Gästebuch » This is all standard operating procedure.

When the Kansas City Chiefs bring in a free agent player Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Jersey , the first thing we do is look ahead on the calendar to see when the Chiefs will face the player’s former team, circle the date and make a note: “Ask [insert player name here] about playing against former teammates.”Such was the case for free agent Sammy Watkins, who will play against his former Los Angeles Rams teammates on Monday night.But we never know what storylines or other narratives might develop before we get there — for example, that the Chiefs and Rams would face each other in primetime when both teams are 9-1.Or that six days before, that primetime game will be moved from one country to another because the original field doesn’t turn out to be up to NFL standards.But we’re resourceful folks.We’ll look at our cell phone calendars, ask the questions we planned so long ago, and write down the answers we get — even though they might never see the light of day when unexpected storylines crowd them out.So we asked people about Watkins on Thursday — and asked the man himself some questions, too.We’ve devoted a lot of ink electrons to Watkins since he was signed by the Chiefs last March.We noted that pundits thought Watkins might have been overpaid.We wrote how the Chiefs were building a version of Sammy Watkins no one had ever seen. We told you about Watkins’ new haircut in training camp. — because reporters like haircut stories almost as much as ketchup stories.We made our best guess about what Watkins’ production might be for the Chiefs this season.When Watkins was unproductive in the preseason, we worried whether Watkins’ big contract was a factor in the Chiefs defensive problems.The list goes on.Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesBut as I went through what we’ve written about Watkins, I was struck by an article from a week after the signing, where we saw that the Rams were thinking about Watkins as “the one that got away.”“There’s a reason why he had a market — he put good things on tape,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay of the big contract Watkins had just landed with the Chiefs. “I don’t think that’s exclusive to, maybe, the production from a numbers standpoint. He did a lot more for our offense that’s going to be a big void.”And judging from his comments to the press on Thursday — when he was (of course) asked about Watkins playing against his team on Monday night — McVay still feels that way.We’ve assumed — because we’re Chiefs fans — that the change in attitude Watkins developed over the course of his three-team career had to do with the influence of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. But McVay’s remarks would suggest that the Rams — both last spring and now — saw the same thing.“I was really impressed with the caliber of player he is — the willingness to do some of the things he did without the ball — but really, if I’m being honest, I don’t think I did a good enough job of getting him the ball as many times as he deserved last year. He made the most of those, and he didn’t say anything. [He] just continued to go to work.“[He’s] an explosive playmaker with outstanding aggressive hands,” continued McVay. “[He’s] a physical football player. And I’ve been really happy for Sammy. I was sorry to see him leave, but I’m happy for him because he deserves the contract that he earned. He’s in a great situation, and he’s done a great job making plays throughout the season.”But whether or not we misunderstood Watkins’ career arc to this point, it’s hard to underestimate what he has brought to the Chiefs offense when he’s been on the field.When asked about Watkins’ presumed return to the starting lineup on Monday, quarterback Patrick Mahomes echoed McVay’s comments from the spring.“Sammy just brings another dimension to our offense,” Mahomes said. “He’s so physical with the speed. He’s someone that can really stretch the defense as well as put pressure on them in a lot of different ways. I thought guys did well — stepped up and played well in replacing [his] role — but at the same time it’s hard to replace a guy like Sammy.”Watkins himself said he believes his role with the Chiefs — unlike it was the Rams — includes veteran leadership.“My leadership role — the things I do in the huddle, the things I say in the huddle -- I think that’s kind of missed in the outside world. Keeping the guys level-headed. I’m not too much caught up on stats and stuff like that. I’ve grown past that.”Watkins even said that his experience with the Rams helped smooth his transition to Kansas City’s offense.“I think that kind of prepared me. Maybe that’s the reason I’m here now. That was a blessing in disguise. I learned how to stay patient, and make the best of the opportunities that are given to me.”But Watkins is serene about what the future may bring.