KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here is this week's edition of the Kansas City Chiefs mailbag. To ask a question for a future edition, send it to me via Twitter (@adamteicher) and tag it #ChiefsMail.
@adamteicher #chiefsmail Will Dontarie Poe make the pro bowl?
- Paul Simoneau (@Chieftain58) December 12, 2014
@adamteicher: Nose tackle Dontari Poe could make the Pro Bowl, but whether he deserves it is another matter. Pro Football Focus has him rated 35th among 80 NFL nose or defensive tackles this season, so by that measure he shouldn't. That's just one rating, of course, but I don't think he has played as well as he did last year and hasn't had as big of an impact. That doesn't mean he won't make it. For what it's worth, he finished 10th among fan voting at his position for the Pro Bowl.
@adamteicher is there a scenario where the Chiefs beat Pittsburgh and lose to the Chargers. That they still make the playoffs?
- Jacob Troshynski (@jake_tro) December 19, 2014
@adamteicher: Yes, the Chiefs can make the playoffs if they beat Pittsburgh on Sunday but lose to San Diego in the final regular season game. It involves Pittsburgh and Baltimore losing both of their remaining games. It also requires Houston to lose its final regular season game against Jacksonville and Buffalo to lose at least one of its remaining games. That would make the Chiefs 9-7 and the sixth and final AFC playoff seed. The Chiefs would hold tiebreakers over many other possible 9-7 teams (Pittsburgh, Miami, Buffalo).
@adamteicher ~ is this the week that DAT explodes with coming out party against the Steelers? With JC25 banged up a bit I think so
- MAXIMUM, MBAF | CIS (@maxsch00) December 16, 2014
@adamteicher: It's difficult to ever predict an offensive breakthrough for rookie De'Anthony Thomas because he has such an irregular role. He's also small so the Chiefs have to be careful how much they utilize him on offense. They want him fresh for punt returns and you saw last week what kind of threat he is there. If Jamaal Charles is banged up and can't handle a full load on offense, I would think the Chiefs would turn to Knile Davis for relief there. But given the importance of this game, I think Charles will handle a full load.
@adamteicher do you expect to see more targets for Jason Avant this weekend? #ChiefsMail
- Zippy (@WanderingFool7) December 19, 2014
@adamteicher: It's impossible to predict how much a certain player will get the ball in a given game. Way too many unknown variables there. But for a new guy Avant is certainly getting the ball a lot. He's third on the team in targets behind Travis Kelce and Dwayne Bowe in the three games since he joined the Chiefs so it's a reasonable expectation that Avant would be third among targets against the Steelers.
@adamteicher #ChiefsMail - Does Albert Wilson get the Chiefs WR corps off the schneid by catching not 1 but 2 TDs at the House of Ketchup!?!
- FF Appraiser (@FFBallAppraiser) December 19, 2014
@adamteicher: I predict Avant will get the first touchdown of the season by a wide receiver. Bowe would be my second choice followed by Wilson.
@adamteicher Why is the Houston deal taking so long? Does the deal just get bigger the longer this goes?#ChiefsMail
- jes scott (@jesscott1) December 19, 2014
@adamteicher: This is in reference to a new contract for linebacker Justin Houston. He appears headed for the franchise tag. Free agency doesn't start until March so the sides still have more than two months to get a deal done.