Mellinger nails it. Great article.

[RunKC]

Sam Mellinger | One team looks better at QB, and it’s not Chiefs
BY SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/24...#storylink=cpy

You could run your finger up and down the Chiefs roster and wherever you choose to stop be fairly certain it will be on a player who looked rotten in what is traditionally the least unimportant preseason game. The frustration is real but might be fleeting.

Fifteen days separate the despair of this morning from the hope of the season opener, and that’s like two months in NFL time. But the Chiefs were absolutely throttled by the Seahawks, 44-14, and whatever the maximum amount of concern you think is appropriate for a preseason game that included no torn knees is appropriate for this one.

This was embarrassing, but there’s time for much of it to fade.

Here’s something that’s not going anywhere before the season opener, and probably not for long after: the Chiefs are four years into making up for a limited quarterback in a league full of better options.

Like, you know, Russell Wilson.

Six months ago, Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli made a point to promise better quarterback competition.

Five months ago, the Seahawks signed free agent Matt Flynn to a $19 million contract.

Four months ago, the Seahawks drafted Wilson in the third round.

They did it one pick after the Chiefs took an offensive lineman they think might play — next year. In other words: the Chiefs talked it, and the Seahawks walked it.

At a time like this, you can focus on any one of a million things to be ticked off about with the Chiefs. Brandon Flowers’ injury is showing no signs of healing, and Jalil Brown is showing no signs of being up to the job. The Chiefs didn’t force as much as one punt in until Tarvaris Jackson played the fourth quarter. Tamba Hali was called for two personal fouls. Dwayne Bowe didn’t impress, Tony Moeaki whiffed on some catches, and Andy Studebaker whiffed on some tackles.

But as much as Matt Cassel looked comfortable in the first two preseason games, he took a significant jump back in what’s supposed to be the preseason game that matters — a little bit, at least.

He completed virtually nothing but short passes, got points just once in seven possessions, and turned the ball over twice. Even when he threw a touchdown to Dexter McCluster, the celebration jump left him landing on his rear. It was like an entire evening spent highlighting his biggest weaknesses.

On the other side, Wilson was everything the Chiefs haven’t had in a quarterback in the better part of a decade. He completed 13 of 19 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions and two brilliant scrambles for 58 yards. Even if you take away the throw to Kellen Winslow on a blown coverage, it was a terrific night.

It was the kind of night Chiefs fans thought they might get more of when Pioli talked about improving the quarterback situation.

Those hopes went from Peyton Manning to someone in the draft to signing Brady Quinn — who replaced Cassel midway through the Chiefs’ eighth possession — as some sort of stand-in for legitimate competition.

Pioli did a lot of good in the offseason. Most around the team agreed Romeo Crennel was the right choice as permanent head coach. Eric Winston is an enormous improvement at right tackle. Peyton Hillis, Kevin Boss and Stanford Routt are all promising additions.

But there was effectively nothing done at quarterback — the Chiefs actually took a step back losing Kyle Orton to free agency.

And that, again, will be a major takeaway for Chiefs fans when the team fails like this.

If Wilson wins the Seahawks’ job — and the Chiefs gave him a highlight tape — he would be one of 15 quarterbacks drafted after Pioli took over in Kansas City to be a starting quarterback when the season starts. The Chiefs passed over five of those quarterbacks.

So much of what we saw on Friday night is light enough to blow in the NFL’s temperamental breeze. What looked promising two weeks ago looks awful right now and might look promising again two weeks from now.

But games like this, when Cassel fails and quarterbacks the Chiefs passed over succeed will weigh around this team’s neck like an anvil.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/24...#storylink=cpy

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

#Blow4Barkley

[In58men]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

#Blow4Barkley

#Winless4Wilson

[milkman]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Good one!

You have to make the playoffs before you can win a championship. Once you make the playoffs anything can happen. I'm sure there were a lot of people laughing at the Seahawks for making the playoffs at 7-9... until they beat the SB favorites.

Anyone rooting for the Chiefs to tank a season are idiots.

I am not proposing tanking a season.

I am saying that you can not win an advance with a QB that can not make plays.

You think that we can win, but without a QB, there is zero chance.

