Chiefs defense this year. What do you expect?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by milkman

Todd Haley took a different approach to the shortened traing camp from every other coach in the league, a more relaxed, almost OTA style approach, in an effort to minimize injuries going into the season.

The end result was a team that was ill prepared to start the season, and that team paid for that mistake.

What really stood out to me this past season was the enormous change in preparedness, intensity and professionalism when Romeo Crennel and Kyle Orton took over the team.

The team was focused and determined, something I hadn't seen from a Chiefs team since early 2010, especially the offense. Even with a severely depleted roster, Crennel was somehow able to get more out of this team than Todd Haley did in the three plus years he served as head coach.

I could be completely off-base and it's way, way too early to make any kind of solid prediction, especially because no one knows how Berry, Charles and Moeaki will respond to their off-season surgeries, but I am very optimistic about the 2012 season.

7-9 would be a major disappointment, IMO. If this team is healthy, I think a playoff win is likely, even with Cassel at the helm. They're just loaded at talent at nearly every position and young players like Allen, Poe and Menzie may surpass the veterans ahead of them earlier than some might expect.

And the defense could be special.