Chiefs Chronicles: NFL Playoffs- Super Wild Card Weekend
Finally! A Low-Stress Playoff Game, Tyreek Returns to Arrowhead, Maybe Playing in Buffalo This Week is For the Best, The Good Links Are in the Captions, Plus Anything Else That Can Be Added
Was I the only member of Chiefs Kingdom that wasn’t overly stressed for the Super Wild Card game against the Dolphins? I don’t know if it was the fact that I was hanging out with friends that kept me more mellow than usual (no need to freak anyone out by showing them the real me), but I never really thought that Miami had a shot at beating KC. On the day, anyway.
Was that all of it though? The fear of embarrassing myself in front of people?
Maybe my confidence came from where the game was being played. It was taking place in crazy cold conditions at Arrowhead, and pre-game we all knew that the Dolphins in general (3-7 with kickoff temperature at 23 degrees or colder and losers of the past 10 in a row with a game-time temperature of 40 degrees or below) and Tua in particular (a record of 6-13 at temperatures under 70 degrees- warm weather has apparently made him soft) hadn’t had much success in cold weather games.
Interestingly, real dolphins seem to have similar weather tastes/weaknesses. According to the website us.whales.org, “Several other species may also be encountered in colder waters, such as white-beaked dolphins (Arctic) and hourglass dolphins (Antarctic), but most dolphins prefer tropical and temperate waters as they are warm-blooded mammals and so it is easier for them to regulate their body temperature in these environments.” Is there a correlation here? Perhaps it’s part of some sort of secret human/dolphin recombinant DNA-type project? To create land dolphins (cute but deadly) for military purposes? Maybe I’m onto (the dictionary says it isn’t “on to”) something here… If Chiefs Chronicles suddenly disappears and I’m never heard from again, you’ll know I was right.
I could also have been thinking about how the Chiefs handled the Dolphins in Germany. They didn’t seem to have too much trouble putting Miami away that time (more of my thoughts on that game here) if I recall correctly. The final score of 21-14 seems close, but the Chiefs’ defense was showing everyone just how much they could be trusted when the offense sputtered- whether from drops, giveaways, or penalties. That could be it.
Most likely, it’s a rich stew of all those reasons blended together to make up one relaxed (and delicious- I’m starving at the moment) game experience. Yeah, let’s say that’s the origin of my attitude. Regardless (meaning you can feel free to ignore all that stuff I just said), I would also like to give the Chiefs some of the credit for playing a solid game. I guess they helped me to not be stressed. A little.
Tyreek finally got to make his triumphant return to Arrowhead (for a playoff game no less!) and let’s just say it didn’t work out exactly how he would have liked. The Chiefs’ defense and particularly this guy had something to say about it:
By now, we’ve all seen the video of Sneed introducing Tyreek Hill to the frozen turf of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. At least Tyreek was a good sport about it (although his attitude makes me wonder just how much more he cares about money than winning):
Tyreek and the warm-weather-loving Dolphins have played the Chiefs twice since the trade and lost both contests. Sure the Dolphins got a one-of-a-kind talent in Tyreek Hill (and his enormous contract), but the Chiefs got All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie and rising star WR Rashee Rice among other, less noteworthy players. Not to mention the draft pick from the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
It was the rare trade that worked out for everyone, so Chiefs Kingdom doesn’t need to be mad at Tyreek. He got his touches, sunshine, and money. The Chiefs got another Super Bowl (with a good outlook for more) and were able to restock their team with young talent on both sides of the ball. Seems fair to me.
Ok. It wasn’t this cold at Arrowhead last week, but it was cold enough for people to get frostbite and hypothermia and some of them had to be hospitalized. There are even unverified reports that some players suffered from frostbite. For those of you unfamiliar with frostbite and what that kind of cold does to the human body, here’s an excerpt from The Mayo Clinic’s page on frostbite:
Frostbite occurs in several stages:
Frostnip. Frostnip is a mild form of frostbite. Continued cold exposure leads to numbness in the affected area. As your skin warms, you may feel pain and tingling. Frostnip doesn't cause permanent skin damage.
Superficial frostbite. Superficial frostbite causes slight changes in skin color. The skin may begin to feel warm — a sign of serious skin involvement. If you treat frostbite with rewarming at this stage, the surface of the skin may appear mottled. And you may notice stinging, burning and swelling. A fluid-filled blister may appear 12 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin.
Deep (severe) frostbite. As frostbite progresses, it affects all layers of the skin as well as the tissues that lie below. The skin turns white or blue-gray and you lose all sensation of cold, pain or discomfort in the area. Joints or muscles may stop working. Large blisters form 24 to 48 hours after rewarming. The tissue turns black and hard as it dies.
This is all just a long way of saying it’s probably a good thing that Sunday’s game is in Buffalo. The low is supposed to be a balmy 18 degrees. For Chiefs players that is going to feel like Hawaii compared to last weekend’s game.
I’ve always found eating chili a good way to keep warm. Enjoy!
Well, it’s been Sunday for a few hours now. I’d better go to bed so I don’t fall asleep during the Chiefs/Bills game. Maybe, if the rest of my life calms down for a bit, the next Chiefs Chronicles will be out before gameday. We’ll see.
As always, GO CHIEFS!!!