Your goal as a team should be winning a championship, not simply making the playoffs.

Getting there is just the first hurdle to attaining that goal.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Good one!

You have to make the playoffs before you can win a championship. Once you make the playoffs anything can happen. I'm sure there were a lot of people laughing at the Seahawks for making the playoffs at 7-9... until they beat the SB favorites.

Anyone rooting for the Chiefs to tank a season are idiots.

Its dumb mother****ers like you that Pioli hopes stick around forever.

He can feed you a lifetime of Cassels and you will just eat it up...thinking we can win a superbowl with him.

This team OBVIOUSLY NEEDS A SPARK.

They are drifting back into the form they were in this time last year.

See, most people think it was the firing of Todd Haley that brought life to this team late last year...

It wasnt.

It was the spark of energy they got by having a quarterback that could find the open man and extend drives with his arm...even without a running game.

The team ****ed up BIG TIME by not re-signing Kyle Orton.

BIG TIME.

They ****ed up even worse by not moving up to draft Tannehill or at least try to upgrade.

In the three game stretch to end the season,we beat two playoff teams with Orton....no way we do that with Cassel.

[JohnnyHammersticks]

To generalize even more, if you think Cassel is an adequate NFL starting QB, then you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to the NFL. HE JUST CAN'T PLAY. It couldn't be more obvious. It might not even be his fault, he may have truly maxed out his God-given ability--he just sucks. He's not good. If you watch Chiefs games and you think that if a few things fell a different way, Cassel could be an adequate starter--then you're completely ****ing clueless. You're stupid in terms of evaluating players. You should stop watching football because you're just not grasping even the most glaringly obvious aspects of the game. This is what is so mother-****ing mind-boggling when it comes to Pioli. How do you amass that much time at a job which pretty much revolves around evaluating football talent and miss this ****ing bad on the most important position on the field??? It makes no sense.

The only logical answer is that his bald-headed ****ing prick ego is so massive that he simply can't admit he made a mistake on Cassel, so he's hell bent on riding that mistake to wherever it takes him. If Clark Hunt has one shred of consideration for Chiefs' fans, Pioli's prick ego should take him straight to the unemployment line as soon as the season ends. ****ing bald-headed prick!

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Its dumb mother****ers like you that Pioli hopes stick around forever.

He can feed you a lifetime of Cassels and you will just eat it up...thinking we can win a superbowl with him.

This team OBVIOUSLY NEEDS A SPARK.

They are drifting back into the form they were in this time last year.

See, most people think it was the firing of Todd Haley that brought life to this team.

It wasnt.

It was the spark of energy they got by having a quarterback that could find the open man and extend drives with his arm...even without a running game.

The team ****ed up BIG TIME by not re-signing Kyle Orton.

BIG TIME.

It's dumb mother ****ers like you that think I'm campaigning for Cassel.

Orton didn't want to be here. It's ****ing obvious.

The Chiefs were making a play before Manning was even available to try and get him so it's pretty obvious they aren't content with Cassel.

Regardless if Cassel is here or isn't everyone's goal should be making the playoffs.

So I say this in the politest way possible...

Go **** yourself.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by jd1020

It's dumb mother ****ers like you that think I'm campaigning for Cassel.

Orton didn't want to be here. It's ****ing obvious.

The Chiefs were making a play before Manning was even available to try and get him so it's pretty obvious they aren't content with Cassel.

Regardless if Cassel is here or isn't everyone's goal should be making the playoffs.

So I say this in the politest way possible...

Go **** yourself.

Stop putting ***s in there and just type the ****ing words out.

Orton KNEW that Pioli was married to Cassel and he wouldn't be given a real chance.

If I were him, Id do the same thing.

At least in Dallas,he is legitimately the backup and not for political reasons.

The only reason we didnt end the year with 5 wins is because of Orton.

He provided the spark that this team desperately needed...and because Pioli is married to this bitch, he let Orton walk.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Stop putting ***s in there and just type the ****ing words out.

Orton KNEW that Pioli was married to Cassel and he wouldn't be given a real chance.

If I were him, Id do the same thing.

At least in Dallas,he is legitimately the backup and not for political reasons.

