A tough road lies ahead

The Chiefs are going nowhere fast this season, but last Sunday was a step in the right direction.  Let me clarify, because the Chiefs lost yesterday to the Oakland Raiders, and the game wasn't as close as the scoreboard suggested.  With the loss the Chiefs took a step towards Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, or whoever the top player will be coming out of college. The Chiefs managed to lose to an Oakland Raider team with only two wins coming in, but the real victory came when the one-win Cleveland Browns embarrassed the Chargers, upsetting them seven to six.

The Chiefs now have a game on the Browns, or rather the Chiefs are now a game behind Cleveland, so as long as the Chiefs can lose to the Browns later this season they should be able to get the number one overall pick in the draft, except for one team that could pose a potential challenge.  The Jacksonville Jaguars have now emerged, or rather, faded to a team that could take the first overall pick from Kansas City, and they would be looking to draft a quarterback as well, so now more than ever, the Chiefs need to take care of business, and by that I mean lose out.

 

Jacksonville Starting Quarterback Blaine Gabbert

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As strange as it may sound, the normal mediocrity of the Chiefs may be good enough to steal another win, so the Chiefs really need to hope that Jacksonville, who plays in one of the two weakest divisions in the NFL, can gain another win somewhere down the road.  Until then, all the fans in Kansas City can do is root for their beloved Chiefs to lose.

 

Geno Smith, who has struggled in recent weeks

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The real problem facing Kansas City though is much deeper than one season.  The coach is incompetent, and he is also the defensive coordinator.  The offensive coordinator is simply not qualified for his job and the teams general manager is out of his mind.  The owner is unwilling to make a change, and with the demise of star prospect Geno Smith in recent weeks, there seems to be no lock for the first pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Jamaal Charles (25) and Dwayne Bowe (82)

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The fans are starting to realize how helpless the situation is, and that is why they have formed the "Save Our Chiefs" movement, but that may not be enough.  The team is going to waste its playmakers such as Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe before they are in a position to go on a run for a title. The saddest part is that now players are beginning to want to leave, such as Bowe, who wants to leave Kansas City by the end of this season.

Former Superbowl Champion and Pittsburgh Head Coach Bill Cowher

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With no quarterback, no coaching, no management, and no answers, the Chiefs look like a franchise headed for years of despair.  However, there is a path to hope.  First they must replace Crennel with a more capable person such as Bill Cowher or Andy Reid (should Philadelphia let him go).  Then they must find a new general manager, and third, they must draft a quarterback such as Geno Smith or Matt Barkley and hope he develops into a franchise quarterback.  Should all of these things fall in to place the Chiefs might recover, but otherwise they will continue to drift into obscurity.

Putting Pioli on the line

The Chiefs are moving forward with new starting quarterback Brady Quinn, who lost his first game of the season to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by twenty-eight points and failed to throw a touchdown two short weeks ago.  The turnovers did not stop with a new quarterback, as Quinn threw for two interceptions.  The Chiefs failed to score a touchdown on offense, as the only touchdown came from of a blocked punt; in fact the Chiefs' offense only managed a total of three points. The Chiefs are coming off a bye-week and will be facing their biggest rival, the Oakland Raiders, but it is doubtful that Kansas City will be able to win without consistency from the quarterback position.

Chiefs' General Manager Scott Pioli

(Image from www.BleacherReport.com)

During the bye-week, Scott Pioli (pictured above), the general manager of the Chiefs, went on a "damage-control circuit", going to all the various local television shows to discuss the Chiefs struggles this season, but one fact remains; Pioli has nobody to blame but himself.  Pioli was the man who orchestrated the trade for Matt Cassel, signed backup quarterback Brady Quinn, and drafted third string quarterback Ricky Stanzi (out of the University of Iowa). Ultimately, the fact that none of these quarterbacks can lead the franchise falls on the shoulders of Pioli, who allowed quarterback Kyle Orton to leave Kansas City following an impressive outing when he stepped in for an injured Matt Cassel.  Orton led the team to wins over the unbeaten Packers and playoff bound Broncos, but was let go by Pioli.  Since the Chiefs had no shortage of money, the fact that Pioli didn't shell out for the best Chiefs quarterback since Trent Green became yet another strike in a long list of offenses that could have individually justified the termination of Pioli.

