Chiefs Whitlock: Chiefs putting the L in loser - Page 4

**Tribal Warfare** · 11-17-2008, 01:00 AM

Chiefs putting the L in loser
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star

* Saints 30, Chiefs 20 | photo gallery with postgame audio from coach Herm Edwards

Philosopher Bill Parcells popularized the football theory that a team is exactly what its record says it is.

That makes our Kansas City Chiefs losers — losers approaching historic dimensions.

Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs ran their futility streak to 18 of their last 19, falling to the New Orleans Saints 30-20.

For those of you who prefer to take comfort in the mitigating circumstances, there was the usual assortment.

•The refs stole four points from the home team, denying Larry Johnson a 1-yard TD plunge and forcing the Chiefs to settle for a field goal.

•Because of injuries, Kansas City played with about half of its defensive starters.

•Midseason acquisition/bright spot Mark Bradley dropped a critical third-down pass in the fourth quarter, killing a would-be game-tying TD drive.

Yeah, like a lot of Kansas City’s losses the last two seasons, the Chiefs coulda, shoulda, woulda won had the right breaks fallen their way.

But the truth is that from Nov. 4, 2007, until the moment you read these words, the 1-18 Chiefs have been the worst team in professional football — worse than the 2-17 Detroit Lions.

L-O-S-E-R-S.

One of life’s most difficult challenges is accepting people (or things) you love for who they are rather than what you want them to be. It’s a challenge most of us fail to the delight of divorce lawyers, therapists and booty calls.

We foolishly think if we love just a little bit harder, for a little bit longer, things will change for the better.

I woke up Sunday morning convinced things could only get better for the Chiefs. Surely they would beat the Saints, who came to town without Reggie Bush and in a disappointing funk of their own.

When Tyler Thigpen’s third-and-2 dart bounced off Bradley’s chest, I conceded the obvious: Losers find a way to lose.

I knew Kansas City’s defense wouldn’t hold. I figured the Saints would at least march into field-goal range and make it a two-score game.

“There’s a saying, ‘Losing breeds losing, and success breeds success,’ ” Chiefs safety Jon McGraw explained. “The losing definitely wears on you.”

The Chiefs are worn out. They have no reason to believe anymore. They came into Sunday’s game realizing they needed to score 30 points to protect their injury-ravaged defense. They had Larry Johnson in the backfield after a one-month sabbatical for conduct detrimental to common decency and sense.

The Saints had given up 30-plus points in their three previous games.

It didn’t matter. KC’s offense regressed. Thigpen connected on just half of his 38 passes. Twice when the Chiefs sniffed the goal line, he misfired on fade passes to Dwayne Bowe. Thigpen badly underthrew Bradley on a deep ball that should have been a 55-yard TD. Instead, it was a 31-yard, falling catch that led to a 21-yard field goal.

Thigpen is Kansas City’s backup quarterback of the future. Like Brodie Croyle, Thigpen is miscast as a starter. As a starter, he’s good enough to get the Chiefs beat.

Again, we can talk about mitigating circumstances — his youth, inexperience, suspect line and occasional questionable play-calling.

The truth is he is exactly what his 0-5 record says he is. And so are the Chiefs.

We’re witnessing the worst stretch of Kansas City football in franchise history. From Nov. 13, 1977, to Nov. 19, 1978, the Chiefs won two of 19 games.

L-O-S-E-R-S.

That’s not fun to write. I’ve had a front press-row seat to most of the recent losses. As much as I’d like to see The Artist Formerly Known as King Carl dethroned, I much prefer to write about the Chiefs when they’re winning, the games are significant and you’re engaged and passionate.

The losing makes us all look and feel like losers. Plus, we have no guarantee this patch of wretchedness will usher in change we can believe in.

The Dolphins were the last team to lose 18 of 19. Their run of futility ended in mid-September this season and was sparked by Parcells’ ascension to the head of the organization.

The Hunt family responded to their late-1970s ineffectiveness by waiting another decade before hiring Carl Peterson.

You can’t force a loser to change.

If he didn’t have a job when you met him, if her cell phone blew up all night the first time you slept over, don’t act surprised that you’re paying his bills and she’s hiding text messages a year later.

We love a loser.

burt · 11-17-2008, 02:02 PM

Piss and moan all you want. We are where we are and winning will NOT help us. Thigpen is very competent. He MAY blossom. But for now I am simply pleased to show promise, expose our rookies to the NFL and lose. As long as we show advancement, this season, I will be happy. I wouldn't care if we lost every renmaining game....as long as we improve.

We fans have unreasonable expectations when we have so many rookies and 5 of our defense wasn't even playing at the beginning of the season. Rookies combined with numerous injuries = rough season.

