All Joking Aside: the Alex Smith Debate

When you think about Andy Reid, what comes to mind?

Personally, my first instinct is “fat guy in a little coat” but if the Tommy Bahama-Cheeseburger-smuggling-shirt stories are true then Big Red would never go for it.

That was a joke.

Business time. Coach Reid is all about offense. He’s routinely referred to as a wizard, genius, mastermind or something of the like. Now, you’ll have to pardon my cliché but the coach is just the coach. What about the guy who actually runs the offense? Maaaaaaaaannnnnnn… We’re talkin’ bout Quarterbacks.

Arguably the most heavily-debated topic this offseason has been the acquisition of Alex Smith. By now you know the story on him: you probably think he’s an oft-injured former first overall pick with underwhelming stats and a seemingly limited skill set. You heard he has a brilliant football mind though – the kind of guy you want around six days a week… but the seventh is the one that matters most, right?

Did anyone tell you about his three head coaches (two of which were defensive-minded), seven offensive coordinators (there's even a game about it), atrocious supporting cast and so on and so forth?

Look: we could parry and joust about our new signal-caller, but I think our time would be better spent talking about Andy Reid’s Quarterback in Philadelphia: Donovan Jamal McNabb.

So… there’s this well-publicized myth about him being an elite player; a borderline Hall of Famer, even. Sure, the Eagles had a great five-year run between 2000 and 2004 that included four straight NFC East crowns, four-straight NFC Championship games and a trip to the Super Bowl… but statistically speaking, McNabb was a slightly above-average player. His passing numbers should remind you a lot of Troy Aikman (not a compliment) but Donovan doesn’t have the rings to sweeten the deal.

Here are some freebies you may have missed along the way:  McNabb started all 16 regular season games just four times over 11 seasons with Philly. In his 13 total years, he only eclipsed 20 TDs five times, 30 just once and never topped 4,000 yards passing.

He was, however, drafted by an organization that assembled one of the greatest coaching staffs in recent memory. Shoot man - despite all the booing on draft day, McNabb’s transition from college to the NFL went about as smoothly as you can imagine.

Remember that time I said Coach Reid was all about offense? Well, during the Eagles’ prime [2000-2004], they ranked 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 7^th and 2nd in scoring defense (points against)... shows what I know. That’s not to say the offense wasn’t effective – they were sometimes downright electric – but having that kind of defense can aid even the worst of Quarterbacks [see: Smith, Alex] win a hell of a lot of games.

For example: McNabb started all 16 games in 2003, he was significantly below 60% completions, threw for 3,216 yards with 16 TDs, 11 INTs and 9 fumbles. The Eagles went 12-4, got a first round bye, won a playoff game and then fell to Carolina in the NFC Championship.

Then they traded for T-O and McNabb had his lone great statistical season. Then T-O went T-O-O far, and it was back to the same ol’ Donovan. Then T-O did this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOweupNOBVU and we all laughed about it.

But I digress.

Frankly, I see a lot of similarities between Andy’s old flame and his new one. Neither is particularly strong-armed but both have plenty of velocity when the throw requires it. Each of them showed a propensity to fumble the football about every other game, perhaps a byproduct of their scrambling.

Speaking of - rushing effectiveness is one area where McNabb proved to be vastly superior. He averaged four carries for 22 yards/game and crossed the goal line 28 times, while Smith averages three for 10 and has only four TDs on the ground. It’s hard to say if this has more to do with coaching, play-design, instinct, ability, the offensive line… or maybe just skin tone?

That was a joke. You can laugh.

While you’re at it, laugh at this elaborate Wikipedia page for former San Francisco General Manager Scot McCloughan. I bring this to your attention to strengthen the argument that Alex Smith became a product of poor management and even worse coaching while a member of the 49ers. Did you know that before Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman arrived, Jimmy Raye was the only offensive coordinator Alex Smith had for more than one season and he got fired during his second season?

That wasn’t a joke, but you can still laugh.

Perhaps more humorous are the names you’ll see atop the 49ers stat sheet for Alex Smith’s first few seasons in San Francisco. I got 20 bucks says this is the first time you’ve thought about Kevan “with an A” Barlow since... forever. Let’s also show some respect for Arnaz Battle, who was clearly the best receiver on the team for three straight years thanks to the likes of Antonio Bryant and Darrell Jackson getting a chance to start. Somehow I totally forgot that THE Isaac Bruce led them in receptions one year, but wouldn’t you know… that was the year Alex was put on IR in September. And don’t forget about that “elite” offensive line the 49ers have - Joe Staley is the only starter that wasn’t acquired by Trent Baalke and John Harbaugh.

