Nuge's Nuggets: End of the road

I know. It's disappointing. For a week, it looked like the Kansas City Chiefs were in a position to make some noise in playoffs. I thought they were going to win the Colts game. Unfortunately, they just couldn't take advantage of some inspired play by the defense, and lost the game 23-8.

So the Chiefs end up heading into the offseason with a bitter taste in their mouths, but knowing that despite the issues that faced the team this season, they still managed to claw their way into postseason contention. This wasn't a great team, but it's one that could be as soon as next season.

I keep hearing around town that the Chiefs need to blow up the roster and start over on a two or three-year rebuilding project. I disagree. Why? Let's start by taking a look at what happened in this game.

Today was some of the best defensive football I've seen this team play all season. The Chiefs played great until they were finally worn out by the offense's inability to move the football. Not only that, but the defense was playing shorthanded. They still need a defensive tackle that consistently occupies two offensive linemen. But really, that's all they need. Everything else is already on the roster.

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Unfortunately, there's plenty of holes on offense, mostly along the offensive line. The tackles have undermined the Chiefs all year long, and that was no different in this game. Of course, when a team fails to get a first down in an entire half against a notoriously soft defense, there's plenty of blame to go around, and I'll get to that in a minute. The primary reason why the Chiefs lost the game was the inability of the offensive line to seal the edges against the Colts.

That's not to disrespect the Colts, because they did an incredible job of breaking down the offensive line. But the Chiefs line had to play better and didn't. In the coming weeks, you'll hear plenty of reasons why the Chiefs couldn't get it done, but that's the primary reason.

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Here's a major reason to be excited about next season:

Jarrad Page

At this point, I don't see how he doesn't start next year. As a rookie, he has the potential to be as good as just about any safety the Chiefs have ever had, and they've had a few good ones. Bernard Pollard has a ton of upside, too, and he'll be in the mix next season, but it's Page is ready for prime time. Today.

Oh, and even though the Chiefs lost, it was a huge opportunity for the young Chiefs, the Larry Johnsons, the Derrick Johnsons, the Pages, to get some postseason experience. Nothing teaches young players how to play in big games like actually playing in big games. It'll pay dividends for the Chiefs in the future.

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Look for plenty of roster turnover this offseason. Some of the names that have been around for a while won't be when next season begins. Rumors are flying and we'll be looking into every one of them to make sure you guys get the latest scoop.