Chiefs vs. Giants: Getting To Know The Enemy
As the voice of the Chiefs, Mitch Holthus would say, “He gets a taste of the sweet nectar of the endzone,” well Chiefs fans are getting the sweet taste of 3-0. On top of that, the schedule looks to be getting even easier than we thought before AND, the pitiful 0-3 New York football Giants are rolling into a hostile Arrowhead stadium this Sunday. Sounds like the perfect recipe.. for a trap game.
Sep 19, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs players Derrick Johnson (56), Justin Houston (50) and Kendrick Lewis (23) at Lincoln Financial Field. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Chiefs have started off hot, winning close games and finishing teams off in the fourth quarter, resulting in their first 3-0 start since 2010. Needless to say, the KC defense is dominating right now. They’re +9 in turnover to takeaways, they lead the NFL in sacks with 15, and have only given up 3 touchdowns.
So it makes sense for the Chiefs to be favored at home and have some serious confidence going into this Sundays game against New York. Lets take a look why:
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS:
New York’s biggest problem this season has been turnovers. Their offense leads the league with 13, a number that they didn’t hit until week 10 last season. They’ve had trouble protecting their two time Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Eli Manning. Manning has been sacked 11 times already, six of them from the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday.
Manning and his rookie right tackle, Justin Pugh, have to deal with the NFL sacks leader, Justin Houston. This is will be the third rookie right tackle that Houston will have faced and he’s making a killing off them. You can almost expect Houston, and the rest of the pass rush, to be disruptive against that Giant offense.
New York has also had trouble running the ball because of their issues upfront on offense. They’re dead last in rushing, only averaging 44.3 yards per game, and they’re 27th in scoring only averaging 18 points.
Eli Manning is clearly forcing the ball down the field. He’s thrown eight interceptions, but is sixth in the league in passing yards with 931 yards. Despite all of his bad plays this season, Eli Manning is a very competitive quarterback who’s team just got terrible embarrassed. The Chiefs cannot fall asleep on him, even if he turns the ball over a few times. He proved that week one against Dallas.
The Giants defense has had one of the most dominant defensive lines over the past six or seven seasons. With names like Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka, you would think the sack numbers would be high. Think again.
Sep 8, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant (88) lays on the field injured as New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross (31) defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) and linebacker Jacquian Williams (57) look on in the fourth quarter at AT
The Giants defense has only collected three sacks in three games. On top of that, they’re ranked 24th in total defense, giving up an average of 38.3 points per game. They’ve surrendered 115 points total through their first three. No wonder why they’re win less.
MATCH-UPS TO WATCH:
Once again, the Chiefs have played a game and once again, again?.. they haven’t turned the ball over. Alex Smith has been the master of mistake free football by not throwing an interception in his first three starts. Kansas City has been dominating their opponents in field position and takeaways. It’s time for the offense to get it going this week. Alex Smith, and the rest of the offense, need to step up this week and help their defense dominate. It will be interesting to see how Andy Reid attacks the struggling defense of New York. Panthers QB, Cam Newton, threw for 3 touchdowns, and ran for another, last week against the Giants. Those are numbers that Smith has potential to match. Will he? We’ll just have to see.
Brandon Flowers is still listed as questionable, due to some swelling in his knee. Giants receivers, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Knicks, are players that can hurt a secondary deep. In week one against the Cowboys, Cruz caught three touchdown passes for 118 yards on just five receptions. If Flowers isn’t 100%, this could be a big day for Cruz, much like Dez Bryant in week 1. Flowers is a tough player and he will most likely play. Hopefully, he can hold his own like he did last week in Philly.
Dwayne Bowe has started the season very quietly. He only has one touchdown through three games and hasn’t been targeted much either. Injuries to the tight ends and defenses not respecting Avery yet, have caused teams to double and sometimes triple cover Bowe. Alex Smith has certainly looked his way but refuses to try and force something that isn’t there.
Bowe hasn’t quite had the production his fantasy owners have been looking for, but his presence is certainly felt on the team. He is willing to block, much like he did Thursday night on several third-and-long situations. Smith hit Avery underneath and Bowe sealed an edge down the field that allowed Avery to run by, resulting in a first down. Plays like that aren’t flashy, but they show patience. He’s done a good job considering how much coverage he has been facing so far.
This week, he will be lined up across from Giants corner, Aaron Ross. Ross has ability to cover well, which he proved last week with his first quarter interception. I like the match-up for KC, but will the Giants roll coverage to Bowe’s side? If so, Avery and McCluster will have to step up again, especially on third down.
CONCLUSION:
This is a game that heavily favors KC in the match-ups department. It’s the league leading sack defense vs. the league leading offense in sacks allowed. It’s the best take away defense vs. the offense who turns it over the most. All things that lead to an upset for KC. It’s important to remember that the Giants are a still a talented football team, despite their record, and they’re liable to go off at any time this season.
The Chiefs have a mean defense that should be able to hit Eli Manning early and often. The Giants offensive line is older, especially in the middle, and KC’s relentless pass rush should be effective. Arrowhead is looking to break Seattle’s crowd noise level that they set in the Guinness Book of World Records a few weeks back. It’s going to be loud and hostile, and that will certainly help to rattle Manning and his Giants.
The game starts at 12 pm CDT, on FOX.