The clock has struck on this years Cinderella story, the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs spotted the Bills a 9-0 early lead. They turned it around and went on a 38-6 run to put the game away. The defense frustrated Josh Allen and company all night with exotic blitzes and Patrick Mahomes and company looked as composed and in sync as they have all season. This team was on a mission and proved that all night long. The only thing left is to take care of business Sunday night in Tampa Bay.

A first in the fifty five years of the Super Bowl era is happening this season, a team is playing in their home venue for the biggest game of the season. In a normal year that would be a distinct advantage but 2020-21 is anything but normal. There is none of the typical hoopla surrounding this years game, the Chiefs are treating this like any other road game which they have won 12 straight. Tom Brady and the Bucs have gotten here as 5th seeded Wild Card winning 3 straight road games in Washington, New Orleans, and Green Bay. They are on a 7 game winning streak following a 27-24 loss to the Chiefs in week 12 in a game which wasn’t anywhere as close as the final score indicates. The Buccaneers are coming into Super Bowl Sunday with a plethora of confidence and rightfully so they have as talented roster as anyone in the league and the best postseason quarterback in the history of the game.

Confidence, there should be plenty of that from both sidelines in Tampa Bay on Sunday night. Kansas City’s mantra all season has been “Run It Back” they coasted at times in the regular season but once the postseason hit they have been all business and the mission is almost complete. These players are all in. There is seemingly no answer in football for the trio of Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The Bucs should have an advantage upfront with their defensive line against the Chiefs patchwork offensive line but Andy Heck has had two weeks to get these boys ready and has never failed in showing results. Head Coach Andy Reid is a ridiculous 22-3 coming off of a bye and that is favorable. The truth of the matter is the Chiefs are the better football team they proved that in week 12 this is a team with a mission and is on the cusp of completing that and that’s why I will be picking them. My X-Factor on offense will be Clyde Edwards-Helaire the shifty rookie has been sidelined all post season should be fresh, with a banged up offensive line I can see the screen game being prevalent and no one should benefit more from that than Clyde. Defensively I like Bashaud Breeland, he’s physical and big which should pay dividends against a big strength of the Bucs offense. This is business for the Chiefs and my Super Bowl 55 pick is Chiefs 35 Bucs 24

I was in search of a fitting roaster name to showcase on the biggest of stages. Just as this is the Chiefs big day and all it’s glory, it’s fitting Bride Coffee Roasting Company has it’s big day. I learned about Bride a few weeks ago on Facebook and knew at that moment I found my Super Bowl roaster. A small female veteran owned and operated roaster out of Smithville, MO, who from her posts is serious about her coffee. Tuesday morning Jude Bug and I loaded up and went to A Meal That Counts Co-Op, a great non profit giving back to the Smithville community, and the one of the two local merchants along with their next door neighbor Smithville Bike Co-Op selling Bride’s coffee. We selected an Organic Guatemalan the same country as last years Super Bowl brew. On the nose out of the bag we get a slight toffee sweetness with a tinge of ruggedness like an old leather sofa. Ground up the roasted notes come to the front almond, peanut, and caramel with just a hint of good pipe tobacco. Once brewed in the pour over a medium bodied roast with silky, creamy mouth feel. Rich notes of peanut butter are front forward, with some citrus undertones of lime and blood orange allow a slight acidity to finish off the cup. Like the Chiefs this brew is superbly complex but very approachable and ALL BUSINESS. I’m very happy with this choice and strongly recommend that you buy a bag of beans from this roaster. I’ll provide the links below. As always enjoy your cup and Go Chiefs.

https://bridecoffeeroasting.com/

https://m.facebook.com/Amealthatcounts/

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The Chiefs closed out another one possession game with a 4 and 1 out pattern to Tyreek Hill from backup quarterback Chad Henne in Sunday’s divisional round game. The Chiefs started hot, scoring on each of their four first half possessions to take a 19-3 halftime lead. A missed 33 yard chip shot by Harrison Butker followed by a Jarvis Landry touchdown cut the lead to 9 midway in third and on the ensuing drive Chiefs fans nearly seen the season end when Patrick Mahomes went down with an apparent concussion. The aforementioned Henne led the Chiefs to a field goal on the drive to increase the lead back to 12 but the Browns brought it within a possession with an 18 play 75 yard drive. The Chiefs D held the fort down from their and Henne closed the door.