Quarterback Ricky Stanzi

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There is one solution to the "Pioli problem," and that is to let Quinn have one more start at quarterback before switching to Ricky Stanzi.  If Quinn and Stanzi are unable to win after each have been given two starts, then it will be clear that one man is responsible: The man who brought them to Kansas City in the first place. The Chiefs should take a good long look at the quarterbacks Pioli has chosen to lead the team and make the decision to fire him.

 

Chiefs' Owner Clark Hunt

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The decision of Pioli's fate truly resides in the hands of owner Clark Hunt, but the choice is as clear as the message the fans have been broadcasting all year: Fire Pioli.  In fact, a movement known as "Save Our Chiefs" has started to gain serious momentum.  This movement was a sponsor of the banner that was flown over Arrowhead Stadium that read "Bench Cassel, Fire Pioli", and is now focused on blacking out Arrowhead to send a strong message to the Chiefs owner.  Clark Hunt cannot continue to allow Pioli to run the Chiefs, especially considering that a major decision will be made in the upcoming draft about the quarterback of the future for the Chiefs.

Fans look to protest management with symbolic blackout

Normally the word "blackout" is a term feared my management and local residents alike.  However, the fan base of the Kansas City Chiefs are bringing a new meaning to the term.  Usually a blackout refers to a situation where a stadium is not sold out seventy-two hours before a game.  In this scenario, the game is unable to be televised by any television station within seventy-five miles from the home team's stadium.  The game is "blacked out" on the local stations, hence the term, blackout, but in this case the word blackout has a completely different meaning.

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The Chiefs have been known for having an incredibly loyal following, with the second highest average attendance over the last decade. The Chiefs have been averaging around 78,000 fans a game over that time period, and that isn't about to change.  However, what is going to change is that the fans are going to protest management.  Coming off a bye-week, the Chiefs are 1-5, and will be facing their biggest division rival: The Oakland Raiders. The fans are not happy about the direction of the franchise, nor the men in charge of making the decisions about the direction of the franchise, so they are finally taking a stand.
The fans know how crucial it is to keep Arrowhead Stadium (pictured above) a symbolic "12th man", so they have changed the meaning of what a blackout is.  Instead of refusing to show up, the fans will be symbolically protesting management by dressing in all black.  The goal of the fans will be to show Chiefs' management what could occur should the Chiefs continue to empower Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel (pictured below) with the future of  Kansas City's football team.

 

(Image from www.CBSSports.com)

The fans have already designated a key game as the official "blackout game" for the Chiefs, which is November 18th against the Cincinnati Bengals. Should the fans actually go through with their threat, they would be a part of one of the most influential fan protests in the history of football.  Simply the fact that the fans are trying to organize such a protest should send a message to Clark Hunt, the owner of the Chiefs, but ultimately nothing will change until the fans actually show up to Arrowhead Stadium with all black attire. It should be an interesting story to keep track of.

The path to first

Due to the injury of quarterback Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn got the start for Kansas City against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  However, the hopes for a season turnaround were quickly shot down, after Quinn went three and out on his first possession and threw an interception on his second. Fans wanted change in Kansas City, but they made the error in thinking that anyone on the team could bring that change.  Both Quinn and third string quarterback Ricky Stanzi (from Iowa) played poorly in the preseason, but the fans wanted change so badly they looked past the fact that neither backup would be adequately fit to fill the role of a starting NFL quarterback.

 

(Image from www.sports.yahoo.com)

Quinn has never produced since being drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns.  He has a career completion percentage in the mid fifties and averages around five yards per attempt; he also has more interceptions than touchdowns in his time as a starter.  The turnovers don't stop there, as Quinn has also fumbled three times in his limited action.  He has shown to be a very inaccurate quarterback, especially under pressure, where Quinn has made numerous poor decisions.

Ultimately it comes down to the fact that the Chiefs do not have a quarterback for the future, and they will need to pick one in the draft.  The leading candidate is still Geno Smith, because even after a disappointing performance, he still has twenty-six total touchdowns to no interceptions, with about a seventy-five percent completion percentage.  He also has thrown for around twenty-five hundred yards, putting him on pace for one of the greatest performances by a college quarterback ever.

The Chiefs got a lot of help today when the Cleveland Browns ended their run as the only team in the NFL with no wins.  However, there are a few games remaining that will be crucial for the Chiefs and their fans.  