This wasn’t supposed to become a pissing contest between McNabb and Smith, but somehow the conversations about our new Quarterback are always so fucking polarizing that I feel obligated to defend him.

Something we can all agree on is that Alex is entering his prime, he looked best when he finally had competent coaching and he should continue to improve under Andy Reid.

I know everyone wanted to use the first overall pick on a QB and develop him from scratch, as seems to be the formula for winning in the NFL. Hindsight is 20/20 so let’s be realistic here – which of the three QBs drafted in the first 97 picks did you want to bank our future on? Or was it that guy that went 98^th?

Damn you, Knile Davis.

At the very least, the narrative has changed after the draft… now the majority opinion seems to be that Reid and Dorsey “got it right” when evaluating the Quarterback class, which seems premature but it supports my argument so I decided it was worth mentioning.

Let’s face it: we could be in far worse shape at the Quarterback position. I mean, we probably have been since what… 2006? For the time being, I suggest everyone relax just a smidge. John Dorsey may not have earned your respect yet but Andy Reid sure as hell deserves a chance to prove he knows what he’s doing. Alex Smith is the guy they chose… and that’s like… their job.

For the record: I don’t think the Chiefs are going to win a Super Bowl with Alex Smith… but hot damn if there aren’t a ton of QBs without a ring that you’d love to see in red and gold. Like Dan Marino.

Now that was a joke. See what I did there? Its called exaggeration for effect. Clearly the only thing Marino and Smith have in common is not winning a Super Bowl. That seemed ridiculous right? Well so are the Matt Cassel comparisons, so knock that shit off already.


Look... I know you're upset that its been 30 years or something since we drafted a Quarterback in the first round. You hate this strange adoration the Chiefs have with other teams' backups. You don't want another "game manager" type. Let me try to offer you some solace: if Alex Smith is a "game manager" he's like a... hmmmm... like a "game GENERAL MANAGER". Because that's a significant upgrade. He also hasn't been signed to an extension yet so as of right now, you're only guaranteed to have to watch him for two seasons.

Mark Twain once said "history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme" so I feel obligated to tell you that when the Chiefs acquired Cassel in 2009, his extension wasn't announced until July 14th. Let's keep our fingers crossed something like that doesn't happen again.

Here are a couple links to get you started if you want to dig a little deeper, but you can get lost on that site. Don't say I didn't warn you.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AikmTr00.htm

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McNaDo00.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SmitAl03.htm

State of the Kingdom: Week 12

Thanks to my (friend) Sam Mellinger's column yesterday, I'm now painfully aware of just how ghastly this Chiefs team has become. It's hard not to be impressed by statistical anomalies like Dwayne Bowe having the same number of receptions as Dustin Colquitt has punts (49 apiece), our QB's having more concussions (2) than wins (1) and the team having 32 scores (12 TD, 20 FG) to 31 turnovers... credit Sam for doing all that research for me, by the way.

Oh hey - a stat I found all by myself: Romeo Crennel is now 27-50 as an NFL head coach. I mean Boom.

Sometimes perspective can be a useful tool... in this situation however, it's just packing salt on a wound that has already been curing for more than two months now.

Early in the season we were able to revel in Justin Houston's remarkable form and Jamaal going all "That's my JAM!!!" a few times. We kept talking about regressing toward the mean - which is flawed, considering we would have to progress to get there. All in all, deep down (somewhere), hope remained.

Now? Bahaha.

The only thing left for the Chiefs to prove is that they are indeed the worst team in the NFL and with a remaining schedule that includes Cleveland, Carolina and Oakland they will certainly get their chance.

Look: I'm only 27 years old and I'm already sick of searching for reasons to watch and/or cheer late in the season... I can't imagine what my father's generation has been through. I don't know if Dontari Poe is forcing double teams or if Eric Berry is slowly rounding back into playing shape because I'm too distracted by the fact that WE'RE SO DAMNED TERRIBLE.

I think that's the worst part about lost seasons like this one - often times it feels impossible to do the simplest of evaluations when the team is so wholly, desperately, terrifyingly inept week after week.