For the third straight season the road to the Super Bowl passes through Arrowhead Stadium on Championship Sunday as the Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills in a rematch of the 1994 AFC Championship. Josh Allen and company have taken a big leap forward this season and will be an extremely tough opponent. The mirror the Chiefs in a lot of ways and I get the feeling this will be a shootout. Patrick Mahomes has cleared the concussion protocol and will be suiting up. Willie Gay Jr. has been ruled out for a second straight week. My big concern is the health of Bashaud Breeland and Rashad Fenton if both of these guys can go on Sunday it will go a long way against the NFLs third ranked passing attack. Look for a big game from the defensive line and in particular Frank Clark, he’s my X factor. The Chiefs win in a barn burner but it will be the defense that makes the plays in the end. Chiefs 38 Bills 33

I chose probably the currently most recognized name in Kansas City coffee, Messenger Coffee. Messenger is relatively new to the scene but has exploded since their flagship store opened in 2017. They are supplying a ton of the local restaurants and taking their game throughout the metro and bi state region. I knee the quality would be Championship week worthy. For this week I chose the El Salvador Capital Del Mundo. I love full bodied fruit forward coffee that El Salvador generally delivers. Out of the bag and on the nose is deep dark chocolate, cinnamon, and something spicy like ground jalapeño. Ground up dried fruits come out blueberries, strawberries, and raspberry with some depth of leather, vanilla, and tobacco. The nose on this just screams depth and complexity that travels from nose to tongue. It is heavy in body with a good amount of citric acidity. Flavor profiles range from cocoa powder to dates, to sweet honey there is something almost chilling in there. It’s obnoxiously complex, but not in a bad way. As I figured, Messenger delivers with another superb Single Origin. For the most unique coffee shop experience in Kansas City visit their store at 17th and Grand out if you can’t do that hop on the web at the link below. Enjoy the weekend and Go Chiefs!

https://messengercoffee.co/collections/coffee/products/el-salvador-capital-del-mundo

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An ode to Kareem Hunt, just as he is the second best running back on the second best team in this matchup, our coffee comes from Second Best Coffee in KCMO. Jude and I ventured out to Waldo and he was quite peculiar about the Honduran. Straightforward coffee, molasses, and milk chocolate conquer the nose upon opening the bag deeper notes of toasted coconut and almonds develop once ground. On the tongue delicate truffle like milk chocolate bounces around with notes caramelized brown sugar that is sweet, creamy, and smooth and the perfect morning beverage on snowy day like we have in Kansas City this morning. A super strong contender for Coffee of the Year right here. Please check it out by either visiting there location or website below https://www.secondbestcoffee.com/

The Chiefs and Browns will meet in playoffs for the very first time this Sunday at Arrowhead in the AFC divisional round. Cleveland is coming in confident with a huge 48-37 wild card win over their rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs are coming off what is essentially a double bye for their starters and the rest couldn’t have come at a better time to help the health of the football team. It does look the Chiefs will be down two significant starters from the Championship team a year ago, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz continues to be out because of his back and wide receiver Sammie Watkins will be out with a calf injury. Clyde Edwards-Helaire looks to be back in a limited to capacity. On the other side of the field the Browns get both of their starting corners back from the covid list but all pro right tackle Jack Conklin is questionable.

Everyone wants to say the Browns have the “blueprint” to beat the Chiefs. Yes they can run the ball effectively. Yes they have a decent pass rush without having to blitz. Yes they take care of the ball. The problem is they don’t play the pass very well and they don’t cover the tight ends at all and that’s not the recipe for success. I honestly believe the regular season was a 16 game appetizer for the Chiefs to get to this point. The margin for error is so small for the Browns to pull off the upset, I just don’t see it happening. Chiefs roll in this one. Chiefs 31 Browns 20

Divisional Round Predictions

Green Bay 23 Los Angeles 17

Baltimore 24 Buffalo 21

New Orleans 21 Tampa Bay 20

The Las Angeles Chargers beat the Chiefs JV team 38-21 in a week 17 matchup last Sunday at Arrowhead. It did give the Chiefs a more clear picture of where depth needs to be added this off-season and that’s about all that needs to be said about that.

