The 5 o’clock club: 5 questions with Arrowhead Pride

The 5 o’clock club aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.

As we try to do every week, Hogs Haven swapped questions with a sister SB Nation site; this week, we got answers to five questions from Arrowhead Pride, the fan site of the currently undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.

Answering questions on behalf of Arrowhead Pride was Pete Sweeney, a professional who took the time to provide detailed and entertaining answers that I think you will find informative and enjoyable to read.

This week is a huge opportunity for Washington to extend its winning record, and do it in front of a Monday Night Football audience, so it’s good to get all the intel possible on the enemy.

1. So, Redskins fans know who Kareem Hunt is; do Chiefs fans know about Chris Thompson?

There is only one thing a diehard Chiefs fan enjoys seeing just as much as a Kansas City victory, and that’s an Oakland Raiders loss. So with that being said, I assume given Thompson’s 188-yard outburst against the Chiefs’ biggest rival on national television Sunday night, there are now plenty of fans who are familiar with him.

From the film I’ve watched, Thompson (on his best plays) looks like a cross of the best traits from Darren Sproles and Le’Veon Bell—the speediness of Sproles after the catch but the patience to wait for his blocks. What surprised me when I did more research on Thompson is this is his fifth year in the league.

For what he’s been able to do productivity-wise this year, I figured with that experience, I would have heard of him by now. But some players take longer to develop than the aforementioned Kareem Hunt, and Redskins fans probably hope this is the breakout year for Thompson.

2. Aside from Eric Berry, whose story is well-known nationally, can you tell us about a player who is beloved by Chiefs fans for who he is as a person, first and foremost, above his play on the field?

Kansas City Chiefs fans absolutely love defensive lineman Chris Jones.

On the field, he’s a beast.

Off the field, he’s a goon.

The first thing Jones did as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs was bearhug commissioner Roger Goodell. Jones, who was invited to the stage in Chicago for the 2016 NFL Draft, watched in person as the first round passed him by. The Chiefs took him in the second round with the 37^th pick, and he was obviously overcome with emotion—leading to the hug.

In interviews, the 308-pounder is always good for a fun quote, and on a number of occasions, he has insisted Andy Reid allow him to play quarterback.

Back when I was still a member of the Chiefs media staff, I sat down with Jones for 10 questions while knowing he was a big fan of pro wrestling. At the end of the interview, I asked Jones which wrestling nickname he’d like to go by, and he chose “Stone Cold Chris Jones.”

Since then, you can find him on Twitter @stonecoldjones_.

Chiefs fans love him but trust me when I say Kirk Cousins will not.

3. The Chiefs had that huge win against the Patriots to open the season, but it looks like they've had to work a little harder in weeks two & three to secure victories. What should be the Redskins defensive game plan if they want to get out of Arrowhead Stadium with a victory?

For me, it’s containing the three-headed monster—that’s Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

Kareem Hunt has been the national story so far, and how couldn he not be? Hunt is the first player in NFL history to have three 50-plus-yard touchdowns in his first three games, leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage (538) and won the AFC offensive player of the month award the first time he was eligible.

But a lot of the Hunt noise may be leading people (aside from angry fantasy owners) to forget about just how good Kelce and Hill are.

Travis Kelce had six 100-yard games last season en route to 1,125 yards, while Tyreek Hill totaled 12 touchdowns as a kick returner and receiver. Both were named first-team All-Pros.

The Eagles game was a defensive struggle, which really opened up in the fourth quarter, and the 27-20 score could be a little deceiving as the Eagles scored a touchdown with just eight seconds left to make it close. Kelce had 103 yards and a touchdown in that game.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers, the defensive front led by Melvin Ingram was a problem for the Chiefs. Ingram had three of the Chargers’ five sacks, and the pressure on Alex Smith shut the passing offense down. Smith finished with just 155 passing yards in the game. Hunt had 172 rushing yards, but a big chunk of that came from a 69-yard touchdown with the game essentially over.

If the Redskins want to beat the Chiefs, the Chargers film should help. Stop the three-headed monster of Hunt, Kelce and Hill by getting Smith off his mark. And make sure multiple people are there to tackle Hunt when he gets his hands on the ball.

4. Reggie Ragland got a lot of pre-draft hype from certain quarters of Hogs Haven. The Chiefs traded for him. Tell us how he fits into the KC team and the KC defense.

Back in August, the Chiefs sent a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Reggie Ragland, a former second-round pick of the Bills.

“Reggie was obviously a great player at Alabama,” Reid said at the time. “He got hurt last year, but things were on the up and up for him last year. Everyone had really positive reports and (general manager) Brett (Veach) did all of the homework on that and talking to the people. We look forward to bringing him on board and seeing how things work out for him.”

Ragland looks to be in play for an inside linebacker spot next to Derrick Johnson when healthy, and though he practiced last week and was active last Sunday, he was held out of what would have been his debut.

When he does finally debut, which could be Monday night, I’ll be curious to see the playtime split between Ragland and the incumbent starter, Ramik Wilson. I’d bet the coaches ease Ragland in regardless of whatever future plans they may have.

5. Who is one player we probably don't know about who could make a difference in the game on Monday night?

Demetrius Harris. At Arrowhead Pride, we jokingly call him “Demetrius Football.”

Keep an eye on the tight end behind Travis Kelce. The Chiefs and Alex Smith have shown a little bit of a tendency to go for him in important spots, especially in the red zone.

The 6-foot-7 tight end never played college football, but rather basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Harris has worked his way into the Chiefs’ No. 2 tight end role since being brought on as a project in 2013.

Bonus: Where would you put the over/under on total points to get equal money on both sides of the bet?

Whew, this is tough. I’d say I have the Chiefs 24, Redskins 21.. so right at 45.

Thanks for having me guys. Enjoy Monday Night Football and the football world’s rare treat of a Gruden on the screen while a Gruden’s talking about him.

I want to thank Pete for his quality contribution to Hogs Haven, and -- as always -- hope for a hard-fought and injury-free game. May the best NFC team win!