Monday, November 19, 2012

Beyond a reasonable doubt

In a league full of parity the Chiefs have found a way to sink below the pack.  The Chiefs continue to get blown out as even teams like Jacksonville continue to put up gutsy performances like last week's 43-37 loss in overtime to Houston, a team widely regarded as the best in the AFC.  The only consistency from the Chiefs has been the fact that they have put up disappointing performances week in and week out.  The Chiefs have managed to win one measly game out of ten contests, which is made all the worse considering that the team they beat was a New Orleans Saints team with their third choice coach.  Furthermore the Chiefs have lost seven of their ten games by double digits, losing three of those games by three scores and an additional game by four.  The woes do not stop with the statistics though, as the Chiefs are far worse than box scores would suggest.

(Image from www.SportsIllustrated.CNN.com)
The Chiefs have lost nine games by an average of fifteen points per game, but if you take away "garbage time scores" the number is actually an astonishing twenty point four points a game.  The fact of the matter is that the Chiefs have talent, but the coaching is limiting the team to one of the worst seasons of all time.  Even the 2008-2009 Lions team that went 0-16 was better to this point.  They at least kept games interesting, losing five of their first ten games by single digits.

This year Kansas City's team, coaching, and season can be described by four words: mismanaged, pedestrian, disgraceful and unwatchable.

Mismanaged: The Chiefs management has been a huge weakness this season, and really every season, from the decision to drop Brandon Carr and pick up Stanford Routt, to the decision to keep in the direction of Matt Cassel versus taking a risk and going for Robert Griffin III.  The coaching has been no better as Crennel has effectively neutralized star backs Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis, and the defensive stunts have been not only ineffective, but counterproductive.

(Image from www.Galleries.Forbes.com)
Pedestrian: The Chiefs claim to not be quitting, but it is hard to believe when the quarterback is under pressure on every play, the defense fails to tackle, and the wide receivers are unable to catch a pass to save their life.  The coverage teams look slow, and the players have clearly given up.

(Image from www.SBNation.com)
Disgraceful: Probably the worst part of the 2012-2013 Chiefs campaign is the fact that they have no discipline.  The players are now starting every game with fights, a mark of a bad team.  In addition, whenever the Chiefs get a rare score they celebrate like they have actually done something; they haven't.  The fact of the matter is that the Chiefs have no right to joke, celebrate, or even smile on the field.  They are clearly one of the worst three teams in the history of the NFL, and it isn't going to change this year.

(Image from www.ChiefConcerns.com)
Unwatchable:  The word describes the Chiefs in two ways.  First of all Arrowhead Stadium is no longer selling out like it used to, as numerous fans are now simply choosing to stay home, and more are leaving at the half if not sooner.  The other reason they are unwatchable is because they simply can't play together.  From the battered line to the oblivious coordinators, the Chiefs are playing like a fish out of water. Its hard to even consider the game the Chiefs play football.

The amazing thing is that in this league full of parity and close contest the Chiefs are the outlier.  No other team has been worse than the Chiefs for quite some time, and that is simply a fact.  From the fan protest, to the awful of coaching, to the terrible effort, to the lack of talent the Chiefs are simply out of their element.

The path for the Chiefs to get back in playoff contention will start this offseason when the Chiefs must go after a new coach, quarterback, and manager, although no one knows how they will truly go about their business this offseason because the owner of the Chiefs, Clark Hunt, has been reluctant to say anything and has simply disappeared from public view.

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