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The first is October 28, at home against the Raiders.  This is a game that the Chiefs cannot afford to win, as it will likely kill their chances of finishing the season with the worst record in the NFL.

 

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The next game is against the Carolina Panthers on the second of December. This game will be about the play of Cam Newton, because if he has another inconsistent performance, the Chiefs could be in a position to win this game.

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The week after is the biggest match up of the season.  The Chiefs will go to Cleveland to play the team that is tied with them for worst in the NFL, and the winner of that game will likely lose the first pick in the draft.

 

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The last key game will be against the Indianapolis Colts on the 23rd.  Indianapolis is not a team looking to draft a quarterback after taking Andrew Luck first overall last year, but they are a young team, and for that reason, a beatable team.

If the Chiefs can lose these key games then they will be in line to get the coveted first pick in the NFL draft, and they may finally draft a franchise quarterback for the first time since the Todd Blackledge debacle.  After the Chiefs took Blackledge in 1983, hall of fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were selected.  The Chiefs have been reluctant to draft a quarterback that high after the way Blackledge turned out, but with their team a quarterback and coach a way from contending for the playoffs, there is no way conceivable that the Chiefs wont leave the 2012 draft with a new quarterback.

Looking past the bad and the ugly

This season will probably result in an exceptionally poor record for Kansas City, however, there are some parts to the team that should give fans reason to be excited.  I could list all the positives, but it might just be easier to say everything except for the defensive line and quarterback.

 

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Starting with special teams, the Chiefs are outstanding.  Dustin Colquitt is the lefty punter for Kansas City, and ever since the Chiefs took him in the third round straight from Tennessee, they haven't looked back. He is one of the top punters in the league, average around forty five yards per punt in his career.  Ryan Succop, the proclaimed "Mr. Irrelevant" of the NFL (meaning he was picked last in the NFL draft), started off great, tying an NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie in the 2009-2010 (86.2%).  On the other sides of special teams the Chiefs have had interesting return men, but as a punt returner Javier Arenas has put up interesting numbers. After putting up a stunning 12.8 yards per return on punts in the 2011-2012 campaign, Javier Arenas continues to make plays, averaging over ten yards per return.

 

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The defense is another area where the Chiefs excel.  The linebackers in Kansas City are some of the best young players at that position in the league, starting with monster outside linebacker Tamba Hali from Penn State University.  Hali totaled fourteen and a half sacks in the 2010-2011 season, which was good enough to lead the AFC, and followed that season with another terrific year, getting twelve sacks and earning a spot in the Pro-Bowl. Hali also forced four fumbles each of the last two years.  He hasn't missed a beat either, already recording three sacks in four games. Opposite him is Justin Houston, who last year made fifty-five tackles and five and a half sacks.  Houston has emerged as a top young star, and already has six sacks in five games. Additionally, Houston has forced and recovered a fumble to add to his impressive "stat-line." On the inside is Derick Johnson, a first time Pro-Bowl selection from last year, had 131 tackles in the 2011-2012 campaign, which was his second straight year with a triple digit number of tackles. In the last two seasons "DJ" has also recorded three interceptions, including one for a touchdown, and forced five fumbles. Javon Belcher is the last starting linebacker of Kansas City, but he has also been consistent, averaging eighty-five and a half tackles the last two season.  Finally, the Chiefs have a very versatile fifth linebacker in Andy Studebaker. When he has seen playing time, Studebaker has stepped up with two interceptions, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in his last few seasons with the Chiefs.  Kansas City certainly has an excellent core of men at the linebacker position.

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The secondary of the Chiefs has also been very good.  The top cornerbacks for Kansas City are Brandon Flowers and Stanford Routt.  Flowers, who had four interceptions last year, is off to a hot start, with two interceptions in the 2012-2013 season, whereas Routt, who was brought in to replace Brandon Carr (who departed via free agency to Dallas), has continued his nice play.  Routt had six interceptions in his last two seasons with Oakland, and he has joined Flowers as a defensive star in Kansas City, with one interception and a forced fumble through five games.  The Chiefs also have a trio of safeties who have shown themselves to be stellar defensive talents. Out of Tennessee, safety Eric Berry started off great, making ninety-two tackles, recording two sacks, forcing one fumble, and picking off four passes in the 2010-2011 campaign.  Last year Berry was injured on a dirty block from Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills, but he is back and ready to play. Opposite him is Kendrick Lewis, who has recorded three interceptions and forced one fumble in each of the last two years.  Lewis has been sidelined so far with an injury this year, but the Chiefs brought in a third safety from Dallas, Abram Elam, to fill his shoes and to rotate in with the secondary. Elam has forced and recovered four fumbles in the last three seasons, and has two interceptions in that time.  This season has shown to be a challenge so far, but as the chemistry of the secondary has improved, so has the play of the defense.