I’m going to go a little off script this week with Chiefs on a bye and predict the six Wild Card matchups. This is 100% biased on what I want and should not be read for anything other than that.

7. Colts @ 2. Bills

The Bills are playing as good of football as anyone in the NFL right now but this is a stage that they are unfamiliar with, this team reminds me a lot of last years Ravens team that was on a tear through the backend of the regular season. The Colts don’t do anything great but they are a solid a lot of places Phillip Rivers is good for a game and the upset ensues Indy 24 Buffalo 21

6 Rams @ 3 Seahawks

The Seahawks D has looked good against bad quarterbacks and the Rams lost to the Jets I don’t think either of these teams will make a run but I will take the better QB in the playoffs and that’s Russel Wilson Seattle 16 LA 12

5 Bucs @ 4 Football Team

Tom Brady has not been a great road playoff quarterback but the TB defense is playing lights out over there four game win streak. Washington’s defense is great but they don’t do enough offensively to beat this good of an offense. Tampa Bay 26 Washington 17

5 Ravens @ 4 Titans

This is the game Lamar Jackson has been waiting for since last postseason. Both teams are punishing on the ground but the Titans defense is garbage and the Ravens expose that all the way to victory. Baltimore 31 Tennessee 21

7 Bears @ 2 Saints

The Saints are a really good football team all the way around. Does Drew Brees have enough left on the tank for another playoff run? Doesn’t matter in this one because it’s against the Bears. New Orleans 34 Chicago 14

6 Browns @ 3 Steelers

I think the Browns are the better team but the Steelers are a far better run organization. This game is ugly. Pittsburgh 17 Cleveland 16

Went back the well with another selection from Encore Coffee Company, thanks to an anniversary coffee subscription from Mrs. Meyer. This months coffee is from Mexico. Depths chocolate and peanut butter flood the nostrils right out the bag. Once ground a complexity begins to show with profiles of baking spice and a more earthy nose develops. Once brewed in the Breville automatic pour over tinges of cinnamon candy and chocolate are the big notes in this slightly heavy body. Acidity sits on the back end to round this heavy hitter out. Another solid selection from Encore and as always the never disappoint. Everybody enjoy football this weekend so we can get to business next weekend in the Divisional round. God Bless and Let’s Go Chiefs.

The Chiefs needed a go ahead Demarcus Robinson TD and a 39 yard Younghoe Koo miss all in the last two minutes to survive a valiant effort from the visitors from Atlanta 17-14. Nothing about this game was pretty PM15 had the worst game in his career the defense was down to two rookie linebackers but somehow with a little bit of grit, some testicular fortitude and a sprinkle of luck the Chiefs clinched the one seed and the guaranteed the best regular season in Chiefs history.

The Chiefs enter the regular season finale 14-1 riding a 10 game win streak, the last 7 by 6 points or less. As previously stated the Chiefs have locked up the one seed and home field advantage, so that makes this game essentially meaningless. Chad Henne will be the starter and he will have stalwarts Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, and Nick Keizer to throw to. In the backfield he’ll have Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson at his disposal. Across the field the LA Chargers will be looking to end the season on a 4 game win streak. QB Justin Herbert should win rookie of the year with 4000 yards and 30 TDs. This looks like a mismatch that the Chiefs will not win Chargers 28 Chiefs 23

