Making Moves
Written by: Chris Rubio
There comes a time in life when you must make some moves to make things happen. We’ve all been there. We can tell when the moment is there to make a move. Maybe you’re in a dead-end job with no hopes for improvement; making a move may be the next step for you. What if you are swiping for that “it” partner, but it’s just not happening for you? Make that move and upload some new pics. What if you find yourself in a bar and the music starts? If you simply stand around with your “Ma” homey, chances are low that you will find your partner. Make that move and talk to the one who catches your eye. In all these cases, one thing’s for sure. If you don’t make that move, you will miss 100% of the shots you never take.
When I think about the Chiefs and making moves, the first guy that comes to mind is the Human Joystick, AKA the X-factor. His name is Dante Hall. Dante will be out at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend vs the Chargers and inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. He will also be the Drum Honoree, so I expect him to bang that drum LOUDLY in Arrowhead. Hall played for the Chiefs between 2000 and 2006. He mostly returned kicks for us but was also a utility wide receiver. He was a human highlight reel every time he touched the ball. Words cannot express his super-worldly talent and insane moves. His rare talent has hardly ever been matched in the NFL you have to watch him here. Hall still holds the NFL record of returning either a kick-off or a punt return for a TD in four straight games. Hall was extraordinary, and he had all the moves.
This week, our Chiefs are making some roster moves. The first move is re-signing an old friend, Mecole Hardman. This move comes when the Chiefs seek an identity at the wide receiver position. Hardman knows our playbook from being with the Chiefs between 2019 and 2022. His best season was 2021, when he caught 59 passes for 693 yards. He is best known to me for his performance in the 2020 Divisional Playoff Round vs the Houston Texans. Setting the stage, the Chiefs were trailing miserably 24-0 with about 11 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. Nothing was happening; the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium was dead. 2019-2020 was a season where the Chiefs were the heavy favorite to win the Superbowl, and here they were fumbling away this promise against the Texans. At the time, these Chiefs were still seeking their first Super Bowl in 50 Years and were showing us that they may just “Chief away” a golden opportunity to go to the Super Bowl by blowing home-field advantage in the playoffs. So at 24-0 after a Texan field goal, onto the field steps Mecole Hardman to return the ensuing kick-off watch here. Hardman took the kick-off 58 yards, waking up the Arrowhead crowd with a massive return. Just like that, Hardman single-handedly woke up the Chiefs, and two plays later, the Chiefs were in the end-zone, making the score 24-7. Unbelievably, the Chiefs had erased the 24-point deficit before HALFTIME. They went on to win 51-31 and never looked back as they captured the 1st of our recent Super Bowls. He is a welcomed new addition, and I can’t wait till he gets going.
The other move that has taken place is that we activated Defensive End Charles Omenihu so that he can play in the upcoming game on Sunday vs the Chargers.
Activating Omenihu will create a brand new addition to our already talented defense. Omenihu will make all kinds of match-up problems for opposing offensive lines, focusing on containing Chris Jones. Omenihu’s presence should open things up for either Chris Jones or Goerge Karlaftis for more sacks and pressure and will give our Oz-like coordinator, Spags, a new weapon. Seeing how Spags will deploy this exciting addition to our defense will be a sight to behold.
We are beginning to see some players make noticeable moves on their own. Rashee Rice is starting to prove himself as a break-away threat with Yards after Catch abilities. In last week’s game, he achieved a personal best of 4 catches and 72 yards receiving with an impressive 28-yard clutch catch and run during crunch time. His confidence is growing by the week, and you can see him playing with more confidence. Another Chief making his move is Trent McDuffie. He continues to make his presence known against opposing receivers, and this last week, he iced the game by causing a game-ending fumble. When we couple the talent of McDuffie and our young secondary with our front four, the best word to describe our defense will be exciting. In fact, the defense may become the show!
We are nearing a point in the season where we will see some tricky opponents, starting with the Chargers this weekend and their gun-slinger Quarterback Justin Herbert. After this weekend’s game vs the Chargers, the high-flying Dolphins, and the NFC-leading Eagles are on the horizon as upcoming opponents. Watching how our defense can contain these high-scoring offenses will be an excellent Chess match. Speaking of Chess, the ultimate Chess move is to try and capture the queen. I think we see that happening with the moves that Travis Kelce has been making recently. He’s looking smoother and more comfortable in his role as BF. It could be that his swiping days are over. So far, none of this has become a distraction for our quest to repeat. A win this weekend will be a massive move in securing another AFC West title. A Chiefs win this weekend would give the Chiefs a bulging three-game lead in the AFC West division at near the midpoint of the season, and that would spell near check-mate for our divisional opponents. Let’s Go!