Mecca · 11-17-2008, 02:04 PM

When you argue line you do realize the Chiefs in the last 8 years have probably used more picks on the defensive line than any other team in football and have about nothing to show for it.

Deberg_1990 · 11-17-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

When you argue line you do realize the Chiefs in the last 8 years have probably used more picks on the defensive line than any other team in football and have about nothing to show for it.

Thats a very good point. The guys on 810 last night mentioned this.

The Chiefs have essentially been trying to rebuild the defense for the past 10 years. They just suck at it.

Mecca · 11-17-2008, 02:10 PM

I'm not interested in drafting for position, I'm interested in drafting impact players.

Do you think the Cards are better off because they took Larry Fitzgerald when they didn't really need him instead of trying to get Robert Gallery?

How much better off would they be had they taken Peterson instead of the need of Levi Brown?

They're a good example of why you just take the best player, if you have a giant hole go into FA on that.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 11-17-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Thats a very good point. The guys on 810 last night mentioned this.

The Chiefs have essentially been trying to rebuild the defense for the past 10 years. They just suck at it.

We're just ****ed. Something is not right, and I'm having a hard time finding it. I spent considerable time yesterday watching Chiefs TV at KCC.com, and I'm watching the various squads run through drills and such.
The squad coaches( particularly defensive backs )were running tight practices and working hard. I had entertained the idea that maybe we had some real problems in that area, but I don't buy it anymore.
This is a house that's gone beyond a 'Dust-Devil' or a 'Hoover Upright' in terms cleaning up the trash; the Chiefs need the equivalent of Class 5 tornado to just smash it's way through that organization and let only the strong survive.

Chiefnj2 · 11-17-2008, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

When you argue line you do realize the Chiefs in the last 8 years have probably used more picks on the defensive line than any other team in football and have about nothing to show for it.

They traded the only guy that panned out for a mid first round pick and will now have to use a top 5 pick to replace him.

StcChief · 11-17-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

They traded the only guy that panned out for a mid first round pick and will now have to use a top 5 pick to replace him.

and we got how many picks for Jared Allen? and what is he doing now?

I think the Boise St. 7th rounder is coming down to Earth. or it's an off year.

Micjones · 11-17-2008, 03:22 PM

High draft picks alone will not restore respectability to this franchise.
This team needs to learn how to win games.

KCJohnny · 11-18-2008, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

I thought we have been over this you never go 1-15 even when you are rebuilding it shows complete failure.

Tell that to the 3-peat Cowboys of the early 90s who went 1-15 in '89.

KCJohnny · 11-18-2008, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donkhater

What good would drafting Stafford do? He could start his first four games, have a QB rating above 90 and if the Chiefs didn't win, he's shown all he's going to show and we'll need to go in another direction.

Sounds about right doesn't it?

Brock · 11-18-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCJohnny

Tell that to the 3-peat Cowboys of the early 90s who went 1-15 in '89.

Who drafted a QB number one overall.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 11-18-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

Who drafted a QB number one overall.

And had/have an owner who actually gave two shits.

**HemiEd** · 11-18-2008, 10:36 AM

One of Jason Whitlock's best efforts. Herm succeeded in blowing the mother****er up, is he smart enough to get them winning again? I doubt it.

**Rausch** · 11-18-2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HemiEd

One of Jason Whitlock's best efforts. Herm succeeded in blowing the mother****er up, is he smart enough to get them winning again? I doubt it.

There was no need to blow it up.

We were a very old yet still somewhat talented team. He decided to gut it and bring in all n00bs to try and perform.

We could have used SOME of the 88 bagillion dollars under the cap to sign a vet or two where we knew we had holes.

Nope.

Now we have NO real leaders on this team. Gono wants out, LJ is smaking his bidge up, and Donnie Edwards is throwing his walker down the hallway to cash his last decent paycheck.

Two expansion teams have won more games in 8 weeks than we have in the last 15...

orange · 11-18-2008, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

Who drafted a QB number one overall.

And added Steve Walsh with another 1st-rounder (supplemental) just to be sure - because the QB position is THAT IMPORTANT.

I don't think the Cowboys ever had the lowest cap number in the league, either.