Even in his darkest moments, former KC Star columnist Jason Whitlock was always poignant... and his recent commentary has been nothing but. On countless occasions he's referenced the state-line-lifestyle of planning your weekend around Sundays at Arrowhead - something I'm all too familiar with.

But that stadium, just like the team, has lost its luster.

And it's a damn shame.

The conversation to be had over the next handful of weeks will almost certainly revolve around three key people: Chairman/Owner/CEO/Esquire Clark Hunt, his "prize" General Manager Scott Pioli and Coach "I don't have a clever enough adjective to describe your disgracefulness" Romeo Crennel.

Something to keep in mind: Todd Haley was 5-8 and coming off a division title when he was fired IN-SEASON last year. Let that sink in.

Perhaps more alarming is the impending roster turnover: Branden Albert, Dwayne Bowe and Dustin Colquitt - none of whom are under contract beyond 2012 - immediately come to mind. There are also guys like Glenn Dorsey, Steve Breaston, Peyton Hillis and Matt Cassel that seem to be gone already.

For a man that preaches continuity, this offseason may prove to be more difficult than Clark Hunt is prepared to handle. The first step is admitting his mistakes... something his (hopefully) soon-to-be Ex-GM has been adamantly unwilling to do.

Clark has done absolutely nothing wrong to this fanbase; he hired the best people he could find and allowed them to do their jobs without interference. On the other hand, unfathomable are the circumstances in which ownership would balk at cleaning this house from top to bottom sooner rather than later.

As it relates to when (rather than if), I'm in the minority. Firing Scott Piloli (et al) could happen tomorrow, two weeks from now or two days after our final game against the Broncos and it wouldn't make a shoddy bit of difference to me... I just want that final result.

Despite the state of things, I feel compelled to ask you all to do the same. Don't you dare waste your patience on the team or the coaching staff - but Clark... he deserves to make these decisions on a timetable he deems appropriate. Until proven otherwise, the man has the fans' best interest in mind regarding the Chiefs.

Try proving otherwise. I'll wait.

State of the Kingdom: Week Five

If you close your eyes and think hard enough, you might be able to remember a throw or two during Matt Cassel's career that actually looked somewhat professional. Recently however, it's difficult to find the right adjective to describe just what we've been seeing.

Cassel has been so startlingly bad, one has to wonder how he was on the field against Baltimore in the first place... oh yeah, that's right: believe it or not, popular opinion suggests he's the best option this team has at Quarterback.

Wait. What? Did I just say that? Surely not.

Here's the thing: the Matt Cassel we were all resigned to watching in 2012 looks like Joe Montana compared to this ridiculous excuse for an NFL player. This guy, whoever he is, has somehow endeared Brady Quinn (!!!) to Chiefs fans. Brady. Freaking. Quinn.

What happened? How can... why is... where did he go? Forget flying banners or making signs or donning brown paper bags - we need to put out a missing persons report. An Amber Alert. I miss the old Matt Cassel. Remember the good ol' days of him holding the ball way too long and then throwing an errant pass that only a mother could love? Remember him cowering at the first sign of pressure, often times falling to the ground in resignation? It was ugly but at least there was a tiny shred of dignity about the way he played. Maybe because he didn't turn the ball over at a historic rate? It's a start at least.

But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the Cassel we all knew and (hated) has transformed into this stranger that we almost inexplicably (hate) so much more. He lacks velocity, accuracy and fortitude. The Quarterback has been so inept, Romeo Crennel is terrified - quite literally, mind you - of allowing him to throw the ball.

As a result, our coaching staff could ruin one of the most dynamic players in the league (Charles), completely whiff when evaluating a former first round pick due to a lack of opportunities (Baldwin), allow a bona-fide top five talent at his position to leave town (Bowe), waste the primes of two truly outstanding defenders (Johnson, Hali) and alienate one of the most passionate and loyal fan bases the sports world has ever known.

Am I fuming at Scott Pioli for allowing the blind (Romeo) to lead the blind (Cassel) without some sort of contingency? Damn right I am. Still, I have to commend him for the collection of talent we have at every position except the most important one on the field. With even the slightest upgrade at Quarterback (ahem... Kyle Orton), I see this team as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Look: finding a franchise Quarterback is hard. There are what, like 57 of them walking the planet right now with less than 10 being active players? Those numbers might be generous, even. Aren't there also like 6.5 billion humans out there? My calculator is incapable of displaying that small a percentage, which sucks because I really wanted to put some ridiculous 24-digit decimal in here to help you realize just how hard it is to identify a franchise Quarterback.

