Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs Recap: KC thumps the Jaguars with a huge 2nd half

I take my twelve year-old daughter to the Kansas Sampler the day before the Kansas City-Jacksonville game to get her some gear to wear to her first ever Chiefs game at Arrowhead on Sunday.  There I find a genuine #22 Dexter McCluster game jersey.  Bingo!  A rookie replica for a rookie fan, I think.  She is not impressed.  "Daddy who is Dexter McCluster?" she asks me.  Then, as we are walking up to the newly revamped Arrowhead in a sea of red clad deliriously happy tail-gaiting Chiefs fans she is more than a little irate with me.  "Daddy, NO one else has a #22 McCluster jersey on!  Everyone is wearing different numbers.  Who are all these other players?"  Apparently she has never heard of guys like Thomas 58, Dawson 16, Okoye 35, Bell 78, Lewis 29 or Taylor 89, etc.

After Jacksonville's opening drive of ten plays ends with a punt, the Chiefs offense takes the field for their first possession of the game.  Play one: McCluster gets the edge for an 11 yard gain.  Play two: McCluster dips & darts for a 15 yard pickup.  The PA announcer booms his name twice.  My daughters' cousin Brendon stands up & says to her "Hey Sarah, that's YOUR guy!"  She's grinning now & seems very proud to be wearing #22, who goes on to have stellar game.  Mission accomplished: a new Chiefs fan is born.  Priceless! 

The Chiefs punt on that first possession but get the ball right back when Javier Arenas forces a fumble after a 49 yard punt return by the Jaguars Mike Thomas.  On the next play Thomas Jones rumbles for 70 yards down to the Jaguars four, then Jamaal Charles finishes the drive with a four yard touchdown run.  Now Arrowhead is its usual raucous venue & Warpaint is getting an early afternoon workout.  Jacksonville comes roaring back with a field goal & then a blitz beating 18 yard touchdown pass from third string quarterback Todd Bouman to the ever elusive Maurice Jones-Drew to claim a 10-7 lead.  KC responds with a 14 play, 73 yard drive of its own that features 11 rushes, eight by Thomas Jones who picks up a first down on fourth & one from the Jaguars two then scores a touchdown on the very next play.  Have I mentioned yet that the Kansas City Chiefs can run the football? 

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Jacksonville responds with a ten play, 69 yard drive & is all set to take the lead into halftime after Mike Sims-Walker jerks Brandon Carr to the ground in the end zone to earn a defensive pass interference call for his crafty effort.  It's first & goal at the one when the game takes a critical turn.  The Chiefs defense comes up with a lockdown goal line stand to hold Jacksonville to a field goal & allow KC to take a slim 14-13 lead into the locker room at half.

It takes only two plays for the Chiefs offense to score in the 3rd quarter as Matt Cassel hits a wide open Dwayne Bowe who matriculates down the field for a 53 yard touchdown & a 21-13 Chiefs lead.  Jacksonville bounces right back with a six play, 58 yard drive of its own culminating with a nine yard touchdown catch by Sims-Walker to chop the lead to 21-20.  The Chiefs are forced to punt & the Jaguars get the ball back with a chance to take a 3rd quarter lead.  That doesn't happen as Derrick Johnson steps in front a short Bouman pass at the 15 & walks into the end zone for a pick six defensive touchdown.  The 28-20 lead proves to be insurmountable as KC adds two more 2nd half touchdowns to the delight of the sea of red.  

Jacksonville gets three more possessions in the 2nd half.  They punt twice & Bouman throws another interception, this time to rookie Eric Berry who gets his first NFL pick & nearly scores.  KC rushes for 236 yards led by Thomas Jones with 125 on 20 carries.  Jamaal Charles adds 71 yards on 15 carries.  Dexter McCluster gets nine touches for 69 total yards.  Matt Cassel completes 13 of 18 passes for 193 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions & a QB rating of 144.  Dwayne Bowe scores two touchdowns, the second on a nifty full layout double toe touch.  KC outgains Jacksonville 426-300 and wins the turnover battle 3-0.   Warpaint nearly dies from exertion, much to the delight of the fifteen members of my family in attendance at the game.    

Gardner's Grades:

Offense: A+        Five Touchdowns on Nine possessions is getting it done

Defense: A-        Goal Line stand plus three turnovers = impressive success 

Special Teams: B    Forced & recovered a fumble, no great returns 

Coaching: A-      Continuing to gamble on 4th down has its benefits 

My live observations from witnessing this game at Arrowhead:

Is the Chiefs running game the real deal this season?  Absolutely.  Do they have a chance to make the playoffs.  Realistically, they most certainly do.  Have the Chiefs ascended back to the level of the elite teams in the AFC?  No, but they are moving in the right direction.  Is Matt Cassel a franchise quarterback?  No, but he's fully capable of winning games if there is not too great a burden placed on him be a difference maker.  Is the Chiefs defense vastly improved from 2008 & 2009?  Dare I say yes they are.  The pressure on the opposing QB is not overly impressive but it is consistent.  The DB's are very athletic & fun to watch.  Could this team make a playoff run?  I'd say it's still too early to tell, but who predicted that the Texas Rangers & San Francisco Giants would be playing in the World Series this year?  Did you?  That's why they play the games & why we watch.  You just never know what's going to happen!

By Allan Gardner
ProFootball-fans.com Kansas City Chiefs Correspondent