chiefStats: Five stats that could determine the Chiefs’ game against 49ers Welcome back to chiefStats — the place where I toss a few stats out into the ethos for Kansas City Chiefs fans to absorb before the game. I am hoping this article can work its way into Chiefs fans pregame ritual.Last week we talked about the Steelers having difficulty with top five points per game offenses http://www.chiefscheapshoponline.com/cheap-authentic-cameron-erving-jersey , and it came to fruition when Pittsburgh couldn’t keep up with the Chiefs high powered offense.Now our focus turns towards the 49ers, and below are five topics which could alter the outcome of the game.1. 49ers sacks allowedWe’ll start our analysis with a nice little Tweet:For reference, the worst pass protection team in 2017 (the Colts) gave up a sack percentage of 10.3 percent.The Chiefs defense has been very inept at sacking the quarterback to start the 2018 season, tallying only two sacks. So far in 2018, the Chiefs have a miserable sack percentage of 1.8 percent; only the Giants have been worse (1.7 percent).All that said, I’m not ready to throw in the towel on the Chiefs pass rush. Perhaps one reason for the Chiefs low sack totals is that the Steelers and Chargers are just good at protecting the QB. In 2017, the Chargers finished first in the NFL in sack percentage (3.0 percent), and the Steelers finished third (3.9 percent).On Sunday against the 49ers, we should have a better idea of what the Chiefs pass rush is capable of.2. 49ers running gameThis is the 49ers’ strength. The 49ers have the second-best yards per rushing attempt average in the NFL so far in the young season.Matt Breida is leading the charge for the 49ers with 184 rushing yards on only 22 attempts — that’s an average of 8.4 yards per attempt. Breida should provide a good test for the Chiefs run defense.I’m very curious to see how the Chiefs fare against the 49ers running game. I believe the Chiefs strength on defense is their ability to stop the run. Sunday should prove to be a good test on the defensive side of the ball.If the 49ers get into a shootout with the Chiefs it could spell major problems for their offense if they have to abandon the run.3. It’s been a while...Remember last week when it had been a long time since the Chiefs had beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh? Well, the same could be said about the 49ers playing in Kansas City.Cool story — the Chiefs haven’t lost at home to the 49ers in my lifetime... hopefully it stays that way.Of course, I missed an important piece of information when crafting the Tweet above:Ahhhh yes, there we go, now the facts are complete.4. QB PlayGaroppolo has not played up to the hype in 2018 amassing the following stats:55.9 Cmp%, 467 yards, 7.9 Y/A3 TD, 3 INT, 77.4 QB RatingContrast this with what Mahomes is doing:69.1 Cmp%, 582 yards, 10.6 Y/A10 TD, 0 INT, 143.3 QB RatingAs you can see, there is a massive disparity in quarterback play between the two. Obviously, the Chiefs defense hasn’t been on par with the ones Garoppolo has faced (Vikings, Lions), but Mahomes hasn’t had a cakewalk either. Both the Steelers and Chargers should have good defenses when everything is said and done in 2018.The last thing the 49ers want to do is get into a shootout with the Chiefs. If the start of the season has anything to do with how the rest of the year will go, the 49ers will lose the game if Garoppolo is asked to keep up with Mahomes.So if I’m the Chiefs, my goal is to be aggressive and score early.5. TurnoversThe 49ers have started the season with a bit of a turnover bug, coughing up four turnovers while only generating two of their own.If the 49ers were to continue to give up turnovers at this same pace, they would give up 32 on the entire season which would have been the third-worst mark in 2017. The 49ers are also on pace to have a minus-32 turnover differential in 2018 — this would have been the worst in the NFL in 2017.Obviously the 49ers are unlikely to finish the season at the same pace of allowing turnovers Cheap Terrance Smith Jersey , but it bodes well for a Chiefs defense which has struggled to make splash plays so far in 2018.The Chiefs defense is currently sitting at two turnovers forced on the season. If the Chiefs want to adjust their defensive game plan to include more risk, in hopes to get more turnovers, this week against the 49ers the week to do it.So to summarize, the keys to the game are:Chiefs need to take advantage of the 49ers poor pass protection at the start of the season.Who’s going to win the running game battle? Will the Chiefs improved front be able to stop Breida and Morris?Will the 49ers continue to lose in Kansas City?The Chiefs should be heavily favored due to Mahomes’ play being significantly better than Garoppolo’s thus far.The Chiefs defense needs to play a ball-hawk style, and try to generate turnovers.Pulling back the curtain on the NFL’s cutdown weekend The team has finally reached