Tradition Tuesday: A Slice of September

The rough focus of this blog is the rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. Cecil and Seven take up residence in BroncoCountry, while I envision ChiefsNation to be the best place on the planet. Sure. It's unfair that it's two versus one, but I suppose there's something to be said when that's also the Lombardi hardware count.

Eight years ago, we matriculated out to one another's stadiums, and called it a tradition. It's a frustrating endeavor on occasion, but we always manage to have a good time, and every now and then, the wives get to tag along, too. Therefore, here on the House of Georges, we bring you "Tradition Tuesday," a weekly state-of-the-rivalry address.

Today is the second day of September, the first Tuesday of the month, and the first Tuesday of the 2008 season. Kind of. Either way, rosters have been trimmed, tickets have been purchased, jerseys have been ordered, and it's time to take in this campaign with fortitude and optimism. I think.

Of course, when I say that, I'm mindful that reality is always the first obstacle in the path. I don't imagine that successfully blitzing Tom Brady, good O-line blocking and a three-point lead in the third quarter translates to a win in New England. It will take much more than that. Like good scouting, intelligent coaching, and smart play-calling, a few things the Chiefs have yet to prove they're consistently capable of doing. It also means minimized mistakes from the mound of youth Kansas City will put on the field.

With 15 rookies on the 53-man roster, Chiefs players to The Kansas City Star's Adam Teicher that they're ready as can be. Safety Jarrad Page is quoted in today's paper:

"We definitely don't need any more time...We've got everything in place. I can't speak for the offense, but for the defense, having more time wouldn't do anything for us at this point...This year we're at a point where everybody on the squad is a lot more comfortable with just who we are as a football team. Instead of worrying about what (opponent) we've got coming up, guys are more certain about themselves and what we are and how good we can be."

In the same piece, Tony Gonzalez said that the team played more in the pre-season than he remembers them playing since his rookie season, which he believes has readied the club considerably. So if Herm Edwards and company can put together some semblance of a game plan that works against what Bill Belichick does, and the potential within this youthful roster is in fact ready, than Kansas City might surprise some folks, and win a few more football games than is expected of them. It could start Sunday, too. Who knows.

Over in BroncosCountry, BroncoTalk reminds us that Shanahananigans blamed himself for Denver's failures in 2007. It's a strange thing, there. I think it's a smart move to say so because it somehow removes some guilt from some younger players, and perhaps replaces it with renewed confidence. And perhaps you shoulder the blame for having a bad assistant in Jim Bates, but there's still something to be said for the personnel that has come through there in recent years: busts, bad chemistries, long shots that don't pay off. Either way, I don't think there's much mystery in how the Denver passing game will be this year. We know the corners are pretty tight. It will be interesting to see how the Denver safeties look, how, if any, the pass rush is, and perhaps most of all, the offensive line/running game.

Personally, I hope it amounts to a bowl of horse cock, but you know. That's just me.