| gblowfish |
12-30-2012 09:30 PM |
Ten Things About the 2012 Season
Ten Things About The 2012 Season
10. I always take the time between Christmas and New Years off work. I like to turn on the Christmas lights, make a fire, watch the final Chiefs game of the year, and dream of what next year might be like. Today was not a dream, but rather, the end of a year-long nightmare. Nobody expected the Chiefs to go out to Denver and win with the Donks having the number one seed in the AFC on the line and KC having the number one pick in the draft on the table. But today's performance was all the adjectives we've used this season rolled into one. Pick your favorite: Abysmal, Embarrassing, Futile, Pathetic, Maddening, Ridiculous, Shameful. The team quit. The coaches quit. The defense gave up five TDs. The offensive line gave up four sacks. Quinn threw for 49 yards, no TDs, average yards gained per pass play was 1.3 yards, and Quinn's passer rating was a puny 51.3. Denver had 32 first downs to KC's eight. The Chiefs punted eight times. They were completely dominated from start to finish and looked every bit the worst team in the NFL. Only good play of the game was a fumble recovery by Flowers, which led to the only points of the game, a measly three point field goal when KC couldn't score a TD (as usual). Bury the turd. So, what happens now?
9. So much is up in the air as this is being written -latest says there'll be a 2pm presser tomorrow at Arrowhead. It's hard to know exactly how this whole thing will shake out. Everything hinges on the Pioli Decision, and what CHunt decides to do. First, let's look at the scenario, as in some of the reports, that Pioli survives and is given at least the final year of his contract (maybe more) to "make things right." I know, most of you throw up your hands at this point and say "UNCLE" and certainly and undeniably for good reasons. But I think we need to prepare for the possibility, and it's a very REAL possibility, that CHunt rides it out with Pioli. Who knows what kind of crapola Fat Scott has been shoveling CHunt's way over the past month as this ship was sinking? Maybe Pioli has promised help from his Daddy-in-Law, the Big Tuna himself? Maybe he already has another coach lined up and waiting in the wings? The spin doctors on the Chiefs website keep puffing out their chests about having five pro-bowlers (only one on offense btw) and how that means we're very close to being a contending team. Maybe the plan is to deal the first pick to acquire more picks, bring in a typical Chiefs Re-Tread free-agent ala Grbac, or Bono, or DeBerg, or take your pick; take a project QB in the second or third round, win maybe four games next year (hey, DOUBLE the win total), then draft another QB in 2014? I can see the Chiefs throwing the Royals "Just wait three or four more years" BS at us. After all, Royals fans have swallowed that malarky for going on thirty years now, and it seems to fly over and over again.
8. The second scenario is that CHunt calls a press conference at Arrowhead tomorrow, and flushes the turd. Pioli, gone. Romeo, early retirement. Daboll, gone. I would even whack Mark Donovan the "Office Manager Dick" who helped Pioli foster this Ivy League, smart ass CIA-like paranoid septic culture in the Chiefs' offices. In the last four years this front office has poisoned the relationship between the city, former players, the fans and the team, and fired a lot of good people with years of service to the Hunt Family. You know, people like secretaries, maintenance workers and the like who didn't deserve it. Let's click down some of the litany of bone-headed snafus under Fat Scott and Mark the Dick:
• First the whole 2009 Todd Haley Finger-Gate thing after being embarrassed at home by Cleveland on "Fan Appreciation Day."
• Later that week Haley "gives money to the poor man at the bus stop" to show what a "compassionate guy" he is. PR wanks really sell it.
• Haley says at a press conference that he doesn't use profanity, because he has a couple of little girls at home.
* In 2010 KC plays a last place schedule, squeaks into the playoffs and gets totally butt raped by Baltimore in Arrowhead.
• In 2011, Haley thinks his phone is bugged. Chiefs employees are afraid to go to lunch and be seen together outside Arrowhead. Paranoia rules the roost.
• As the 2011 season goes south, Haley gives Pioli the big "F-You I'm Playing Tyler Palko" treatment before he gets whacked.
• Romeo agrees to be a puppet for Pioli, if he can return as head coach in 2012.
• No real competition is brought in for Casshole. Orton is allowed to walk. Stanzi has yet to play a down in a regular season NFL game.
• Fans are told by Chiefs own PR Staff on Twitter "Your choice to be a fan."
• Save Our Chiefs Movement is born, banners fly, blackout game, massive empty seats for most Nov and Dec home games, Arrowhead mystique is destroyed, maybe forever.
• Many STH swear they will NOT renew their seats if Pioli remains employed into 2013.
