Chiefs Posnanski: Chiefs’ rebuilding plan collapsed early

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-28-2008, 12:16 AM

Chiefs’ rebuilding plan collapsed early
By JOE POSNANSKI
The Kansas City Star

PHILADELPHIA | Here’s a little Chiefs talk after the World Series game was suspended:

One thing people in presidential politics talk about all the time is “narrative.” You need a narrative, a story, a theme for people to believe in. You are for change. You are a steady leader. You are for regular Americans. You have fresh ideas. You believe in making the country a better place for our children.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a narrative problem. The narrative of this season was supposed to be pretty simple, really. This season was about rebuilding. That was clear. The Chiefs, finally, were going to start over. They would unleash a bunch of eager and talented young players. They would play together. They would improve in exciting ways. They would be aggressive. Yes, there would be some mistakes. Sure, there would be some growing pains. True, the Chiefs would lose a lot of games this year.

But as long as the narrative stayed intact, everyone would have something to believe in.

Trouble is, the narrative has fallen apart. It began collapsing in the first game of the season when Brodie Croyle hurt his shoulder, went to the sideline, threw one warm-up pass and shook his head as if to say, “No, no, that hurts way too much.” At that point, it became clear that, even though it wasn’t his fault, Croyle’s body simply could not stand up to the NFL pounding. And the Chiefs did not have a quarterback of the future.

You cannot have a “We are rebuilding” narrative without a quarterback. It’s pointless. The biggest flaw of the Carl Peterson era, without a doubt, has been the Chiefs’ obvious lack of interest in developing a quarterback. For 19 years, the Chiefs were happy to play with other teams’ leftovers. Sometimes, those leftovers played pretty well. Sometimes, they didn’t. But it’s a simple fact that most Super Bowl champions draft and develop their own quarterback. The last five Super Bowl champions have.

The Chiefs decided to try it their own way. It won them some games. It did not get them close to the Super Bowl. Croyle was their effort to change things. He got hurt quickly.

So, the Chiefs had no young quarterback. That threw the rebuilding thing out the window. Then, their most accomplished player, tight end Tony Gonzalez, asked for a trade. You could not blame Gonzalez for wanting out of this mess, and it seemed as if few Chiefs fans did blame him. Gonzalez has played with the Chiefs his whole career. He signed two long-term deals even though there were probably riches and greater fame somewhere else. He represented the city well, he was involved in numerous charities, he played hard every game.

Still, let’s face it, he was asking to be traded in the middle of the season — and that certainly did not fit the “We’re all in this together” part of the narrative. Peterson agreed to try to trade Gonzalez, which was a big mistake. Peterson then failed to trade Gonzalez, which was a much, much bigger mistake. Now, no matter what anyone says, there’s a real rift here, a rift that will only grow as the season goes along. The Chiefs are losing. Gonzalez feels as if he was lied to. Everyone in the locker room watches closely.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ most expensive player, Larry Johnson, is lost. He has been charged with assault, again, fourth incident in five years, and he’s been inactive the last two weeks, he’s staring smack into an NFL suspension (probably a pretty significant one). No matter how you may feel about Johnson’s apology, it’s very clear that the Chiefs made a huge blunder giving him a big contract. A year ago, Larry Johnson was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ future. Now, he might not even be a part of it.

So, now that part of the narrative has gone bad, too.

What’s left? Well, at least the Chiefs will be aggressive. Right? Not so much. The Chiefs finally saw something good happen on Sunday. Young quarterback Tyler Thigpen, against all expectations (including those of his own teammates), played very well. He threw confidently, he showed off his athletic ability, it was fun to watch. Hey, maybe the guy’s got something after all.

And … I thought Jason’s column on Monday nailed it. The Chiefs led the New York Jets by three points on Sunday with 5 minutes and 20 seconds left, and they promptly ran three running plays. It was unbelievable — I was sitting in the press box before the World Series game, watching the game with jaw dropped.

Sure, coach Herm Edwards has a reputation for being absurdly conservative, and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey isn’t exactly Mr. Vegas himself, but it was impossible to believe that a 1-5 team playing on the road would not try at least one pass in an effort to get a first down. They did not try one, though. Like dead men walking, they ran into the line three times, punted the ball back to Brett Favre and sealed their own doom.

That same day, the Chiefs confirmed that they are close to signing retired quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who hasn’t played well (or much) since 2004. What good is Daunte Culpepper going to bring to the Chiefs? Is this guy part of the future? Can you really claim to be rebuilding when you have Daunte Culpepper at quarterback?