 

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On the offensive side of the ball the Chiefs have had been fortunate to have some special players catching some passes.  Kevin Boss, Tony Moeaki, and Steve Maneri have given the Chiefs depth at the tight end position, but where the Chiefs really have some talent is at the wide receiver position. Dwayne Bowe has led the way with over 1,100 yards receiving each of the last two years.  He has also had 20 receiving touchdowns in that time.  Bowe is complemented by Steve Breaston and Jonathon Baldwin. Baldwin is the second year receiver out of Pittsburgh who has an amazing vertical leap.  So far the only touchdown of his career was a forty yard bomb that he was able to snag out of the air against the Chargers (2011-2012 season), but injuries have kept him from being greater.  He is past those injuries now.  Steve Breaston is a very intriguing receiver.  He only has six touchdowns in the last three seasons, but he is really a receiver that can blow by defenders, which is why he has averaged over twelve yards per catch the last three years, and has recorded 700 receiving yards in each one of those years.  Finally comes Dexter McCluster, who has been the proverbial Swiss Army Knife of the Chiefs. McCluster has scored four touchdowns in the last two seasons, including a record breaking punt return for a touchdown. Last year McCluster racked up 300 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving, but now the Chiefs want to use him exclusively as a slot wide receiver, adding a fourth skilled wide receiver to their core. If the Chiefs could finally get a top quarterback in Kansas City, they would certainly have the fire power in the passing game to hang with any team in the league. 

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I have been saving the best for last, as the Chiefs have had a top rushing attack for many years, including one back in particular who is a phenomenon all by himself. All start with the number two running back on the team though, Peyton Hillis.Hillis broke out in the 2010-2011 season with the Cleveland Browns rushing for 1,100 yards and eleven touchdowns. That year Hillis added 477 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, and his amazing performance led to him being voted onto the cover of the popular video game, Madden NFL 2012. Since then Hillis has been plagued by injuries, but as he continues to recover, the Chiefs rushing attack continues to grow. However the real reason for success is from the one and the only Jamaal Charles.  Jamaal Charles is a special player. Charles rushed for nearly 1,500 yards two seasons ago, good enough for second in the NFL, and added 468 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns.  Like Hillis he was injured in the 2011-2012 campaign, but his injury was for a different reason.  Jamaal Charles had just run for a fifteen yard first down when he stepped on the first down marker out of bounds, causing him to tear his ACL.  He hasn't missed a beat though, as he returned this year, and put up a monsterous game against the New Orleans saints, rushing for 233 yards on thirty-three carries (7.1 yards per carry), including one run for ninety-one yards, breaking the Chiefs record for the longest run from scrimmage in a game. Charles has three total touchdowns on the year, but his key number has been yards per carry.  He has a career average of six yards per carry, which is legendary, considering that Barry Sanders has a career yards per carry average of five, and Walter Payton and Emmit Smith have averages of 4.4 and 4.2 respectively.  Six yards per carry is basically unheard of in the NFL, and if Jamaal can continue with his amazing running, he will run his way straight into the record books.

Overall while it may be a tough year from Kansas City, the Chiefs aren't that bad of a team.  ESPN radio host and TV personality Colin Cowherd called them "the best bad team in the NFL," and that assessment couldn't be any more accurate. The Chiefs are essentially a quarterback and coach away from a team the could contend for and win a Superbowl. The next draft could be crucial for Kansas City in order to make that leap to the next level.  We will have to see how the team fares the rest of the season though, because they could be just good enough to win five or six games, which would cost them a shot at either of the top two quarterback prospects in the draft (Geno Smith and Matt Barkley). 