This week I walked across the street at work to Splitlog Coffee Co. in downtown KCK. It was suggested that I try the natural processed Guatemalan La Labor. From the moment I opened the bag I was hit with a plethora of fruitiness. A wine like aroma permeates upfront with some natural papaya and pineapple essence. Once ground the tropical theme continues with a hint of macadamia and that island floral aroma. In the mouth it’s refreshingly light and superbly complex. Fruit forward, grape, mango, and tangerine with a depth of quality chocolate that is smooth and sweet to the very finish. The best coffee roaster may very well be across the state line in Strawberry Hill, this brew was truly a treasure. Check them out at either one of their locations or the website below. Drink up and let’s get ready for the playoffs. Go Chiefs!

https://www.splitlogcoffee.com/

The Chiefs won their sixth straight one possession game, an NFL record. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead they allowed the Saints to take the lead 15-14 early in the second half. A crazy improvised miracle touchdown to Mecole Hardman on the ensuing possession gave the Chiefs the lead, one they would never relinquish. The pieced together patchwork offensive line held strong enough for the boys to hold onto a 32-29 victory. The Chiefs have now won 22 of their last 23 and have all but locked up the coveted number one seed in the AFC.

The Chiefs win coupled with Pittsburgh’s third straight loss gave the Chiefs roughly a 97% chance of getting the number one seed in the AFC and the only bye in the playoffs. All the Chiefs have to do is win one the remaining two games and they will secure that. Their first chance is this Sunday against the 4-10 Atlanta Falcons. Most teams record reflect their abilities, the Falcons record reflects their inability to hold a lead. They have lost 4 games in which they have had a lead of 17 points or more. So they are more than capable of hanging with the Chiefs. I think this one may be a shootout and a good test for the secondary. Le’Veon Bell gets his first try at being the workhorse in the offense and the aforementioned patchwork quilt that we have as an offensive line has another week to gel together. I predict Travis Kelce has 60+ yards to break the NFL record for yards receiving by a Tight End in a season and the Chiefs win another close, one possession game Chiefs 40 Falcons 34

Mrs. Meyer and I traveled to Union Station and had a “anniversary” breakfast date and grabbed some coffee and beans from one of the OG of KC Coffee, Parisi Coffee. This weeks selection was a Burundian Kayanza, opening the bag I received soft notes vanilla, straw bells, and morning dew. Once ground depths of chocolate and roasted almond, with hints of botanicals filled the nostrils . When brewed the complexity comes to a stop, claimed to be a light roast I feel this is extremely over roasted. The acidity and bitterness don’t allow the true nature of this bean to shine. It really is a one note wonder of chocolate maybe deeper depths of cocoa powder but it just makes me wonder what a different roast would have brought out. I’m not usually one to write up a negative review, and especially on Christmas but this bag of beans is not indicative of what in expect from Parisi or any of the roasters in KC. I will return but will leave the Burundi on the shelf. Merry Christmas to all, share a cup with a loved one this holiday season and as always Go Chiefs.

In the NFL if you have a negative 3 turnover margin your chance of winning is a dismal 8.2%. If your quarterback is Patrick Mahomes, who was responsible for three of those 4 turnovers, your chances rise dramatically. Miami’s opportunistic defense took advantage of some over throws and tipped balls and picked PM15 off three times that added 150% to his season’s interception total. Here’s the deal folks. Miami is a decent team with a strong future, Tua will be a top 10 quarterback in this league someday. The truth is their current ceiling is lower than the Chiefs floor. The Chiefs probably left 14 points on the board, still scored 33, lost the turnover battle, and still won the dang game 33-27. As a fan I never once thought they were not going to win that one. We are reaching an arrogance as a fandom but this is what this 2020 team has given us. We may not like winning by a single possession but good teams win games and bad teams lose games and the Chiefs are winning a whole lot of games and are 12-1 for the first time in Chiefs history.