No. You can’t. The Chiefs went into this season, and everyone was willing to deal with some pain for some improvement. Instead, the new narrative is that the Chiefs are trying to get better with a 19-year general manager who has a losing record over the last 11, a coach who plays not to lose the game, an inactive running back, an unhappy tight end, a defense that can’t stop the run, possibly a quarterback who retired at the beginning of the year and an owner who thinks everything’s going well.

You have to wonder who approved that message.

**cdcox** · 10-28-2008, 12:24 AM

This column coming from JoPo should carry a lot of weight. He has been brutal in honestly assessing the Chiefs this season.

FAX · 10-28-2008, 12:30 AM

And … I thought Jason’s column on Monday nailed it. The Chiefs led the New York Jets by three points on Sunday with 5 minutes and 20 seconds left, and they promptly ran three running plays. It was unbelievable — I was sitting in the press box before the World Series game, watching the game with jaw dropped.

Sure, coach Herm Edwards has a reputation for being absurdly conservative, and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey isn’t exactly Mr. Vegas himself, but it was impossible to believe that a 1-5 team playing on the road would not try at least one pass in an effort to get a first down. They did not try one, though. Like dead men walking, they ran into the line three times, punted the ball back to Brett Favre and sealed their own doom.

Thank you for your support, JoPo.

FAX

Hammock Parties · 10-28-2008, 12:50 AM

JoPo brings the ****ing axe down.

**TinyEvel** · 10-28-2008, 03:12 AM

Wow.

Nice one Jo. I ant to say I feel better but kinda feel worse. But it's time to rip the Band-aid off.

Rip away.

MichaelH · 10-28-2008, 03:42 AM

Excellent article but he could have saved us all time by simply saying the present coaching staff isn't capable of rebuilding a team. The head coach shouldn't have the job he does and the general manager should have been shown the door 10 years ago. Then the Chiefs can rebuild.

PRIEST · 10-28-2008, 05:12 AM

Someone needs to e-mail this to Clark with his stock numbers so he actually reads this

beach tribe · 10-28-2008, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelH

Excellent article but he could have saved us all time by simply saying the present coaching staff isn't capable of rebuilding a team. The head coach shouldn't have the job he does and the general manager should have been shown the door 10 years ago. Then the Chiefs can rebuild.

He did say that. Only more intelligently than you did.

Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan · 10-28-2008, 06:15 AM

Wow, when Joe (Master of the Feel-Good, Tear-Jerker Story) Posnanski says you suck, folks, there's little doubt this team has hit rock bottom.

I can't disagree with anything he's written about here.

Pushead2 · 10-28-2008, 06:15 AM

Reerun_KC · 10-28-2008, 07:22 AM

JoPo

RedThat · 10-28-2008, 07:56 AM

Very very good article by JoPo. One of the best I read from him in a long time.

RedThat · 10-28-2008, 08:11 AM

Who approved that message? An ownership that is absolutely clueless. An owner that approved a GM with a losing record 11 of last 19 years giving him a contract extension. A GM that hires a head coach who is highly overly conservative and plays not to lose and yeah has a career losing record. What do we get? When you stick and surround your franchise with people who have a losing reputation, you're gonna end up losing. What do you expect Clark?

I blame Clark Hunt. The root of all problems begins with ownership. He either doesn't care or is just absolute clueless on how to do things?

If your gonna rebuild you have to make ABSOLUTE SURE you have the right people to do it. That's the main problem and why I don't think this whole rebuilding crap ever started off right. We don't have the right people in here. This season tells every fan how it all starts up top. Isay get the right people up top and give the fans some reason to believe because as of right now I don't believe.

Demonpenz · 10-28-2008, 08:13 AM

i am glad he hammers out that last series. Damn that was brutal. especially being a 1-5 team.

talastan · 10-28-2008, 08:16 AM

Though generally one of the more "fluffy" writers at the Star, Po hit a homerun with this one. It shows that even the most diehard homer Chiefs fans are now finally questioning the coaching ability and philosophy at One Arrowhead Dr.

