For those Rocky fans out there (which should be everyone), you might recognize the title of the post as a famous quote from the first Rocky movie. After Apollo Creed won a split decision contest against the underdog Rocky Balboa, a fight that wasn't even supposed to be close, Creed says these famous words to Rocky as a sign of respect.
In a way, I think the 2010 Chiefs were a lot like Rocky in that first movie. Virtually unheard of, disrespected, an underdog in every sense of the word. And because of this role, the Chiefs were able to sneak up on opponents, taking them by surprise. Despite their heart and effort, the Chiefs season didn't end up as the miracle that all of us wanted it to be. But neither did the Rocky movie.
What I'm trying to say is that Rocky wasn't a one-hit wonder and neither are the Chiefs. And just like Creed and Rocky met again, the Chiefs have the opportunity to play the team that took any hopes of a championship away from us. The reason it's not going to be a rematch, however, is because it's only a preseason game; slightly less epic than a meeting again in the playoffs would be.
And because it's a preseason game, don't expect to see the starters for very long, although John Harbaugh has said that the Ravens starters will play "into the second quarter."
How long are the Chiefs starters going to be in? Nobody but the coaches know that answer. The game got ugly last week between the Chiefs and the Bucs when Tampa Bay decided to keep their starters in into the second quarter and the Chiefs pulled their after just a couple of overly conservative series (Matt Cassel attempted no pass, Jamaal Charles didn't carry a ball). Despite the coaches knowing that the game could get ugly fast, they didn't hesitate to pull their starters, not caring what Tampa Bay did. So don't be surprised if this is the same strategy the Chiefs use tomorrow, not being coaxed into playing their starters longer than they planned because of Baltimore's intentions.
Do I want to see the Chiefs starters play against the Raven's starters for over a quarter? Absolutely. I'm a fan and I'm not fond of blowouts. But will I blame the coaching staff for pulling the starters early? No, it's their call and imagine how upset we would be if Cassel or Charles was lost for the season because of exhibition aggressiveness.
I've already talked about some of the players we got from Baltimore this offseason (just scroll down a couple of posts until you find it), but here are some of their acquisitions: running back Ricky Williams from Miami; full back Vonta Leach from Houston; wide receiver Lee Evans from Buffalo; strong safety Bernard Pollard (sound familiar).
What do I expect from tomorrow night's game? Cassel throwing the football, Charles getting some carries, Jackie Battle not playing all four quarters, and the first score of the Chiefs preseason. These aren't very high expectations, but if you saw last weeks game, you understand. So does Rocky have what it takes to take down Apollo Creed? I guess we'll find out.
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