At the time of this writing I fully believe Taysom Hill will be the starting quarterback for the Saints on Sunday afternoon when the Chiefs head to New Orleans. This is a one of the two matchups I had circled on the calendar since the schedule was released. It was also one of the three losses I predicted at then beginning of the season. The Chiefs may be down both starting tackles the Saints have a deep and versatile front 7, which is cause for concern. New Orleans has also been very effective running the ball with Hill at quarterbacks. Alvin Kamara and Latavious Murray are a scary duo known the Chiefs weakness at stopping the run. Sean Payton will have a good game plan in place. All that said in 8 of the 9 losses Patrick Mahomes led teams have had in his career the winning team had to put up 31 points, I’m not convinced a Taysom Hill led team can do that against this version of the Chiefs. Will I be surprised if New Orleans wins, absolutely not but I’m still riding with the Kingom. Chiefs 34 Saints 27

I headed back downtown this week to try another new guy on the scene Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company, a nice and super fun spot right off of Southwest Blvd. I chose their Katia Duke variety Honduran single origins. Mild out of the bag with slight hints of brewers malt and corn flakes. It opens up with intensity once ground, you find more depth with dark chocolate, cherries, and nutmeg. Once brewed it’s a self made mocha, chocolate is the overwhelming winner in this one. Notes of hot cocoa, honey roasted nuts, and some store shelved dark chocolate coat the mouth in a very light delicate way. Almost zero lingering bitterness and aftertaste round out this Central American treat. I strongly encourage all my readers to check out this place for an early morning beverage. If you can’t make it downtown order online at the link below. As always Let’s Go Chiefs!

https://rochesterkcstore.square.site/

For the eleventh straight occasion Kansas City defeated their division rival Denver last Sunday night in Arrowhead. Division games can be weird and that was the case in this one. Vic Fangio and the Broncos defense was stout in the red zone and stopped PM15 and company on each of their 4 attempts. Harrison Butker connected on all 5 of his field goal attempts and the defense picked off Drew Lock twice and the Chiefs held off the Broncos 22-16. It wasn’t the best performance but there was some positive to take from it and build on before heading to Miami.

The Chiefs return to Miami for the first time since Super Bowl Sunday. The Dolphins have faced the single easiest schedule in the NFL and have ridden that to an 8-4 record. Against top 10 QBs their seemingly ferocious defense has withered to nothingness. The Chiefs have seemed to be coasting over the last month, which can be frustrating for a fan base. I don’t think we have to seen the best of the what this team can do, I don’t know if we will get a glimpse of that on Sunday or not. Brian Flores defenses tend to blitz at high rate, which plays right into the Chiefs hands. PM15 has completed 75% of his throws against the blitz with 15 TDs and 0 Ints. In 2018 when Brian Flores was the DC in New England he found ways to cover Tyreek Hill but couldn’t stop the Chiefs as a collective. I like the direction that the Dolphins are moving but they look like a team that is at least a year away. Tua seems to avoid the mistake but he is rookie and the Chiefs defense is opportunistic. I think the Chiefs put up enough points to keep it comfortable but the Fins close the gap in the 4th. Chiefs 33 Dolphins 24

We had mail in the coffee this week which is a first this season, but our selection is coming from the Crossroads in downtown KC. New to scene roaster, Marcell Coffee. They had a couple of very fascinating limited releases and I chose another Nicaraguan this week with some help from their staff. Out of the bag and on the nose it’s a very mild pecan with some hints of roasted almond. Ground up we get some earthiness, some woodsy vegetation with a BBQ grill wood chips kind of vibe. Hints of tobacco and vanilla round out this nose thriller. In the mouth we get richness and depth with a surprising clean mouth feel and finish. A slight fruitiness like plum and dried cranberries and an almost meat like depth from a beef stock or bone marrow, I know it sounds crazy. This feels like a cold winter mornings brew. It is superb and totally worth the wait. I suggest you order quickly on this limited release and also I’ve read they will be switching up their business model at the first of the year. Great job and amazing coffee Marcell! Check this one out at the link below and as always Go Chiefs!

https://www.marcellcoffee.com/shop/haveanicecoffee4

The Chiefs jumped out of the gate on a mission scoring 17 first quarter points. Both touchdowns were bombs to Tyreek Hill who finished the first quarter with 203 yards receiving on his way to the second most receiving yards in Chiefs history. The defense frustrated Tom Brady almost all afternoon forcing two third quarter interceptions. Though the final score was closer than it probably should have been, there was hardly ever any doubt who the better football team was Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs continue to improve overall and as the calendar flips over into December the trajectory of this team is moving in the right direction.