10-28-2008, 12:16 AM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2967187	Posnanski: Chiefs’ rebuilding plan collapsed early Chiefs’ rebuilding plan collapsed early By JOE POSNANSKI The Kansas City Star PHILADELPHIA \| Here’s a little Chiefs talk after the World Series game was suspended: One thing people in presidential politics talk about all the time is “narrative.” You need a narrative, a story, a theme for people to believe in. You are for change. You are a steady leader. You are for regular Americans. You have fresh ideas. You believe in making the country a better place for our children. The Kansas City Chiefs have a narrative problem. The narrative of this season was supposed to be pretty simple, really. This season was about rebuilding. That was clear. The Chiefs, finally, were going to start over. They would unleash a bunch of eager and talented young players. They would play together. They would improve in exciting ways. They would be aggressive. Yes, there would be some mistakes. Sure, there would be some growing pains. True, the Chiefs would lose a lot of games this year. But as long as the narrative stayed intact, everyone would have something to believe in. Trouble is, the narrative has fallen apart. It began collapsing in the first game of the season when Brodie Croyle hurt his shoulder, went to the sideline, threw one warm-up pass and shook his head as if to say, “No, no, that hurts way too much.” At that point, it became clear that, even though it wasn’t his fault, Croyle’s body simply could not stand up to the NFL pounding. And the Chiefs did not have a quarterback of the future. You cannot have a “We are rebuilding” narrative without a quarterback. It’s pointless. The biggest flaw of the Carl Peterson era, without a doubt, has been the Chiefs’ obvious lack of interest in developing a quarterback. For 19 years, the Chiefs were happy to play with other teams’ leftovers. Sometimes, those leftovers played pretty well. Sometimes, they didn’t. But it’s a simple fact that most Super Bowl champions draft and develop their own quarterback. The last five Super Bowl champions have. The Chiefs decided to try it their own way. It won them some games. It did not get them close to the Super Bowl. Croyle was their effort to change things. He got hurt quickly. So, the Chiefs had no young quarterback. That threw the rebuilding thing out the window. Then, their most accomplished player, tight end Tony Gonzalez, asked for a trade. You could not blame Gonzalez for wanting out of this mess, and it seemed as if few Chiefs fans did blame him. Gonzalez has played with the Chiefs his whole career. He signed two long-term deals even though there were probably riches and greater fame somewhere else. He represented the city well, he was involved in numerous charities, he played hard every game. Still, let’s face it, he was asking to be traded in the middle of the season — and that certainly did not fit the “We’re all in this together” part of the narrative. Peterson agreed to try to trade Gonzalez, which was a big mistake. Peterson then failed to trade Gonzalez, which was a much, much bigger mistake. Now, no matter what anyone says, there’s a real rift here, a rift that will only grow as the season goes along. The Chiefs are losing. Gonzalez feels as if he was lied to. Everyone in the locker room watches closely. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ most expensive player, Larry Johnson, is lost. He has been charged with assault, again, fourth incident in five years, and he’s been inactive the last two weeks, he’s staring smack into an NFL suspension (probably a pretty significant one). No matter how you may feel about Johnson’s apology, it’s very clear that the Chiefs made a huge blunder giving him a big contract. A year ago, Larry Johnson was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ future. Now, he might not even be a part of it. So, now that part of the narrative has gone bad, too. What’s left? Well, at least the Chiefs will be aggressive. Right? Not so much. The Chiefs finally saw something good happen on Sunday. Young quarterback Tyler Thigpen, against all expectations (including those of his own teammates), played very well. He threw confidently, he showed off his athletic ability, it was fun to watch. Hey, maybe the guy’s got something after all. And … I thought Jason’s column on Monday nailed it. The Chiefs led the New York Jets by three points on Sunday with 5 minutes and 20 seconds left, and they promptly ran three running plays. It was unbelievable — I was sitting in the press box before the World Series game, watching the game with jaw dropped. Sure, coach Herm Edwards has a reputation for being absurdly conservative, and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey isn’t exactly Mr. Vegas himself, but it was impossible to believe that a 1-5 team playing on the road would not try at least one pass in an effort to get a first down. They did not try one, though. Like dead men walking, they ran into the line three times, punted the ball back to Brett Favre and sealed their own doom. That same day, the Chiefs confirmed that they are close to signing retired quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who hasn’t played well (or much) since 2004. What good is Daunte Culpepper going to bring to the Chiefs? Is this guy part of the future? Can you really claim to be rebuilding when you have Daunte Culpepper at quarterback? No. You can’t. The Chiefs went into this season, and everyone was willing to deal with some pain for some improvement. Instead, the new narrative is that the Chiefs are trying to get better with a 19-year general manager who has a losing record over the last 11, a coach who plays not to lose the game, an inactive running back, an unhappy tight end, a defense that can’t stop the run, possibly a quarterback who retired at the beginning of the year and an owner who thinks everything’s going well. You have to wonder who approved that message.
Posts: 43,452

