You're allowed to say the line sucked; or that our WR corps is sad. Those things are true.

It doesn't change the fact that Alex isn't worth his contract, isn't going to lead this team anywhere and is the face of this franchise. Your QB will always receive undue praise as well as undue criticism. It comes with the position and the salary. Alex cashed the checks. He knew what he was working with coming into this season and decided to take that pay-day. Now Chiefs fans expect him to produce. That isn't so crazy, is it?

Trent Green blew an 18 point lead? That's interesting; this whole time I figured it was a defense that gave up 368 passing yards.

I also seem to remember him leading a team that depantsed the Patriots and beat the Broncos (the #2 seed) and put up 37 on another AFC playoff team. Shit, the 2005 Chiefs played six games against playoff teams and won four of them.

Alex Smith has played six playoff teams this year and won twice.

In a vacuum Trent isn't remarkably better than Smith, no.

But Vermeil was spot on in knowing that Trent was the type of guy that could put an offense in position to win in the postseason. Had the '03 Chiefs had any semblance of a defense they could have at least wound up in the AFC title game playing the Patriots.

Smith, however, is a terrible fit as a starter in *any* system. He handicaps (what I strongly believe to be) the flawed Reid version of the WCO because defenses know he'll never present a downfield threat in an offense scheme that prefers short throws but still needs the ability to go deep to keep the secondary honest.

Alex Smith wouldn't start on a good 60% of NFL teams next season.

It's kind of like the ouroboros.

60% of 32 is what?

Here's the difference:

Alex is able to affect the appearance of mediocrity by not taking chances. That doesn't necessarily mean that he's even average, but that he never puts himself in positions to get exposed (and on the rare occasions it does happen, he's shitiful).

You can say that Green was exposed when he was forced to pass, but if you look at his ability to lead 4th quarter drives, that criticism doesn't hold up.

I can say that I'm an elite driver because I've never gotten in a wreck, but if I've never gotten on an interstate and take back streets everywhere while never going above 30, how good am I? I've avoided the potential of a wreck, but I can't get you to the destination before the doors close.

The most deceptive part of Smith is that you can look at his stats and claim that he's an average or above average QB, but to me that's like looking at Cassel's inflated 2010 TD stats and saying he's a gunslinger when the reality is everyone sold out to stop the run and he tossed a bunch of 1 yard PA TDs to Bowe.

Smith is a stat whore just like Peyton Manning. The only difference is that his stats are INTs and completion percentage rather than things that matter, like yards and touchdowns.

You're welcome to your opinion. I'm of the opinion that elements of his game make both the line and the receivers worse. That is not to say that the line is good. It's not. Or at least the left guard wasn't. But he doesn't help his line out in any way.

And the idea that Alex Smith doesn't have anybody to throw the ball is one of the worst long-running fallacies here. Dwayne Bowe starts on literally any team in the league, and is probably a 1000-yard receiver with 2/3 to 3/4 of the other starting quarterbacks. (And personally I think he's a better receiver than Eddie Kennison ever was.) Jamaal Charles is the discussion of best receiving back in the league. Travis Kelce just posted a 67 reception, 864 yard season, virtually identical to Tony Gonzalez in the year in question. DeAnthony Thomas should develop into a better offensive player than Dante Hall. Smith is missing a second starting receiver. Call it a one, call it a two, whatever. However you want to frame it that's pretty much it. The cupboard is no where close to bare.

The lineplay is an issue. There's no question about that. Brian Waters and Will Shields would make a huge difference now. Not to mention Willie Roaf. But this continued idea that Smith didn't have anybody to throw to needs to die. Enough already. They were trying to find one starter to replace the oft-injured Avery, not an entire crew of receivers.

Those two teams you mention are the #1 seeds in both conferences, correct??

Tomato/tomato, the end result has been the same.

I was a Trent Green fan, and I see Alex Smith as being very similar.

Trent didn't give up the 368 passing yards you mention in the Philly game...but, he did throw an INT that lead to a 14 point swing.

How much he relied on Priest became evident in Dallas, when Trent got blindsided by Scott Fajita after LJ whiffed on a block, Green doesn't see it, gets blinded, fumbles, 14 pt swing, we lose, no playoffs...why?? Because Chiefs.

New England
Miami
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Indianapolis
Denver
San Diego
Oakland
Dallas
Philadelphia
New York
Detroit
Green Bay
Minnesota
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans


He could start for:
KC (obviously)
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Tampa Bay
Chicago
Washington
New York
Buffalo
Cleveland
St. Louis
Arizona

But notice three of those teams listed latter will be picking in the top eighth of the draft this year, while Arizona, St. Louis, New York, Chicago and Washington have guys under contract that are hurt or aren't performing up to par in their current offensive schemes.

So sorry. Smith doesn't start for 56% of teams in the NFL next season.

Jason Avant came in off the street and started proving how shitty every other receiver on this team is.

Including Bowe.

Green relied on Priest because Johnson missed a block? Put Ronnie ****ing Cruz back there and that never happens. That's a vapid criticism.

And you can't throw a pick six that is a 14 point swing if the interception is only a 40 yard return.

Or.. You know.. The 2005 Chiefs miss the playoffs because the defense refused to tackle Tiki Barber...

I didn't figure you were far off.

Thanks for the extra effort though, it make sense.

I take Smith over :
Cam
Dalton
Bridgewater
Ryan
Stafford
Eli
Flacco
Phyllis
&
Tannehill

Absolutely, Alex Smith is in the top 40% of NFL QBs.

This is the EXACT point I have been trying to argue since we got Alex Smith. You just articulated it much better than I could.

Alex Smith doesn't lose games the conventional way. The way he loses games is hard to quantify for some. Alex deciding not to throw to a wide open WR for a touchdown, affects a game just as much as Jay Cutler throwing an interception....but because a missed non throw isn't measured statistically like an interception, fans are fooled into thinking that Alex is playing good football.

Yes our OLine sucks. Yes our WRs are subpar. But so is our QB. And for Alex fans, it seems as if the third cannot be true if the first two are. They are all true.