7. Players such as Pollard, Waters, Williams, McClain, Gonzalez and Carr have been traded, released or allowed to walk as free agents. All have surfaced with other teams and made valuable contributions. Pioli's has been given high draft picks, and has returned selections such as Tyson Jackson, Jon Baldwin and Dontari Poe, none of which have played well enough to warrant their draft position. Only one of Pioli's first round picks, Eric Berry, has become an All-Pro. Free Agent signings has been mostly busts, including Boss, Hillis and especially Routt. What's more, contracts of core players like Dorsey, Bowe, Albert and Colquitt hang in the balance with no clear indication of whether these players will be retained. One would think this series of events and player personnel moves would be enough to tip the balance towards removing Pioli. Or is it?
6. KC's 2012 points scored vs. points allowed was one of the worst ratios in NFL history. KC only scored 208 points this year, that's just under 14 points per game. KC gave up 387 points, which is just under 26 points per game. KC was beaten by 15 points or more nine times this year. Opponents scored 42 total TD's to KC's 18. KC gave up 36 sacks this year. Turnover ratio was -25. KC had 706 yards in penalties, about 60 more yards than their opponents. KC led or was tied for first in the following infractions: Horse collar, player out of bounds on a punt, chop block, twelve men on the field and clipping. This is an indication of poor coaching in all areas.
5. I get criticized during the course of the year for being so negative. A 2-14 season will do that to you. If we are to look at positives, I would pass out some choice kind words. First on offense: Charles had a monster year, especially for coming off a knee injury. Charles put to rest any notion that he is not fully back from a nasty knee injury, and he played great, even with opposing defenses keying on him. Everyone in the league knew -especially after Bowe got hurt- that if you stop Charles, you stop the Chiefs. He still ran for over 1500 yards. On top of all this was his connection to the whole Belcher mess, yet he kept his composure and played like a pro, especially in the Indy game. Much respect for Jamaal. He's the best back we've had since Priest Holmes.
4. On defense, I give props to Berry for making All-Pro -although San Diego's Eric Weddle probably deserved that spot. Flowers had another good season, but why throw at Flowers when we had NOTHING at the other corner all year? Houston continued to show improvement, although he took entire games off and disappeared. DJ is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Hali coasted on his reputation, and he's still bad against the run. Maybe Poe will be a player, too early to tell yet. Besides that, we need a corner, we need to cut Kendrick Lewis. We need to replace Belcher. We need impact defensive ends. We need a nickel cover guy. We need depth depth depth.
3. Quarterback is a lost cause on this team. No way this team should return ANYBODY except Alex Tanney. In fact, as of tomorrow Alex Tanney should be the ONLY name on the Chiefs depth chart at QB. Casshole needs to take his $60 million and GTFO. Quinn needs to go back to South Bend and sell insurance. Stanzi needs to go to the CFL and see if he can play or not. Whatever CHunt does or doesn't do, the QB position HAS to be blown up. I don't know if we'll take Geno, or Barkley, or (God Forbid) Landry Jones, but they need to bring in three or four guys as a combination of draft picks and free agents, and hope to Sweet Jesus they can find somebody who won't throw a one yard pass on fourth and two.
2. I hope they give Romeo a lot of money and tell him to go enjoy life. I actually like the guy, he's just in over his head as a head coach, just like Gansz was, just like Gunther was. After the Belcher thing, he should just walk away for a year, let his knee heal up, relax, and re-charge. Maybe he'll come back into the league in 2014 as a DC again. But he should step off for awhile. I have no idea who will be, or should be, the next head coach. I could live with Andy Reid, or Chucky, or even Brian Billick. I really don't want a college coach. That failed with Mackovic. I would try to keep Emmitt Thomas around, and if the Chiefs were smart, they'd try to bring back some former players to coach here. Former Chiefs are scattered all over the league with coaching experience. Most played for Marty, like Ross, Del Rio, Manusky, Grundhard, etc. I'd even be OK with bringing Marty back as an assistant to the GM (other than Pioli). Let Marty evaluate talent. He's great at that. I fear that Pioli will dodge all this and be given "one last chance."
1. Your guess is as good as mine as to what will happen next. My hope is that CHunt clears the decks. My fear is he won't go that far, as that would be admitting the Pioli hire was a mistake. He's still young, and he may be in denial that things got as bad as they did this year, especially two years removed from being a "playoff team." He may have that Lamar Gene that leaves his closest associates in place for far too long (read up on Jack Steadman's GM history sometime). Truth is, this team is worse now than when King Carl left, and that's the bottom line. What CHunt does now will define him as a leader and owner, and could either put him back in the fans good graces, or put him in the same category with David Glass across the parking lot. Ball is in his court, and tomorrow the game is on.
Many thanks for all you good CPers for your thoughts and discussion in the "Ten Things" threads this year. It's been a blast writing them, and thanks for discussing my views from the front row. Let's all hope for a happier, healthier, re-building 2013.
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