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.

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Drafted in that order?

In terms of need:

OLB, NT, WR, RT, C, ILB

[milkman]

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 agree, for the most part, though I think NT is a bigger need than ILB.

These LBs could play with a lot more freedom with a NT that commands attention.

I think that Belcher has a lot of room for growth and improvement, especially in pass coverage, but should he continue to grow, he should be fine.

[TimeForWasp]

who knows. maybe the chiefs can prove that the AFC north are frauds.

[petegz28]

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?

Sort of what I was thinking. Suddenly we are supposed to be world beaters when just 4 short months ago it was deemed that 8-8 was a successfull season for this team.

[LaChapelle]

There is an old Vegas singer that sings your tune
My petty Fraudline

[FringeNC]

I'm eager to see if the O-line can bounce back after the Raiders debacle. If Albert gets dominated again...

By the way, calling us a fraud is asinine. It presumes that we are regarded as being a very good football team. We're not. We're an improving team who was well enough coached to beat the bad teams around the league, which is something our division rivals can't claim.

[Norman Einstein]

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.

If by chance the Chiefs totally dominate the Ravens will your last statement still be true?

The Chiefs are better now than at any time in the past 4 years. Edwards first year was just a holdover from DV, years 2 and 3 showed his true talent to tear a team down to nothing. If you are going for rebuild that might be a good plan but you have to run it by the upper management if you are going that direction so they know that year 4 should be the turning point, or 5 or 6.

Haley might not be the greatest HC we've ever had, but he is a leader and it seems the team pretty much follow that leadership.

It would be great if the Chiefs have all of the stars lined up and can get to the SB. That's not expected by anyone, but any good things happening after going 10-6 is gravy. We expected nothing after the 0-4 Pre-Season and are in the Playoffs. Gotta love change.

[jAZ]

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Norman Einstein

If by chance the Chiefs totally dominate the Ravens will your last statement still be true?

I think it's true in every game, regardless of win or loss.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Norman Einstein

If by chance the Chiefs totally dominate the Ravens will your last statement still be true?

The Chiefs are better now than at any time in the past 4 years. Edwards first year was just a holdover from DV, years 2 and 3 showed his true talent to tear a team down to nothing. If you are going for rebuild that might be a good plan but you have to run it by the upper management if you are going that direction so they know that year 4 should be the turning point, or 5 or 6.

Haley might not be the greatest HC we've ever had, but he is a leader and it seems the team pretty much follow that leadership.

It would be great if the Chiefs have all of the stars lined up and can get to the SB. That's not expected by anyone, but any good things happening after going 10-6 is gravy. We expected nothing after the 0-4 Pre-Season and are in the Playoffs. Gotta love change.

Year 4, 5, or 6 would have been a turning point for the Chiefs if Carl Peterson didn't get in the way.

Herm Edwards wasn't a good coach, but he was 100% right about the rebuild and it's inaccurate to say he tore the team down to nothing as if that's a bad thing. The Chiefs wouldn't be where they are today if he didn't have the balls to do that.

Like Herm Edwards or not, you have to feel bad for a guy who did the right thing and got canned for doing it.

[Bearcat]

I'll just be glad when it's Sunday and people finally stop talking about the f***ing Raiders game.

[Norman Einstein]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Year 4, 5, or 6 would have been a turning point for the Chiefs if Carl Peterson didn't get in the way.

Herm Edwards wasn't a good coach, but he was 100% right about the rebuild and it's inaccurate to say he tore the team down to nothing as if that's a bad thing. The Chiefs wouldn't be where they are today if he didn't have the balls to do that.

Like Herm Edwards or not, you have to feel bad for a guy who did the right thing and got canned for doing it.

It wasn't that he had the balls to do it, he was inept enough to do it. 4-12 and 2-14 isn't a plan, it's an outright failure. If his teardown was intentional he didn't talk with the front office about it or he wouldn't have been fired.

His intentions were not to take the team down, but as I said he is inept as a head coach, I doubt that he ever gets the chance to prove differently in the NFL again.

The Chiefs aren't where they are today because of Herman, they are there due to the ability of the new staff to get the most out of players. If the current administration had of been there instead of Peterson/Edwards TG would still be playing for the Chiefs and there is a likelihood that they would have already won a SB over the past 4 years. That's just my opinion but when you turn a team around in two years, there is more to it than left over draft picks.

[Marcellus]

You rehash the same shit every article with absolutely nothing to back up your assertions.

If X happens it means Y. Really?

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Norman Einstein

It wasn't that he had the balls to do it, he was inept enough to do it. 4-12 and 2-14 isn't a plan, it's an outright failure. If his teardown was intentional he didn't talk with the front office about it or he wouldn't have been fired.

His intentions were not to take the team down, but as I said he is inept as a head coach, I doubt that he ever gets the chance to prove differently in the NFL again.

The Chiefs aren't where they are today because of Herman, they are there due to the ability of the new staff to get the most out of players. If the current administration had of been there instead of Peterson/Edwards TG would still be playing for the Chiefs and there is a likelihood that they would have already won a SB over the past 4 years. That's just my opinion but when you turn a team around in two years, there is more to it than left over draft picks.

It was pretty well documented that Herman ****ing Edwards went over Carl's head to Clark Hunt and got him to buy into the idea of rebuilding the roster, and that Clark Hunt gave the final decision to fire or retain Herman ****ing Edwards to Pioli, but he did get him to agree to talk with him before that final decision, which is why Pioli didn't fire him immediately after he took the reins.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Norman Einstein

It wasn't that he had the balls to do it, he was inept enough to do it. 4-12 and 2-14 isn't a plan, it's an outright failure. If his teardown was intentional he didn't talk with the front office about it or he wouldn't have been fired.

His intentions were not to take the team down, but as I said he is inept as a head coach, I doubt that he ever gets the chance to prove differently in the NFL again.

The Chiefs aren't where they are today because of Herman, they are there due to the ability of the new staff to get the most out of players. If the current administration had of been there instead of Peterson/Edwards TG would still be playing for the Chiefs and there is a likelihood that they would have already won a SB over the past 4 years. That's just my opinion but when you turn a team around in two years, there is more to it than left over draft picks.

Bull
****ing
Shit

Herm Edwards drafted the single worst team in football in terms of players under 30. Not even close. It's not his fault that Roaf, Green, Shields, Kennison, Dante Hall, Surtain, Knight, Wesley/Woods, Priest were all on the way out of the NFL.

It's been well documented that Herm always wanted to rebuild, but Carl Peterson stubbornly insisted that the team reload. That's why we made genius moves like bringing in Ty Law and Damion McIntosh at a time when we needed youth and we were low on cap space.

And it's been well documented that Herm went over Carl's head and got in Clark Hunt's ear, which is the only reason the Chiefs tore the team apart and focused on rebuilding through youth.

Without Herm, Carl Peterson would have tried to win fans back by reloading the team with more versions of Shawn Barber and Dexter McCleon and we would have been content with our 10-6, 1-and-out playoff losers with no Super Bowl potential. Herm Edwards deserves all the credit in the world for giving Pioli a good base to work with.