The only reason we didnt end the year with 5 wins is because of Orton.

He provided the spark that this team desperately needed...and because Pioli is married to this bitch, he let Orton walk.

Everything in this post is pure speculation. There's no ****ing facts.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Stop putting ***s in there and just type the ****ing words out.

Orton KNEW that Pioli was married to Cassel and he wouldn't be given a real chance.

Orton didn't want a chance. You can stop acting like he did.

You don't sign with a team who has a starter set in stone giving you exactly 0 chance at seeing the field on game day because you "want a chance."

And I'm not putting ***'s to bleep out the words.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Good one!

You have to make the playoffs before you can win a championship. Once you make the playoffs anything can happen. I'm sure there were a lot of people laughing at the Seahawks for making the playoffs at 7-9... until they beat the SB favorites.

Anyone rooting for the Chiefs to tank a season are idiots.

Meh, I'm sure that's a great memory for Seahawks fans, but the Saints didn't even win their division that year and had also lost to Cleveland and Arizona. Shit happens, but it's no March Madness... anything can happen in the first round and maybe the 2nd round... not so much after that.

I don't look at that Seahawks team or the Broncos last year and look forward to the Chiefs simply making the playoffs... it lessens the value of getting there because any mediocre team can do it.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

Everything in this post is pure speculation. There's no ****ing facts.

BULLSHIT.

Go back and watch teh ****ing post game interviews from the locker room.

Most notably, Tamba Hali.

He basically shit down Cassels throat with his comments about how it was the first time in years they had a quarterback that could give the defense time to rest.

Go ahead, though, think that this is just a preseason mirage.

When the Rams and Seahawks are shitting on your teams starters, a change needs to be made and the sooner it is made, the sooner this team can start building something real.

[JohnnyHammersticks]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Stop putting ***s in there and just type the ****ing words out.

Orton KNEW that Pioli was married to Cassel and he wouldn't be given a real chance.

If I were him, Id do the same thing.

At least in Dallas,he is legitimately the backup and not for political reasons.

The only reason we didnt end the year with 5 wins is because of Orton.

He provided the spark that this team desperately needed...and because Pioli is married to this bitch, he let Orton walk.

You are 100% correct in terms of Orton. Orton is probably average on a good day--but it was like the difference between night and day when he finally played for us last year. You actually got a sense that he was somewhat in command of the offense and looking downfield for open receivers instead of shitting himself and dumping the ball off at the slightest sign of pressure. Cassel doesn't have the arm or the mind to play QB in the NFL. He might be tough, and he might be a nice guy. Maybe he'll make a great dad someday. As an NFL QB though, he sucks freaking balls.

[BossChief]

You cannot beat good teams with a quarterback that is scared to throw the ****ing football outside the the numbers or past 15 yards.

You just cant.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks

To generalize even more, if you think Cassel is an adequate NFL starting QB, then you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to the NFL. HE JUST CAN'T PLAY. It couldn't be more obvious. It might not even be his fault, he may have truly maxed out his God-given ability--he just sucks. He's not good. If you watch Chiefs games and you think that if a few things fell a different way, Cassel could be an adequate starter--then you're completely ****ing clueless. You're stupid in terms of evaluating players. You should stop watching football because you're just not grasping even the most glaringly obvious aspects of the game. This is what is so mother-****ing mind-boggling when it comes to Pioli. How do you amass that much time at a job which pretty much revolves around evaluating football talent and miss this ****ing bad on the most important position on the field??? It makes no sense.

The only logical answer is that his bald-headed ****ing prick ego is so massive that he simply can't admit he made a mistake on Cassel, so he's hell bent on riding that mistake to wherever it takes him. If Clark Hunt has one shred of consideration for Chiefs' fans, Pioli's prick ego should take him straight to the unemployment line as soon as the season ends. ****ing bald-headed prick!

Which team do you work for again?

[JohnnyHammersticks]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

Which team do you work for again?

Listen buddy, I don't know if you're blind, or you're just ****ing stupid--but either way, it's pretty obvious that I lose more NFL quarterback evaluation ability in my morning dumps than you've amassed in a lifetime.