Who the fans should be booing

Chief fans made headlines this week with their notably bad behavior, as they continued to boo Matt Cassel and even cheered as he was knocked out of the game with an injury.  However, the fans are taking out their frustration and anger on the wrong person.  Matt Cassel is not the best quarterback in the NFL; he is not a top five, ten, or even fifteen quarterback in the NFL, but it isn't like he doesn't try to be.  In reality, the fans have three people to blame: Romeo Crennel, Scot Pioli, and Clark Hunt.

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Romeo Crennel is where the problem begins.  If he is going to leave Cassel as the starter that is one thing, but if he thinks the solution is to run thirty times a half, then he is mistaken.  The problem starts with him because he has no faith in the former Pro-Bowl selection.  He prefers to run and only chooses to throw in obvious passing situations, which is why an overwhelming majority of Cassel's interceptions come on tipped passes and not bad throws.  In these situations the defense can sit back and wait for Cassel, and anything short of a perfect throw and catch will fall incomplete.

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Scot Pioli is another major issue with the team.  He refuses to recognize that Matt Cassel is not going to win in this league, and has drafted players based off of a system that doesn't work.  Under Pioli the Chiefs have wasted numerous high picks, and that has caused the team to stay in the limbo that is having a record between 4-12 and 6-10.  Last year Pioli had an escape.  The second overall pick in the NFL Draft went to the Saint Louis Rams, a team that was only poor because their starting quarterback was injured for the year.  The Rams new that with the second pick they would have the draft rights to either RGIII or Andrew Luck, and the Rams came out and said that any team that offers them two additional first round picks along with this years first round pick could have their excellent position.  Robert Griffin III was the prize, and the Chiefs chose not to play.  Now the Chiefs will have to pray that their team doesn't win three or more games because then they could be stuck with neither Geno Smith or Matt Barkley, but rather Landry Jones.  Should the Chiefs not get the first pick they need to sell everything they can to get it, because draft picks are worthless when the man making them is as incompetent as Pioli.

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The last man you can blame is Clark Hunt.  Nothing is directly his fault, so why should you blame him? You should blame Hunt because he is the owner and has the right to get rid of Pioli, and he hasn't.  Scot Pioli is not going to give up his job, rather he is going to have to be fired, and Hunt hasn't done that, yet.

The Chief fans need to learn that while they may be disappointed by the path that the team has taken, booing the players is not the way to go.  Ultimately nothing will be better until Pioli is gone and the Chiefs can move forward.

Should the Chiefs "Whiff for Smith?"

The Chiefs are 1-4; nothing is changing about that anytime soon as the Chiefs have to face a fantastic Baltimore squad this Sunday.  The question remains; should the Chiefs lose intentionally for the draft rights to Geno Smith? Before today, you could have argued both sides, but after Smith's four touchdown performance against #11 Texas the answer is simply yes.  Geno Smith is something that college football hasn't seen in a long time.  This man has the arm of Andrew Luck, the speed of RGIII, the clutch ability of Elway, and the efficiency of Brady. After completing 70% of his passes and throwing four more touchdowns against Texas, Geno Smith now has twenty-five touchdowns (one of those being rushing) and ZERO interceptions.  He also has thrown for 2000 yards, with a season completion percentage around 81.4%.  Let me repeat that: 81.4%.  As in, four out of five passes are complete.  The record is currently held by Colt McCoy, at 76%, and at this rate Smith will shatter it.  Geno Smith has the "x-factor" or the "it-factor" that is desired by so many coaches and teams in the NFL.
The worst thing the Chiefs can do this year is go 4-12, and end up with the 2nd pick, because in this draft, the 2nd pick may as well be the 32nd pick.  There will be other great players, but no franchise changers such as Geno Smith.  The Chiefs need to seriously consider losing out for Smith, because while it may not be popular, the fans will appreciate it in the long run.
Lastly, I leave you with one thought.  A legend only comes around every so often.  Right now there is Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers. The last two years have produced a total of three great future quarterbacks; this next one could produce one instantly great quarterback.  Should the Chiefs fall out of last in the NFL, they will be forced to draft Matt Barkley, who will continue the age of mediocrity at the quarterback position for Kansas City.  The Chiefs will have to sign him, because they need a quarterback, but the fans will soon learn that the franchise is going nowhere.  Should this happen, the Chiefs should be willing to trade every pick they can to get that number one overall pick, especially if they are serious about winning a Superbowl any time soon.

Time to get YOUNGer?

