Ravens Will Reveal Pioli's Progress

[Hammock Parties]

Ravens Will Reveal Pioli's Progress

We're about to discover just how far the Kansas City Chiefs have come in 16 months under Scott Pioli.

Thirty-one regular season games ago, Pioli's roster was led into Baltimore by Todd Haley for the first game of the new era. Thanks to a pair of game-changing plays from Jon McGraw and Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs kept the final score (38-24) close that day, but were dominated nonetheless.

The Ravens had their way with KC's offense and defense, outgaining the Chiefs 501 -188. The Chiefs couldn't run the ball, failed to stop the run, allowed their starting quarterback to be pummeled and looked like a team that was hopelessly overmatched. They didn't have the talent to compete.

Sobering reality: In Week 17 of the 2010 season, against a team that missed the playoffs, the Chiefs couldn't run the ball, failed to stop the run, allowed their starting quarterback to be pummeled and looked like a team that was hopelessly overmatched. They didn't have the talent to compete.

What if it happens two weeks in a row? Would any logical person come to the conclusion that the Chiefs have truly made significant progress since that first meeting with the Ravens? We'd be hard pressed to feel good about a 10-6 season if the Chiefs resembled the sad-sack unit that started life struggling to win two games with 22 players off the street, wouldn't we?

The Ravens haven't changed much since last season. Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Derrick Mason and Michael Oher still drive the offense. Ray lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs contiune to power the defense. Baltimore isn't particularly explosive on offense, but they don't make huge mistakes. Their offensive and defensive schemes are almost identical, implemented by the same coordinators.

The Chiefs? Supposedly, Pioli has performed a complete makeover on the franchise since September 2009. Haley will field 12 new starters Sunday - Matt Cassel, Tony Moeaki, Jamaal Charles, Chris Chambers, Casey Wiegmann, Ryan Lilja, Barry Richardson, Shaun Smith, Derrick Johnson, Jovan Belcher, Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis.

The Chiefs have new offensive and defensive coordinators. Holdovers from that first game - Dwayne Bowe, Branden Albert - are apparently much improved football players.

For all intents and purposes, it's the same Baltimore team facing a completely different, advertised-as-markedly-improved, Chiefs team. We should expect a completely different result, particularly because the Chiefs will be playing at home.

Specifically we should expect KC's top-ranked rushing attack to test Baltimore's fifth-ranked run defense. We should expect Cassel and Bowe to play at a high level against a secondary that features zero elite cornerbacks and a busted-up Ed Reed. We should expect Romeo Crennel, Tamba Hali and Kansas City's talented secondary to throttle a Baltimore passing game that makes Cassel to Bowe look like Montana to Rice.

These are the expectations the Chiefs have set. We expect them to compete and with a few bounces of the ball going in their favor, expect them to win at home and claim their first playoff victory since January 1994.

So what will it say about Pioli if the Ravens replicate their 2009 dominance? You'd start to wonder if he really deserves much credit at all for Kansas City's 10-6 season and the "rebirth" of the franchise. In the aftermath of a Baltimore Beatdown, the AFC West Division Championship would look like a mirage created by the NFL's easiest schedule, and KC's 2011 opponents - mostly playoff contenders led by stud quarterbacks - would appear daunting.

The bottom line is that a Wild Card rerun of KC's struggles against Oakland makes 10 wins appear flimsy in comparison. If the Ravens fly into Kansas City and peck the Chiefs to death with little resistance, the idea that the 2010 Chiefs were a legitimate playoff team that's made significant progress in the last 16 months goes up in smoke.

In other words, the 2010 Chiefs would be frauds.

The perception that the Chiefs are just that goes beyond this column. Wednesday, former Redskins general manager Vinny Cerrato went on 95.7 The Fan in Baltimore and scoffed at the notion that the Chiefs could beat the Ravens.

"Kansas City I think is a fraud," Cerrato said. "You look at their schedule, you look at what Kansas City has played and they've played nobody. They've played two playoff teams. They lost at Indy and beat Seattle, if you count Seattle as a playoff team."