the end of its last preseason game, and now the time has come for some very tough decisions. However, this is a good thing because it means that it is also time for some real meaningful games to begin, and that is what everyone is here for.As an individual who worked in the medical side of things for so long, I can attest to the fact that it is not just as easy as calling a player and telling them the news. There are a multitude of steps that go into this very exacting process.While it is true that most decisions on roster spots are made by this point, there are usually several spots still undecided. I used to say that I could predict the roster within a couple of spots. Some seasons were easier than others, but there always seemed to be a surprise out there waiting—either positive or negative. It is never negative to change your team for the better, but it sometimes hurts to have to sign a guy out that was with you for a long time or was a team favorite. That hurts, there is no way around it and no one enjoys that side of it. However, the team rolls on and games must be played with the best roster that can be put built.After the final game, the long process begins of final player evaluations. Not just on the team you are rooting for—for all teams. Personnel staff must evaluate everyone to be ready for potential cuts, trades or injuries. This means keeping tabs on the entire league, an arduous process to be sure.Once cuts for your team are decided, the player is contacted and told to report to the facility. They all know it’s coming, and a phone call from a number they don’t recognize is usually the sign. I’ve even experienced situations where players left town or wouldn’t answer their phones, as they thought this would prevent them from being cut. It didn’t, of course.The players then report to the building and see all the appropriate people, beginning with the personnel department and then the coaching staff first normally. At that point, the player then must check out with all the rest of the football departments, including video, equipment, football ops and of course medical.Medical is one of the most important, obviously, since at this point of the process, the player is required to declare himself healthy or report any issues. The vast majority of players declare themselves healthy Dee Ford Jersey , sign out, then leave. Most of them are just looking to move on to the next thing or team. Occasionally, an issue arises that needs to be checked by a physician and that is taken care of at this time as well. A player reporting an unknown issue when they are signing out because they are being released is always something that can raise eyebrows. However, most issues are benign and simply a player wanting something on record.As the person who oversaw the medical sign in/out process for many of my years in the league, I had my own way to deal with things. Most guys got a handshake, a “Good luck and let us know if we can do anything for you.”Others, who were more beloved or had been with the team longer, got hugs and long goodbyes making sure we all had each other’s numbers and business cards for staying in contact down the road.To be sure, not everyone is happy about it. I’ve seen it all. Players crying, yelling, fuming, refusing to sign anything. The reality is that they will no longer be with the team no matter the behavior and most just need/want to vent to someone. Almost everyone over the years handled the process with dignity and respect of others. Those that didn’t, I typically didn’t ever see in the league again, probably showing more about their character than their playing ability in the first place. On the flip side of things, it is a time to welcome new faces on to your team. Whether it is a trade or free agent from another team, the roster is truly not set until the first practice of the regular season, sometimes even later in the week. Constant movement during this period sees players cross the country on late notice in order to make it to practice for their new team after just playing a game for another team days ago. After the roster has been initially set over the final preseason weekend, it is extremely common to have several changes in Week 1 prior to the game. Unless your team plays on the first Thursday, there are 10 days to tinker with the roster before they play. Some players that have been released will be back with the practice squad also, so signing them out and then back in is a reality and a formality. By the end of the weekend, everyone must have a spot – active roster, practice squad, IR, PUP/NFI.Going forward, this is your team. It will change and it will evolve, but the first step in the process is to go from 90 to 53—many guys saying goodbye, or maybe just goodbye for now.Aaron Borgmann is the founder of Borgmann Rehab Solutions. He spent 12 years in the NFL as an assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist before joining Arrowhead Pride.
