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.

 

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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.