To Sit or Not To Sit, Is that Even a Question?

As I mentioned in the post right before this, our upcoming game against Oakland is meaningful.

A win guarantees us the third seed and a loss puts us at risk of slipping to the four seed. If a game against the Jets for our first playoff game is what we want (which I think it is), then a win on Sunday will be necessary. Another benefit of being the three seed is that we would not have to play New England in the divisional round if we make it there. Instead, we would play the AFC North champion.

But all of this seems unimportant to the Chiefs coaches. No, not because they are talking about sitting players to not risk injury but because they are treating this game like it is any other game. They are preparing the starters just like they do every week. They are planning on playing and they are planning on winning.

The Chiefs seem unconcerned with playing for playoff positioning because they are too concerned about winning this game against the Raiders. That is why I like this coaching staff so much.

The Chiefs are not a veteran team, they are not a team that goes to the playoffs year after year, they are not a team that can just take a week off and then perform again the following week without any problems, and they are not a team that you can allow to become too fixated on the playoffs. If you let them just focus on a playoff game, they are very likely to just unnerve themselves.

Haley and the coaching staff has taken it one game at a time all season and this mentality does not allow the players to look past any opponent.

Haley, when asked if the decision to play to win the game considering the risk of injury was a tough one, responded: "No, not at all, . . . the stage we’re in for this team, we’re still in the developing foundation-laying period for this team. There are some teams that can think like that, I don’t think we’re one of those teams, I know we’re not. We just have so much work still to be done and we’ve got little time to do it so each and every day is important for us to continue to make progress across the board – there is no position spot that I can say we’re good here. We’ve got to keep working and keep getting better and the guys understand that and we set a goal when this quarter started to win at least three games and we’ve got a chance to do that . . ."

This game is important for the Chiefs, and it's not just Haley saying that. From the coaches to the players, there is clearly unfinished business left in Kansas City.

Playoffs aside, what unfinished business?

The Chiefs have the opportunity to go 8-0 at Arrowhead Stadium this season. That would be the first time since 2003 (which is also the last time we won the AFC West). Also, the Chiefs want momentum going into the playoffs. They have won three of their last four games and another win this week will propel them into their home playoff game. Also (yes, there is going to be quite a bit of also's), this game represents a grudge match for the Chiefs after their overtime loss earlier this season. Just watch those highlights again and you would want to play your starters too.

Also, Jamaal Charles (the one player who I don't want to play at all because if he's injured we're done), still wants yards. “I might play a lot this week and I’m still trying to get the rushing title.”

In his press conference yesterday, Matt Cassel had these things to say regarding the Oakland game: "For us as players that is our job, to go out and compete for 16 games. As a group and as a team we have a lot of work to do going into the playoffs and there are things that we want to accomplish . . . It definitely benefits you to keep your momentum going because I think that we have been playing pretty good football these past few weeks and if we can continue that it just builds further momentum going into the playoffs and hopefully gives us some confidence.”

Cassel also had these things to say in a conference call with Bay Area reporters: "Absolutely we plan on playing it like a regular game and I’m planning on playing 60 minutes and I think everyone else in the locker room is too. The last thing you want to do is go out and get your butt kicked by the Raiders on Sunday and lose any momentum we’ve built up to this point.’’

Derrick Johnson, however, probably simplified what all the coaches and players are wanting: “We still have business to handle with the Raiders.”

Although it can't be certain that the starters won't come out at some point during the game, as a Chiefs fan, you have to love this team is coming together. How the youth is blending with the veterans and how every player has bought in to what Todd Haley and Scott Pioli are trying to accomplish. So to sit or not to sit? It seems at this point that it's not even a question.