Sunday Night Football is back in Kansas City this week as we host divisional rival the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs are heavy favorites and should be they already have defeated Denver on the road 43-16, forcing four turnovers in that game and just making it hell on Drew Lock and company. Keep the same game plan and pressure on the young Broncos and this game should be out of reach early. The lights shine bright in Arrowhead and I expect another big day from the MVP front runner. Chiefs 44 Broncos 14

This week I traveled to Waldo and inside of McClains Bakery to find Sway Coffee Roasters. I chose a Nicaraguan Limencello, mostly for the fact that I haven’t done a Nicaraguan yet this season. I know that’s the way to do things. Out of the bag this has a spicy earthy scent. I get rich aromas bakers chocolate and anise. Once ground a malitiness develops a little corn flake and yeasty bread comes through. All of the play on the nose gives you zero indication of what goes on in the mouth. A medium bodied, slightly acidic citric explosion. Lemon peel and orange rind fight for leading bill on this one. Some milk chocolate notes finish this off for a weirdly sweet finish. This journey through Kansas City coffee continues to be greatly satisfying. If you find yourself in Waldo check out McClains Bakery, grab yourself a pan of cinnamon rolls or German chocolate coffee cake and a bag Sway coffee beans and enjoy this old school establishment, if you’re using more caution get them shipped directly to your door. Enjoy Kansas City and Go Chiefs!

https://www.swaycoffeeroasters.com/shop/nicaragua-limoncello

Last Sunday’s prime time matchup lived up to its billing. Right off the sunset strip the Chiefs first game at the new Allegiant Stadium was a classic Western shootout. Derek Carr and the Raiders offense could move the ball at will against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes was methodical all night long. When the Chiefs got the ball back with 1:43 trailing 31-28, you knew the game was in the bag. PM15 led a 7 play 75 yard drive that took all 1:15 that culminated in a 22 yard strike to Travis Kelce standing all alone in a sea of black turf. Dirty Dan Sorensen picked off Carr on the Raiders first offensive play and sealed the deal. The Chiefs won 35-31 but this Raiders team is not one I want to see in January.

The Chiefs hit the road again, this week traveling East for a 3:25 matchup with the 7-4 and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady leads a high octane offense of former Pro Bowlers that seem to figure it out about 60% of the time. The defense is highly effective at stopping the run but has trouble getting off the field. This matchup has scared me at times this season. It still has a stigma because it is a Tom Brady led football team. I think if the Chiefs ultimately want to be successful Sunday it boils down to the play of Chris Jones and Frank Clark. On prime time Sunday night those two were shut down and Derek Carr had the freedom to do whatever he pleased. If that’s the case this Sunday Tom Brady will pick apart the Chiefs secondary with weapons that far exceed what the Raiders were throwing out.

I believe in my heart of hearts that the defensive line will create pressure and force some Brady mistakes, possibly a couple of turnovers. Patrick Mahomes continues on his MVP trajectory and the Chiefs win in another shootout this time a little more comfortably Chiefs 40 Bucs 28

This weeks coffee review comes with a disclaimer. The Meyer household was taken aback by COVID-19 and this writer has not been able to smell or really taste much since Tuesday. That was the reason behind the delay. I am using my beautiful wife Melissa to help as best as possible. Our selection is a wonderfully light roasted Colombian from Monarch Coffee in downtown Kansas City. Melissa found some bright citrusy lemon notes with a hint of chocolate on the nose right out of the bag, once ground up great aromas of milk chocolate bars and pipe tobacco were present. Once poured a very light, tea like brew emerges. Very fruity a cornucopia of stone fruit, plum, peaches, and nectarines. The light mouthful make this more of an evening sort of brew but very nice none the less. If you haven’t had the chance to check out the great crew at Monarch please travel down Broadway and check them out. If not check them out on the web. Have a great and safe weekend.

https://www.monarchcoffeekc.com/product/aponte-community-colombia/

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