The Chief in the North Podcast

In Episode 11 of the Chief in the North, there's more to talk about than we have time to discuss after the Chiefs used a massive 4th quarter to beat the Patriots by multiple touchdowns in their house. I start off with a discussion of the message the Chiefs sent to the rest of the NFL, then move into the more sobering talk of how the Chiefs will possibly handle the loss of Eric Berry. After that, it's time to discuss what I saw reviewing the film of various players. We blaze through the corners (in particular Terrance Mitchell), Bennie Logan, Dee Ford, Justin Houston, Kareem Hunt, Alex Smith, and more. I'm not sure I've ever fit more information into an episode than this one. I close out by talking about the upcoming Eagles game, which should be a good test for the Chiefs' ascending offensive line and offense overall. It's a good day to be a Chiefs fan. 

In Episode 10 of the Chief in the North podcast, we have a special edition to celebrate, well, 10 episodes. Additionally, with the regular season now looming, it felt appropriate to answer as many mailbag questions as humanly possible in 50 minutes. The topics of the mailbag questions range from the Chiefs' chances against the Patriots on Thursday to overall season predictions, with basically everything in between.  Additionally, it's time to put some final thoughts on what Patrick Mahomes accomplished this preseason (spoiler: it's a lot), whether I think Andy Reid is making the right choice rolling with Alex Smith, and why I think it's ridiculous to say that Mahomes needs to learn the same offense Smith is running before he'll be "ready" to go. Since we may well not see Mahomes play again until next season, it feels appropriate to both start and end the episode discussing the Chiefs' future quarterback.

In a jam-packed Episode 9 of the Chief in the North podcast, I start off with an examination of what traits Reggie Ragland has that may make him a good fit for what Bob Sutton wants in a SILB, and how he may fit into the picture in Kansas City. After that, I take an in-depth look at the Chiefs' disappointing performance against the Seahawks, having reviewed the film several times over to get a sense of whether the sky is really falling or not. Of particular focus: -Offensive line play, particularly run blocking -The role drops and penalties played in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance -The wildly vanilla nature of Andy Reid and Bob Sutton's gameplan -The defensive line and run defense as a whole After that, it's a detailed discussion on the impact of Spencer Ware's injury and what traits Kareem Hunt possesses to give us hope. I also discuss C.J. Spiller and Charcandrick West and what their roles may be moving forwad.  I also take a look at Marcus Kemp, one of those bubble players who has caught my eye, and KPL/Eligwe in their roles as potential inside linebackers of the future. Finally, I close with some discussion of clear starter (based on what Andy Reid has said and done) Alex Smith and rookie Patrick Mahomes, and what their tape against Seattle looked like upon review. I also discuss the reasons I'm "OK but not thrilled" with Alex starting this year, and the differences between the two of them in how they perform when things go wrong around them.  It's a lot to take in, but a roaring good time if you ask me.

In Episode 9 of the Chief in the North, we look back to Saturday's game against the Bengals. After Re-watching the game several times, I give my opinion on multiple aspects of the offense and defense, including: -The Starting defensive line's solid performance, in particular Bennie Logan. -The strong run defense againsta  tough Cincinnati team and what that might mean for the 2017 season. -The Chiefs' plethora of options at the running back position, notably Kareem Hunt. -Dee Ford's performance at ROLB against the Bengals, particularly as a pass rusher. -Tanoh Kpassagnon's improvement as an edge rusher from preseason game 1 to preseason game 2. -Phillip Gaines and the Chiefs; corners outside of Marcus Peters. -The first string and backup offensive lines. -And of course, Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. (starting at 33:00 minutes)  

In Episode 7 of the Chief of the North podcast, I discuss multuple aspects of the first preseason game against the 49ers. Having gone back and reviewed the game several times, I try to talk about as many position groups and important issues as humanly possible in a shade over 40 minutes, including: -Tyreek Hill and Chris Conley both showing out and showing up, and what that could mean for the offense. -The starting offensive line playing better than I've ever seen it play. -Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Allen Bailey looking like massive upgrades from 2016's defensive line. -Ramik Wilson's seeming improvement from the last time we saw him. -Tanoh Kpassagnon's day (with an article to come this week on Arrowhead Pride) -Marcus Rush: hype or substance? -The quarterbacks. Always, always the quarterbacks.