It may be time for the Chiefs to go in a completely different direction.  As of now, Brady Quinn is taking snaps with the first team offense, and will play a few series with the team against the Ravens.  However, it may be time for a step in a different direction.  That direction is Vince Young.  Since getting drafted with the third pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, Young has spiraled downward.  Since being put on the cover of the popular Madden NFL video game series, his ability as a QB has appeared to deteriorate, but after a little time off from the pros, Young is looking for a fresh start.  If the Chiefs take a chance on Young one of two things will happen.

The first situation is that Young has not improved, and he will be as poor as he was when he left the league. The Chiefs will have early excitement, bringing in tickets, and the excitement that comes with a running QB.  Then the losses will pile up and finish the year at 1-15, 2-14, or at the absolute best, 3-13, ending up with the worst record in all of football.  This would allow the Chiefs to draft upcoming star Geno Smith, or at the very least, get Matt Barkley from USC.

The second situation is that Vince Young has improved.  He returns to his form of old, and leads the Chiefs to 7, 8, or even 9 wins.  While unlikely, this would be a great outcome, as the Chiefs would have their quarterback of the future.

There is no in between with Vince Young.  Players don't go from very good, to bad, to in between.  They either return to previous form, as did Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb, Jay Cutler, and Drew Brees, or stay terrible, such as Jake Delhomme, Daunte Culpepper, and Chad Pennington.

Ultimately it will probably be a disappointment if the Chiefs sign Young, but the chance of a good quarterback, along with the increase in tickets and buzz about the team should more than make up for it alone.

The Chief Complaint

Everything continues to go wrong in Kansas City, and the fans want answers.  However, those answers seem to stop with quarterback Matt Cassel. While Cassel is part of it, the real problem is bigger.  We have been handcuffed to a quarterback by Scott Pioli.  Pioli, who has made numerous notably bad picks, has adopted the "New England Method" of acquiring draft picks and young sleepers when in fact the Chiefs should be selling those picks for an upgrade at the most important position, quarterback. Matt Cassel continues to force the ball into tight areas, but his lacking accuracy has led to interceptions.  Other than Bowe, the Chiefs' receivers have been near irrelevant, and the fact that they are one of the most talented receiving cores in the NFL makes it all the worst.  Historically, to get to, and win a Superbowl a team needs either a great quarterback or an elite defense.  The Chiefs have just the opposite: a great rushing attack, a great receiving core, and great special teams play.  Forming an elite defense requires years of rebuilding and some luck, but finding a quarterback is as easy as trading up in the draft, just look at the Washington Redskins.  Besides, the Chiefs defense is far from elite, allowing 30+ points in three of the four games, including 40 points against Atlanta and 37 against San Diego.  The only win the Chiefs have came against a winless Saints team that is down to its third choice coach after Head Coach Sean Payton and Defensive Coordinator Joe Vitt were suspended due to the bounty scandal. Most points that the Chiefs have scored have been in "garbage time," and it is the fault of the coach, the general manager, and the quarterback.

Romeo Crennel is a head coach with a TERRIBLE career record.  As head coach, he seems out of place.  From his press conferences, where he consistently states obvious facts and sidesteps questions, to his play calling, where his very conservative calls in tough situations show his lack of faith in the team, Crennel is the wrong choice for the job.  At best Crennel is a very good coordinator, but he is far to lenient to be a head coach in the NFL. It doesn't help that Pioli makes picks that set Crennel up with a pour team.  From Tyson Jackson, to Glen Dorsey, the Chiefs have made horrendous picks under Pioli, spending valuable time, picks, money, and effort on inadequate players.  However, there is a way around inadequacy... DRAFT AN ELITE QUARTERBACK.  Pioli seems unwilling or unable to see that the "Matt Cassel experiment" is simply not working.  The Chiefs need to be very concerned, because short of finishing 1-15 or 2-14 and getting the top pick in the draft, they could be stuck with mediocrity, and should have no reason to believe that Pioli will do the necessary thing and trade up to get Geno Smith or Matt Barkley.  While Matt Barkley may not be better than Matt Cassel, the fans have turned on Cassel, making his future, or lack thereof, a near certainty.

Ultimately Matt Cassel is limited, but he can't be blamed for lacking greatness, because in fairness he is one of the top 50 quarterbacks in the world.  That being said, the Chiefs and their fans could be in for some long losing seasons if a new quarterback doesn't come to Kansas City this off season.