It’s not just Cerrato. Good luck finding many people outside of Kansas City who believe the Chiefs are on the same level as Baltimore. Inside The NFL hosts Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp both picked the Ravens to knock off Kansas City Wednesday night on Showtime. Phil Simms declined to pick a favorite because he’s calling the game.

And of course, the Chiefs are three-point underdogs in their own home stadium. They are perceived as pretenders, not contenders.

The only way to change that perception is for Pioli’s two-year talent crop to rise to the occasion.

Jason Whitlock's assault on Todd Haley's legitimacy as a head coach is irrelevant this weekend. It's Pioli's legitimacy as a general manager that's in question. The Ravens will reveal just how much progress he's made as the architect of the Kansas City Chiefs.

[Deberg_1990]

The +6 game turnaround from last season and +8 game turnaround from 2 years ago and winning the division doesnt reveal progress?

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

The +6 game turnaround from last season and +8 game turnaround from 2 years ago and winning the division wasnt proof enough?

Havent you heard? They are Frauds....

You cant build a team or rebound from the depths of hell without being Frauds...

[Halfcan]

Chiefs will win this week......

1. Arrowhead will be rocking!!
2. They finally let JC touch the ball more than a half dozen times and he comes up big.
3. Joe ****o will throw 2 INT's that will be turned into 10 points by the Chiefs.

The Ravens will come in with the same game plan as the Faders did-but after a week of getting trashed by the media-the Chiefs will come out with some heart this week and win it!!

[milkman]

Stick to video.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

The +6 game turnaround from last season and +8 game turnaround from 2 years ago and winning the division doesnt reveal progress?

CREAMPUFF SCHEDULE

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by milkman

Stick to video.

Just saying I think we take it to the Ravens on the ground- with JC getting the ball.

Put 1 yard Jones on the bench.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by ClayWhit

Ravens Will Reveal Pioli's Progress

Losing a playoff game to one of the hottest teams in football that are more talented than the Chiefs are because they have built their team through years and years of rock solid personnel decisions does not make the Chiefs fraudulent.

Nobody expected the Chiefs to make the playoffs, let alone compete for a Super Bowl, let alone compete with one of the best teams in the AFC.

Your definition of "fraud" changes to suit your argument. But I'm glad you wrote this, because given your losing streak, I'm actually starting to think that maybe we can win.

[The Bad Guy]

Here we go again. Trying to paint a complete picture because of one game.

Stick to making highlight reels. Being mini-Whitlock has ruined any writing ability you had.

[milkman]

The fact that this team won games against bad teams, games that they didn't win in previous years, is progress.

Nothing that happens against the Ravens will do anything to dismiss the fact that they have progressed.

What we'll learn against the Ravens, is what is needed to continue that progression.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by milkman

The fact that this team won games against bad teams, games that they didn't win in previous years, is progress.

Nothing that happens against the Ravens will do anything to dismiss the fact that they have progressed.

What we'll learn against the Ravens, is what is needed to continue that progression.

Yes.

I'm thinking what we are going to need is another wideout, another linebacker at both inside and outside, and some help on the offensive line, namely right tackle.

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Yes.

I'm thinking what we are going to need is another wideout, another linebacker at both inside and outside, and some help on the offensive line, namely right tackle.

WR, OLB, NT, RT, C, ILB.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

Here we go again. Trying to paint a complete picture because of one game.

Stick to making highlight reels. Being mini-Whitlock has ruined any writing ability you had.

Stick to the illegal aspect of copywriting of videos....

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Yes.

I'm thinking what we are going to need is another wideout, another linebacker at both inside and outside, and some help on the offensive line, namely right tackle.

I think what becomes really interesting is, what positions can we settle for "good enough"? Often times, I think we all get stuck in the mindset that every player should be close to a pro bowl level. But almost every team has some key holes on their team that they play well in spite of.

Outside LB and Nose Tackle are uncompromisable.
I feel like wideout and Right Tackle and Center are positions we need solid starters, but we don't have to worry about "greatness" (though it would be an added bonus).
And I honestly think that if we fix the NT, we'll be fine at ILB (though again, an upgrade is an added bonus).

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

WR, OLB, NT, RT, C, ILB.

Drafted in that order?