In Episode 6 of the "Chief in the North" podcast, it's time to finally dedicate an entire episode to discussing the Patrick Mahomes issue: could (not will) Patrock Mahomes start in 2017? I examine the common arguments made against Mahomes starting early to see if they have merit based on what we currently know about Mahomes, then discuss what Mahomes starting may look like and the effect it could potentially have on the 2017 Chiefs and Mahomes himself. 3:55- We discuss the fact that the NFL has changed, and rookie quarterbacks come in and play solidly quite frequently in modern NFL offenses. This shifts the burden, in that someone needs to show me why Mahomes is an exception to the modern rule that talented young QB's can come in and play well right away. 7:55- Taking on some of the reasons people give as to why Mahomes can't start immediately (or why he's an exception to the new rule with QB's), including QB winz, risky decisions, footwork, and learning an NFL offense and NFL defenses. 18:04- Talking about Mahomes's ability to protect himself as a mobile quarterback. 18:55- Discussing what would change about the Chiefs' offense if Mahomes played in 2017. What would he take off the table, and what would he bring to the table? 28:15- How will Mahomes avoid mistakes at the NFL level? Will his playmaking compensate for a likely increase in INT's? 35:52- Would starting Mahomes early stunt his development? 39:30- Addressing some quick hitters: would Reid throw Mahomes in if the Chiefs start slow? What current NFL quarterback would I compare Mahomes to? And what quarterbacks in the NFL would I trade Mahomes for (this one is going to get me in trouble)?      

In Episode 5, I examine all the (many) theories as to why the Chiefs are doomed for a regression in 2017. This has become a very common theme among certain national outlets, opposing teams' fans, and even some Chiefs fans. Such theories include: Alex Smith, a mediocre offense, the run defense, strength of schedule, lack of playmakers, pass rush issues, cornerback starters and depth, the departure of Dontari Poe and Jeremy Maclin, and John Dorsey's firing. Obviously, anything can happen in the NFL, but I decided it was time to see if the theories people have for believing the Chiefs will have a "down" season in 2017 hold up under scrutiny, or if they fall apart when examined more closely  

In Episode 4, we spend a little time trying to decipher exactly what Tamba Hali's recent Twitter rampage was all about. We then go in-depth and talk about inside linebacker, specifically how Justin March, Ramik Wilson, Terrance Smith and D.J. Alexander stacked up on film. Also, what is Josh Mauga's role in all this? The deepest dive into film yet for the MNchiefsfan Podcast. 2:42- Seriously, what in the world is going on with Tamba Hali? 13:12- Discussion on the inside linebacker position, it's importance, the difference between WILB and SILB, and what I'm looking for when I review film on linebackers. 22:03- D.J. Alexander's film review. 25:55- Terrance Smith's film review. 30:17- Ramik Wilson's film review. 37:17- Justin March's film review. 48:25- Mailbag questions.  

In the 3rd epsiode of the MNchiefsfan Podcast we take a deep dive into the pros/cons of Brett Veach as the new Chiefs GM, how to properly review wide receiver film and what I look for in a receiver, Chris Conley's upcoming Arrowhead Pride film review, and how soon I think Patrick Mahomes could start for the Chiefs. Also, we take some mailbag questions. Opening: I talk aboutwhy I like the Brett Veach hiring and some of the doubts people have about him. 12:40: A discussion on how I review wide receiver film and what the most important traits are for a receiver to have. 23:00: An in-depth preview of the upcoming Chris Conley film review, including a comparison to a former Chief. 35:20: I discuss why I believe Patrick Mahomes could (and maybe should) start sooner rather than later, and take on some of the more common criticisms of Mahomes' film. 52:05: Mailbag questions ranging from the secondary to Alex Smith's potential trade value after 2017.

MNchiefsfan previews his upcoming Tamba Hali film review, spends time discussing the importance of offensive line and how it can be separated from team success, his obsession with Mitch Morse, and takes mailbag questions. 1:11- Some kind of gunshot or explosion or careless person hitting the table threatens to ruin everything, but we persevere. 2:05- Sneak peak at Tamba Hali's film review, coming soon to Arrowhead Pride, and a discussion of Tamba's role in 2016 and moving forward. 5:30- How important the offensive line is, how critical it is to separate individual performance from overall team success, and how MNchiefsfan reviews and grades linemen. 15:15- MNchiefsfan admits to being totally wrong about LDT's potential development. 16:45- We spend a creepy amount of time discussing MNchiefsfan's creepy love for Mitch Morse. 27:35- First mailbag question: Kpassagnon's potential in 2017. 35:10- Second mailbag question: Dee Ford a good pick or bad pick, and what's next? 41:53-  Quick-hitter mailbag questions: could any current Chiefs' offensive lineman start on the 2003 squad, will Mahomes win the QB2 spot in 2017, potential surprise impact players this season, and whether Derrick Johnson could be replaced if he gets injured this season (spoiler: not really, no).  

In the pilot episode of the Arrowhead Pride podcast, we talk about who MNchiefsfan would like to see replace John Dorsey and answer some mailbag questions, including whether the Chiefs can talk playoffs in 2017, how the WR corps might shake out, and how the current Chiefs backup quarterbacks compare to their Broncos counterparts. 1:30: Seth’s cat makes a noise. Or maybe it was his kid. 1:40: Brett Veach as GM makes the most sense 5:10: Can the Chiefs still make the playoffs next season? 9:50: Patrick Mahomes and Tyler Bray vs. Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly 14:20: Why is Dak Prescott rated so high? 17:18: What’s your confidence in the Chiefs receivers?