Kansas City Chiefs: More Accusations Of “Dirty” Play

The Kansas City Chiefs have been accused of playing dirty after each of its last two preseason games.  Is there any truth to that, or are these meaningless accusations?

The Kansas City Chiefs have been known as a tough team for most of the franchise’s history.  From Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, to Christian Okoye, to Justin Houston, the Chiefs have always played tough football.  With that style of play, you can always expect accusations of “dirty” tactics.  That has not changed in 2016 as the Chiefs have been accused twice this preseason of playing dirty.  Whether that accusation is baseless or holds water remains to be seen.

The Kansas City Chiefs took on the St Louis Los Angeles Rams earlier this preseason.  During the game, Chiefs offensive tackle Jah Reid was flagged for a chop block on the Rams Ethan Westbrooks.  For the most part, this seemed like just a run of the mill penalty.  However, during the follow-up episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks, fans got to see the reactions of LA’s coaches.

Rams defensive line coach Mike Waufle is featured in the episode as he makes his opinion of Jah Reid very well known.  In an expletive-filled rant, Waufle goes off on the Chiefs offensive tackle from the sidelines.  Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher, as well as several players, can also be seen to be clearly upset over the play.

In and of itself, this instance would be pretty innocuous.  However, the Chiefs have again been called dirty following the victory over the Bears this weekend.  In that contest, Bears backup quarterback Connor Shaw takes a big hit that resulted in a broken leg.  Shaw was tackled by Chiefs defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roaches.

Connor Shaw took to Twitter in a (now deleted) post that called the hit “cheap BS”.  This, of course, got a number of fans and media personnel talking about the play and the Chiefs in general.  However, it should be noted that Shaw has since changed his stance somewhat, calling his earlier tweet a “poor choice of words”.

A History Of Violence

However, the question still remains whether or not the Chiefs are a dirty team as the Rams have not recanted.  There also appears to be some past evidence working against Jah Reid as he was accused of a dirty hit by Denver last year.  In that play, Reid took a shot at Broncos star pass rusher Von Miller.  Yes, it was clearly a dirty hit.

The Chiefs were also accused of being a dirty team by Texans fans after Eric Fisher gave a “coup de grace” on JJ Watt in the playoffs.  That play is often cited by fans, and some pundit, as the reason for Fisher’s new contract with the Chiefs.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much to curb the talk of Kansas City playing dirty.

After reviewing each of these plays, I have to admit that these accusations are not that far off.  In each play, a Kansas City Chiefs player does seem to deliver a “less than necessary” hit.  However, while I can agree the hits are dirty…I find that I simply don’t care.  The Chiefs are playing hard and getting mean.  In my eyes, that’s how the game is meant to be played.

Next: Chiefs: What To Expect From Eric Berry

The Kansas City Chiefs have been accused of playing dirty, and I kind of have to agree.  The Chiefs are also beating their opponents handily.  Many teams look to establish the “bully” mentality on the field.  Even Mike Waufle talks about it when he’s not hating on Jah Reid for living it.  I, for one, am loving it.  For far too long