11-17-2008, 01:00 AM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $942813	Whitlock: Chiefs putting the L in loser Chiefs putting the L in loser By JASON WHITLOCK The Kansas City Star * Saints 30, Chiefs 20 \| photo gallery with postgame audio from coach Herm Edwards Philosopher Bill Parcells popularized the football theory that a team is exactly what its record says it is. That makes our Kansas City Chiefs losers — losers approaching historic dimensions. Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs ran their futility streak to 18 of their last 19, falling to the New Orleans Saints 30-20. For those of you who prefer to take comfort in the mitigating circumstances, there was the usual assortment. •The refs stole four points from the home team, denying Larry Johnson a 1-yard TD plunge and forcing the Chiefs to settle for a field goal. •Because of injuries, Kansas City played with about half of its defensive starters. •Midseason acquisition/bright spot Mark Bradley dropped a critical third-down pass in the fourth quarter, killing a would-be game-tying TD drive. Yeah, like a lot of Kansas City’s losses the last two seasons, the Chiefs coulda, shoulda, woulda won had the right breaks fallen their way. But the truth is that from Nov. 4, 2007, until the moment you read these words, the 1-18 Chiefs have been the worst team in professional football — worse than the 2-17 Detroit Lions. L-O-S-E-R-S. One of life’s most difficult challenges is accepting people (or things) you love for who they are rather than what you want them to be. It’s a challenge most of us fail to the delight of divorce lawyers, therapists and booty calls. We foolishly think if we love just a little bit harder, for a little bit longer, things will change for the better. I woke up Sunday morning convinced things could only get better for the Chiefs. Surely they would beat the Saints, who came to town without Reggie Bush and in a disappointing funk of their own. When Tyler Thigpen’s third-and-2 dart bounced off Bradley’s chest, I conceded the obvious: Losers find a way to lose. I knew Kansas City’s defense wouldn’t hold. I figured the Saints would at least march into field-goal range and make it a two-score game. “There’s a saying, ‘Losing breeds losing, and success breeds success,’ ” Chiefs safety Jon McGraw explained. “The losing definitely wears on you.” The Chiefs are worn out. They have no reason to believe anymore. They came into Sunday’s game realizing they needed to score 30 points to protect their injury-ravaged defense. They had Larry Johnson in the backfield after a one-month sabbatical for conduct detrimental to common decency and sense. The Saints had given up 30-plus points in their three previous games. It didn’t matter. KC’s offense regressed. Thigpen connected on just half of his 38 passes. Twice when the Chiefs sniffed the goal line, he misfired on fade passes to Dwayne Bowe. Thigpen badly underthrew Bradley on a deep ball that should have been a 55-yard TD. Instead, it was a 31-yard, falling catch that led to a 21-yard field goal. Thigpen is Kansas City’s backup quarterback of the future. Like Brodie Croyle, Thigpen is miscast as a starter. As a starter, he’s good enough to get the Chiefs beat. Again, we can talk about mitigating circumstances — his youth, inexperience, suspect line and occasional questionable play-calling. The truth is he is exactly what his 0-5 record says he is. And so are the Chiefs. We’re witnessing the worst stretch of Kansas City football in franchise history. From Nov. 13, 1977, to Nov. 19, 1978, the Chiefs won two of 19 games. L-O-S-E-R-S. That’s not fun to write. I’ve had a front press-row seat to most of the recent losses. As much as I’d like to see The Artist Formerly Known as King Carl dethroned, I much prefer to write about the Chiefs when they’re winning, the games are significant and you’re engaged and passionate. The losing makes us all look and feel like losers. Plus, we have no guarantee this patch of wretchedness will usher in change we can believe in. The Dolphins were the last team to lose 18 of 19. Their run of futility ended in mid-September this season and was sparked by Parcells’ ascension to the head of the organization. The Hunt family responded to their late-1970s ineffectiveness by waiting another decade before hiring Carl Peterson. You can’t force a loser to change. If he didn’t have a job when you met him, if her cell phone blew up all night the first time you slept over, don’t act surprised that you’re paying his bills and she’s hiding text messages a year later. We love a loser.
Posts: 42,034

11-17-2008, 02:04 PM	#47
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $2647050	When you argue line you do realize the Chiefs in the last 8 years have probably used more picks on the defensive line than any other team in football and have about nothing to show for it.
Posts: 110,779

11-17-2008, 02:10 PM	#49
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $2647050	I'm not interested in drafting for position, I'm interested in drafting impact players. Do you think the Cards are better off because they took Larry Fitzgerald when they didn't really need him instead of trying to get Robert Gallery? How much better off would they be had they taken Peterson instead of the need of Levi Brown? They're a good example of why you just take the best player, if you have a giant hole go into FA on that.
Posts: 110,779

11-17-2008, 03:22 PM	#53
Micjones Whose house? Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $10005180	High draft picks alone will not restore respectability to this franchise. This team needs to learn how to win games. __________________ It's like when I'm right I'm right, when I'm wrong I could been right, so I'm still right cause I coulda been wrong.
Posts: 15,344

11-18-2008, 10:36 AM	#58
HemiEd Supporter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ozarks Casino cash: $3310564	One of Jason Whitlock's best efforts. Herm succeeded in blowing the mother****er up, is he smart enough to get them winning again? I doubt it.
Posts: 33,410