On the flip side, you'd think it would be much easier to identify an imposter... but its not.

Just as I condemned all those that vilified Chiefs fans for their exuberant exhale of sweet, sweet relief at the expense of Matt Cassel (sorry I'm not sorry), I must also cast my frustration at the masses that actually think they know more about evaluating professional football players than the men who are paid ridiculous sums of money to do so.

You remember that amazing story about the common-fan-turned-football-genius that played an integral role in leading a franchise to the promised land? No. Of course not... because it will never fucking happen.

So you said Matt Cassel was a bum long before he ever stepped on the field in Kansas City? Here's a cookie. Congrats man - even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Point is: as fans, our perceptions/evaluations extend no further than what we think we see happening on Sundays.

The real cause for concern is how far apart the perception from the fan base and presumed evaluation from the organization seem to be. None of us believe that this version of Matt Cassel should be allowed anywhere near the starting line-up, yet Scott Pioli has made zero effort at improving the position. Meanwhile, Romeo Crennel doesn't have the backbone - or dare I say the authority - to replace a player so obviously struggling in competency and ability that its costing the team a chance to even try to win games.

So here we are, with a caretaker at both Head Coach and Quarterback. Pioli intended to tread water, but instead he's drowning his team in (something worse than mediocrity).






Follow me on twitter @ryanscotthall

San Diego Sucks: A Redundancy

What is it about the Chargers? In all my years of being a Chiefs fan, I've never harbored that same passionate hatred for San Diego that I have for both Oakland and Denver. This is the team that recycled two of my all-time favorite Chiefs (Marty Schottenheimer and Donnie Edwards), drafted my high school idol (Darren Sproles) and rocked those sweet powder blue unis that everyone was jealous of... but still, I've always felt indifferent about them for the most part.

Did I mention that they've won 7 of the last 9 games against our Chiefs? That means the only wins we have against San Diego in the last 4(ish) seasons were a goal line stop during the Monday Night Monsoon to open 2010 and Rivers' "Worst Day Ever" on Halloween in 2011. You know what? Come to think of it, I do hate the Chargers. San Diego sucks.

Philip Rivers is such a douche, right?

Thanks to last weekend's spell-binding turnaround in New Orleans, a beautiful late-September forecast and an early lead in the über-competitive [1] AFC West on the line, my renewed vigor for being a Chiefs fan is at full steam. Shoot, I'm an Eric Berry interception away from going six-to-midnight.

All kidding aside, I have a great feeling about Sunday. Call me crazy, but I think of San Diego's team as the antithesis of ours to this point in 2012. They snuck passed Oakland and trounced the lowly Titans before getting bitch-slapped at home by Atlanta 27-3. Ergo: they've outperformed themselves. San Diego sucks.

The Chiefs on the other hand... well, you know the story. Its safe to say they've been underwhelming to open to the season despite a host of excuses as to why.

Problem is: I'm what my man @dannyparkins calls "the worst kind of fan". I do, in fact, believe that every single decision I make on Sundays plays a role in the outcome of Chiefs games. With that in mind, I'm going to wear the same shirt as I did against the Saints and we're going to have eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and blueberry-cashew pancakes at the tailgate [2]. And plenty of breakfast cocktails, I'm sure. And beer. Oh... and don't forget the Jameson. Please. I beg you.

I digress.

When asked by a couple close friends to give a game-by-game win/loss record before the beginning of this season, I somehow had the Chiefs going 14-2. Shut up. Listen.

The gut-feeling I've taken into each game-time decision has been spot-on through three weeks. Im almost like some sort of savant... with or without the idiot prefix.

Maybe things will change before 11:15am CST this Sunday, but as of right now I see the Chiefs handling San Diego with relative ease. I like Jamaal for every bit of 150 total yards and a touchdown.

A little more racy: my main man, my beloved pet, my Dwayne Meow will catch a minimum of six balls and point to the name on the back of his jersey at least once. Tamba gets his first two sacks of the season. Derrick Johnson will return to form and record double-digit tackles. I might throw up.


