a lot.

Davis was a great find in that draft. Fun to watch and can be a legit #2.

The ONLY thing that's harder these days is the internet. One thing I think I'll always be grateful for is that we didn't have that back in the SB days. It would have been unbearable (or, I would have just stayed away from it, as I have this week except for this board).

I'm not a big fan of cliches like "you have to knock out the champ." They completely oversimplify something as complex as situational football. We were up against a superior opponent. I understand reverting to more conservative calls in some areas - I had no issue at all w/ the FG right before the half, and with playing more of a prevent D. There were other calls I had some issues with, but McD knows a lot more than me, and he has earned my trust as a fan. It's always fun for pundits to play HC in hindsight.

It's like Ms. Pac Man. You don't know what you need to do to beat the banana level until you get to the banana level. But the 1st time you get to the banana level, you're probably not going to advance unless you get a lot of luck. Then, the next time you make it back to the banana level, you're ready. Am I dating myself?

Nothing to me would be worse than losing our 5th SB to TOM BRADY, after 2 weeks of the media talking about his record against the Bills over 2 decades. I would have had to spend weeks in church, just looking to the heavens and asking what terrible things I had done in previous lives to warrant such an outcome. I'd probably cope by creating a state of denial about the whole concept of football, like "There's another league beyond the MLB, NHL and NBA? Are you sure?"

In the drought, we had massive changes that needed to be made, every season. It was almost overwhelming at times how many units on the team had to be addressed. I don't see that here. We're closer to KC than we think - it's just a few upgrades here & there. Just improving the running game and getting more pass rush will work wonders toward making us more balanced, which is what we need to be. And I have 100% confidence in Beane. I'm can't wait to see what he does this offseason.

Without doubt, and that's how it goes. Hearing Pats fans talk over the past decade, the regular season became like preseason for them. When we were already talking about the draft in November, they were talking about how they might face in the AFCCG or SB. I saw some this past season even be glad that they could get back to celebrating and feeling good about regular season wins.

Agreed on all of that. My OP wasn't clear on that point - watching the actual game was just as tough as watching any other big loss. Very tough at the time. I just think the circumstances made it easier to get over. We're not at KC's level yet.

I think about the '90's, and every one was rough. We were a better team than the Giants in '90, and should have won that game. The other SB losses were just brutal, on so many levels. Even later on, I thought we were better than Pittsburgh, but didn't have Bruce, and Kelly was hurt (and there were some bad calls in that one). We were better than Jax 3 years ago, and better than Houston last year - and losing a 16 point lead was tough to deal with afterwards. Those losses all stuck with me for a much longer period of time, and took at least a week to get over. I'm already over KC, which I never would have guessed prior to the game. I thought we were at their level, but we're not. They're more experienced and better. I feel like we lose that game 8 out of 10 times. I also realized how one-dimensional we are right now. Take away our pass game, and we're not beating you with the run or our defense. I guess because of our history, I have always felt that I didn't want to get to a SB without at least a little more balance. It almost feels like a relief, especially with Brady waiting there. It also helps that it feels like this is just the start of a long run. And we finally have an awesome QB in JA, a great GM, and excellent coaching.