10-28-2008, 12:24 AM	#2
cdcox www.nfl-forecast.com Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $-568231	This column coming from JoPo should carry a lot of weight. He has been brutal in honestly assessing the Chiefs this season.
Posts: 46,032

10-28-2008, 12:30 AM	#3
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	And … I thought Jason’s column on Monday nailed it. The Chiefs led the New York Jets by three points on Sunday with 5 minutes and 20 seconds left, and they promptly ran three running plays. It was unbelievable — I was sitting in the press box before the World Series game, watching the game with jaw dropped. Sure, coach Herm Edwards has a reputation for being absurdly conservative, and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey isn’t exactly Mr. Vegas himself, but it was impossible to believe that a 1-5 team playing on the road would not try at least one pass in an effort to get a first down. They did not try one, though. Like dead men walking, they ran into the line three times, punted the ball back to Brett Favre and sealed their own doom. Thank you for your support, JoPo. FAX
Posts: 44,492

10-28-2008, 12:50 AM	#4
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $830478	JoPo brings the ****ing axe down. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,386

10-28-2008, 03:12 AM	#5
TinyEvel Just a li'l Evel Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bald. Goatee. Jorts. Casino cash: $2239601	Wow. Nice one Jo. I ant to say I feel better but kinda feel worse. But it's time to rip the Band-aid off. Rip away.
Posts: 12,323

10-28-2008, 03:42 AM	#6
MichaelH Go Chiefs! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gastonia, North Carolina Casino cash: $9192006	Excellent article but he could have saved us all time by simply saying the present coaching staff isn't capable of rebuilding a team. The head coach shouldn't have the job he does and the general manager should have been shown the door 10 years ago. Then the Chiefs can rebuild.
Posts: 3,187

10-28-2008, 05:12 AM	#7
PRIEST Wtf now Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cocoa Fl Casino cash: $343207	Someone needs to e-mail this to Clark with his stock numbers so he actually reads this
Posts: 2,946

10-28-2008, 06:15 AM	#9
Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan I am Number Six Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Columbia, MD, USA Casino cash: $-1470000	Wow, when Joe (Master of the Feel-Good, Tear-Jerker Story) Posnanski says you suck, folks, there's little doubt this team has hit rock bottom. I can't disagree with anything he's written about here. __________________ One of the lowest PPD of any of the original members of the Planet . . . and proud of it. My web site My writer's page
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10-28-2008, 06:15 AM	#10
Pushead2 **** off Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New York Casino cash: $6331882	__________________ "**** up once, lose two teeth....”
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10-28-2008, 07:22 AM	#11
Reerun_KC Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7231160	JoPo
Posts: 1,529

10-28-2008, 07:56 AM	#12
RedThat Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Earth Casino cash: $10004900	Very very good article by JoPo. One of the best I read from him in a long time.
Posts: 6,666

10-28-2008, 08:11 AM	#13
RedThat Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Earth Casino cash: $10004900	Who approved that message? An ownership that is absolutely clueless. An owner that approved a GM with a losing record 11 of last 19 years giving him a contract extension. A GM that hires a head coach who is highly overly conservative and plays not to lose and yeah has a career losing record. What do we get? When you stick and surround your franchise with people who have a losing reputation, you're gonna end up losing. What do you expect Clark? I blame Clark Hunt. The root of all problems begins with ownership. He either doesn't care or is just absolute clueless on how to do things? If your gonna rebuild you have to make ABSOLUTE SURE you have the right people to do it. That's the main problem and why I don't think this whole rebuilding crap ever started off right. We don't have the right people in here. This season tells every fan how it all starts up top. Isay get the right people up top and give the fans some reason to believe because as of right now I don't believe.
Posts: 6,666

10-28-2008, 08:13 AM	#14
Demonpenz Woman should only make babies Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Apartment "G UNIT!" Casino cash: $-373864	i am glad he hammers out that last series. Damn that was brutal. especially being a 1-5 team. __________________
Posts: 54,956

10-28-2008, 08:16 AM	#15
talastan Manning, we're coming for you! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Springfield, Mo Casino cash: $10004950	Though generally one of the more "fluffy" writers at the Star, Po hit a homerun with this one. It shows that even the most diehard homer Chiefs fans are now finally questioning the coaching ability and philosophy at One Arrowhead Dr. __________________ Can we please just draft AND DEVELOP a QB - est. since 1983 Check out my band: Truett and the Traitors
Posts: 4,815