Chiefs 30 - Chargers 20 - Ryan 73 (total drunken texts to his buddies not attending the game)


By the way, here's a decent little preview from some asshole [3] that writes for Chargers.com, filled with fun facts about the Chiefs/Chargers series and all that. Totally stole the 7 of 9 stat from him.

Also... watch this. You're welcome. San Diego sucks.



[1] By "über-competitive AFC West" I meant "everyone sucks equally so it always seems like a well-balanced division".

[2] Not even Norv Turner's neck can hang with our tailgate... if you wanna stop by, hit me up on twitter before Sunday morning.

[3] I honestly don't know Ricky Henne from a ham sandwich. He's probably a really nice man that works his tail-off doing what he loves. I only called him an asshole on principle. San Diego sucks.



Follow me on twitter @ryanscotthall

Nickel and Dime - A Defensive Nightmare

Stop me if you've heard this one: through two games of the 2012 season, the Chiefs have never had the lead or forced a turnover... but they have surrendered 75 points, good for worst in the NFL.

Rather than fully expand on why the defense has been playing so poorly, I'll direct you to a great post by @kalophoenix that can be found on Arrowhead Pride.

A basic summation of issues: the Chiefs don't have a nickel package... nickel meaning five defensive backs. This is the typical counter to an offense going with three wide receivers, but instead we've been using a dime (six defensive backs) each time we're faced with covering three wideouts.

Think about it this way: our base package has three defensive linemen, four linebackers and four defensive backs - hence being labeled a 3-4. Romeo has shown a tendency to go with a 2-4-5 alignment when faced with covering three receivers, meaning you lose a defensive lineman and bring on your nickel corner. Herein lies the problem... we don't have the personnel to run Romeo's preferred nickel package.

Derrick Johnson is the only linebacker on the team that has consistently shown he is an above-average player in coverage, especially in the middle of the field. What's the solution? Eric Berry is being lined-up considerably closer to the line of scrimmage, essentially playing as a coverage linebacker.

In case you weren't aware, Eric Berry is not a linebacker. Like... not even close.

Due to a lack of talent in the front seven, we're consistently moving our best defensive back into the box, thereby eliminating most of his playmaking ability. Berry is an elite run defender when lined-up 15 yards off the line of scrimmage, free from being washed-out by men (nearly) twice his size. Its checkers, guys... there's a reason he's a Safety. He is granted the liberty to read, react and above all "play in space" back there. Sure, he can come-up and run support and plays excellent man-coverage against running backs and tight ends on occasion. But, But, But...

You can't just put the guy right at the line 75% of the time and expect him to play at the elite level we've been told to expect.

Meanwhile, we remove all three of our starting defensive linemen - who also happen to be the heart and soul of our run defense - from the field every time we abandon the base package. Chan Gailey knew this. You can bet your ass Drew Brees will too. Clearly the injury to Kendrick Lewis compounds the issue, leaving Abe Elam and Travis Daniels at the back of the defense.

That's not a good look, fellas.

Bear with me for a moment as we rewind to late April, when local draft evaluators like @jinxallessio, @bkissel7, @jason_madson and myself were talking almost exclusively about improving the sub-package play. While some of my personal opinions may have been in the minority, hindsight has shown that (in some aspects) I owe quite a few of you one hell of an "I told you so".

Dontari Poe has shown some promise, but I don't think we'd have seen any fewer flashes from Jerrell had he been given the snaps. Aside from that, none of our other picks are even seeing the field.

Do you see what happens, Scott? DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS?!

Let's not dwell on the mistakes of the past - for now, let's worry about Sunday.

Oh shit... Sunday. The Saints. In New Orleans. This is gonna get ugly.

Drew Brees and co. love going three-wide. It’s what they do. If Romeo follows suit with that dreadful "not a nickel" package, there's no question we're going to get roasted. On paper, we're due to get 60-balled tomorrow. Idaho State feels sorry for what the Chiefs are facing.

That being said... when all hope is lost, it’s time to bet on the Chiefs.

The only possible results tomorrow are losing by three scores or more, or winning by a very slim margin. Really, I don't like our chances at all... but I kind of like our chances. You follow?

