I think one of the problems that makes us see games as more lopsided than what they are is because of what happens in the college game. In college, if Northwestern plays Ohio State, we can pretty well bet the farm against a cup of coffee what's going to happen. The talent difference between the two is so enormous that it's total unlikely Northwestern will even put up a battle past the first quarter. In the pros, every team has talent it's just that some are a little more talented and they may well also have a better coaching staff in the long run. But that doesn't mean that a team that's 0-4 can't jump up and slap down a 4-0 team as if they were really on an equal footing.
Regardless of how hard we figure players are working on the field, if there's something special to them about this game, they can actually find another gear to play in. When enough of them do, and the coaches come up with game changing schemes on both sides of the ball, they can flip the script and take "the starch" out of the opposition just enough that you can sneak past them to beat them.
Until this year, and I don't think it's dead yet, Andy Reid has been one of those coaches that uses his assistants to dream up schemes and wrinkles that constantly test the opposition and make them hard to beat. Of course, to do that you need a front office that understands the plan and works accordingly to insure they get the tools he identifies as important to his plans. That will work as long as the fire burns inside the coach to continuously explore and modify how they play. Then there's the players. They have to be onboard with it too. They need to execute those game plans at an extremely high level every game. Confidence is a huge part of winning. I have yet to see a coach who can say without hesitation that he has players out there who are giving 100% every play and believe what he said. So much can play out in the minds of those on the field.
In reference to the Chiefs. Does Andy still have that drive? Without it they could be an average team. Does it seem like Mahomes game is slipping, or is it that he just doesn't have that extra gear any longer that makes than half dozen or fewer extra special plays in a game that flip the field and put points on the board? Do the defensive coaches and players feel that the offense is generating to their potential, or do they feel like they're being let down and is it making them just a little less aggressive which leads to the opposition having more opportunities to score. When does a kicker begin to lose confidence in the players around him and the coaches that choose them because he goes through his normal actions and gets kicks blocked. Twice now with the Packers. If his kicks start going wide, it's more on the supporting cast than him. He's going to be seeing guys coming at him out of the corner of his eye and its distracting. Our defense, after watching wasted drives by the offense, followed by bad decisions and handing the ball to the opponents with short fields becomes a problem not only on the field but in the minds of defensive players who wonder why they are letting them down. They feel the same about special teams and in all cases, the coaches as well because they are the teachers and the people calling the shots.
Any given Sunday is so true. It has become a bigger thing since the common draft and salary caps have held a lot of movement in check. Even the blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.