“Everything is kind of planned in God’s hands. That’s how I look at it. I’m here for a reason. Right now Limited Allen Bailey Jersey , I’m happy.” How long can a bull market continue?As long as the fundamentals persist, the trend may have legs. The Kansas City Chiefs have some fundamental reasons they are winning. They have the coaching advantage in most weeks, and the quarterback advantage every week. They have explosive playmakers, with at least one stepping up each game. They are harassing opposing quarterbacks and getting turnovers. This week, the Chiefs had to overcome some adversity off (and on) the field, but they were able to persist and win. Those are the key building blocks of champions.Stock UPPatrick Mahomes: It was already his team. We already knew that the fate of the Chiefs rests squarely on his 23-year-old shoulders. On Friday — while the team was mourning the downfall of Kareem Hunt — Mahomes pulled his teammates together in a players-only meeting, which he later humbly downplayed to the media. When it was game time, Mahomes had some missed opportunities, but he kept firing. He was working without one of his top wide receivers, but he got others like Chris Conley and Demetrius Harris involved. The Chiefs offense was without their top runner, so what did Mahomes do? He led the team in rushing with 52 key yards. The Oakland Raiders tried to make the game interesting, so Mahomes shut the door with touchdown drives when the Chiefs needed them. The last few days are why Mahomes is the MVP of the league: leadership, resilience, aggressiveness, and playmaking ability when it counts.Travis Kelce: Someone had to step up as a receiver this week, and Kelce responded in spectacular fashion. 12 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns doesn’t even tell the whole story. Watch him run routes and attack the football in the air. It was a monster week for the best tight end in football.Chris Jones and the Chiefs’ pass rush: If Mahomes is the reason the Chiefs win on offense, the pass rush is the reason the defense can win. Jones is on a ridiculous tear right now, joining Dee Ford with double-digits in sacks. Fret all you want about their inability to shut teams down, but as long as they are getting after the quarterback, they’ll make enough plays to keep winning.Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz: Fisher bounced back nicely from a rough game or two before the bye. While it’s true the Raiders don’t have the strongest pass rush, it was good to see a clean game from the left tackle. Schwartz’s Cal Ripken-like snap streak continues, as he plays some of the best football of his career. He has to be an All-Pro (or at least a Pro Bowl) player this year, or it’s an absolute travesty. Protecting Mahomes will be key against a few strong defenses down the stretch, and we’re bullish on the Chiefs’ bookend offensive tackles.Damien Williams: The forgotten back on the Chiefs roster showed that he can at least be a complementary player when given the chance. He is known as a fantastic receiver with enough burst to break into the secondary. The combination of Williams and Ware weren’t enough to make us forget about Hunt, but 19 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown between them was enough to keep the Raiders honest. Williams’ stock is up this week because he’s been such a non-factor prior to the Raiders game. He’s starting to make the case for an increased role going forward. Others who are trending in a bullish direction: Mitch Morse Authentic Chris Jones Jersey , Chiefs turnover ratio, Demetrius Harris, Chris ConleyStock DOWN锘縏yreek Hill: Hill has been spectacular this year. It’s more unusual that he doesn’t make a big play. Drops are extremely rare. He and Mahomes are nearly always on the same page. This week he was a bit off. Six targets and only one catch, with a couple of drops that could have been touchdowns. I fully expect him to bounce back next week. Tanoh Kpassagnon: This tweet says it all. Tanoh is buried on the depth chart now. Given the promise we saw in the preseason, that’s very disappointing. Maybe it’s just because Ford and Houston have been so good, but regardless of the reason, zero snaps for KPass isn’t a good sign. The inside linebackers and safeties: Ron Parker, Eric Murray, Anthony Hitchens, Jordan Lucas, Dan Sorensen and Ben Niemann: Can Eric Berry save the back and middle of the Chiefs defense? This is the weakness on the team right now, and it’s clear a change is needed. They are tentative. They struggle in coverage and struggle to tackle. We’ll see if #29 is enough to erase mistakes and elevate the play of others around him. Others who are who trending in a bearish direction: NFL investigations, penaltiesStock FLATSpencer Ware: The new starting running back had a decent first game. He had a couple of strong runs where he showed tremendous effort to drag a pile forward. He also showed that he needs good blocking, because he wasn’t able to create much when hit in the backfield. Ware is a more than capable back, and he’ll likely have much better weeks. I suspect his stock will be up going forward, but what we saw in the Raiders game is pretty much what we would have expected in Ware’s return to the starting lineup.Harrison Butker: Yes, he had an extra point blocked this week, but he’s fifth in the league in field goal percentage at 95%.He’s only missed one, and it was over 50 yards. The Chiefs may eventually be in a really close game again where each point counts, so they’ll need to rely upon Butker. It appears they can.Others who are who we thought they were: Reggie Ragland, Orlando Scandrick, Steven Nelson