Long story short: we're 1/8 of the way through the season - which, in the grand scheme of things isn't very much at all - and not a single player to date has shown much fire, passion or resolve. There are many things plaguing the Chiefs that should be obvious tomorrow morning, but none more so than our total lack of vocal leadership both on and off the field.

Here's to hoping that injuries, "communication" and all the other lame-ass excuses we've heard are the least of our worries when the dust clears in the Big Easy.

Oh wait... you wanted an official prediction?

Chiefs 17 - Saints 38 - Ryan 0 (surprise the team looks so bad right now)

Follow me on twitter @ryanscotthall

State of the Kingdom: Week Two

I don’t think I can take much more of this (cuss). It was barely three weeks ago that 6 of 8 writers on the NFL’s flagship website picked the Chiefs to win the AFC West. Since then we’ve had to see tweets/stories hinting at our beloved franchise being somewhat of a laughing stock two games into the season.

And who’s to argue? There’s plenty of supporting evidence, but I’ll spare you the autopsy.

What happened to the good old days?

Like many of you, I spent my formative years at Arrowhead Stadium basking in Marty Schottenheimer’s unparalleled execution of simple football concepts. I learned to appreciate every single play from scrimmage (especially on defense) if for no other reason than wanting to feel like I belonged in the stands. The atmosphere was infectious – it was a glorious time to be a Chiefs fan.

I remember DT's seven sack game like it was yesterday... I was five at the time and bawled my eyes out when he missed his eighth on that final play, leading to a 17-16 loss. As a nine-year old, I prayed for a Chiefs win while hiding in the bathroom. That was October 17th, 1994 - the Mile High Miracle - and I still firmly believe I played a hand in that monumental victory.

Special moments like those that made certain Martyball would never lose its mystique. I have to admit however, the best game I've ever attended and the loudest moment in Arrowhead history happened during the Vermeil era. While that teary-eyed genius gave us a few good (offenses), it didn't amount to anything more than colossal letdowns at the end of each season.

Sometimes I visit my family's old seats (Sec. 320, Row 9) just to see if I recognize any of the faces from my youth, but those people are long gone. The crowd has changed, right along with the culture - and not in a good way.

What did we do to deserve things like this? And don't forget this. Or this. There are countless milestones (for lack of a better word) along the way to… wherever the (cuss) we’re at right now.

To borrow from my man @HisDirknesS: our decision makers have come to accept the team's perpetual mediocrity. Be honest - when was the last time you felt something special at Arrowhead Stadium? That Monday Night game to start the 2010 season was electric in every sense of the word, but few (if any) performances during the past three-plus seasons have been memorable.

It pains me to say so, but I've been reduced to tailgating more out of habit than love.

You'll have to forgive me - this wasn't meant to be about how we got here, rather what we're supposed to do about this mess.

I'm no expert, but from what I can see it starts with coaching. Romeo Crennel routinely channels Gunther Cunningham's head coaching career as his magnum opus. Given Papa Bear's inside-voice approach, their demeanor couldn't be less similar. Still... there's an undeniable familiarity about the "he deserves a shot" mentality from the men in charge.

Romeo's signature win came as an interim head coach against an undefeated opponent in which preparation was the key element. I'm willing to set the Atlanta game aside for now, but the egregious effort shown against Buffalo on Sunday was inexcusable. What's worse is that I wasn't even all that angry about it.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I've become nauseatingly accustomed to these types of games. We are a far cry from the days when every series had us on the edge of our seats. Each Matt Cassel mistake brings me further from the center of my universe - Chiefs football. The passion may still burn, but for me its down to a mere smolder in the pit of my stomach.

Its a shame that despite so much promise year-in and year-out, the glory days of this franchise are a borrowed nostalgia for the younger generation and a distant memory for the rest of us.

Difficult as it may be, I have to remind myself that we're only two games into what promises to be a long season. Each team in the AFC West has significant and easily exploitable flaws, leaving the division just as wide open today as we thought a few weeks ago.

So while I believe that Romeo is a lame duck head coach, Scott Pioli has handicapped this organization with his unwillingness to hire anyone outside his circle of trust (are you a pothead, Focker?!) and Matt Cassel is an embarrassing excuse for a starting Quarterback... I'm still going to be patient.

Because I have to. Because I'm a Chiefs fan.

But perhaps most importantly, because Clark Hunt and his prize General Manager aren't giving us much of a choice in the matter.

Follow me on twitter @ryanscotthall