Mellinger | Chiefs’ level of incompetence reaches new heights

[the Talking Can]

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/16...-level-of.html

OAKLAND, Calif. The lasting images from the Chiefs’ football failures are incomplete passes hitting receivers smack in the facemask, fumbles at the goal line and choreographed celebrations for touchdowns that didn’t happen. As professional football teams go, they are worse than wet socks, rotten milk and bedbugs. They are a season-long blooper reel, their soundtrack a sad country music song.

We know this.

And we’ve known this.

So losing 15-0 to the Raiders on Sunday isn’t a new low as much as it is a rearranging of the stank ashes from what’s long been a colossal flop by men paid to be much better.

But gaining 119 yards and making seven first downs against the NFL’s No. 30 defense is a new flavor of uselessness that deserves its own special spotlight today.

The Chiefs’ offense is less imposing than a pillow. Let’s explore.

So, which was it?

Which glimpse of incompetence is your favorite? Mine came in the first quarter, when Brady Quinn’s pass hit Devon Wylie flush in the helmet, bouncing to the grass incomplete. But reasonable minds can disagree on this.

Maybe you prefer Jon Asamoah getting beat like a percussion instrument on a sack, and being called for a blatant facemask penalty on the play. Or maybe it’s Jamaal Charles busting through for a 42-yard gain, only to come on back on a holding penalty (also on Asamoah — he really had a rough day).

Or maybe it’s gaining a total of 10 yards rushing against a team that’s given up an average of 165 to its last six opponents. Or it could be that the Chiefs finished the first half with 17 yards of offense and 40 yards of penalties. They had as many punts as first downs.

This isn’t the 1985 Bears the Chiefs just played. The Raiders had given up the most points in the NFL before the slump-busting Chiefs came along. The last three teams the Raiders have held under 20 points are all the Chiefs.

This is the fewest yards gained against a losing team in six years of the NFL.

“If there’s a bright spot in the game, it was the punter,” coach Romeo Crennel says.

This was Crennel’s 81st game as a head coach, and he says it’s the worst offensive performance he’s seen. This is Ryan Lilja’s ninth year, and he can’t think of a worse game. When I asked Quinn, he sort of mumbled something that sounded like I don’t know before waiting for the next question.

A breakdown of the Chiefs’ possessions: punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, turnover on downs (after a delay-of-game penalty before fourth down), punt, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.

The Chiefs failed because receivers weren’t open, and they failed because the quarterback threw the ball into the ground in front of an open receiver. They failed when running backs got stuffed in the backfield, and they failed when the running back’s long gain got called back on a penalty. They failed when balls bounced off receivers’ hands, and they failed when Jon Baldwin tried another ridiculous one-handed catch.

The idea that the Chiefs are just a few key changes — a general manager here, head coach there, throw in a new quarterback — from being competitive is drowning in a monsoon of ineptitude.

This isn’t a small problem, either. Five teams have won 10 games this season, and here are their rankings in points scored: first, second, third, eighth and eleventh. The Chiefs, you probably would’ve guessed, are dead last, and what we’ve seen the last two weeks could easily bleed into the future.

Consider that Dwayne Bowe may not be back next year and that the Chiefs have had 18 possessions since his season-ending injury last week: 12 punts, four turnovers on downs, and two interceptions. They’ve managed 249 yards, 14 first downs and zero points.

In other words, the Chiefs are doodling with crayons in a league won by real artists.

When Quinn is the Chiefs’ quarterback and Dexter McCluster their leading active receiver, it’s fair to say this team is like a car with a flat tire and busted transmission. And with Crennel and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in charge, it’s also fair to say that car’s been driven into a ditch.

Last month, Crennel fired himself as defensive coordinator because he wanted to spend more time and attention on the offense. The Chiefs were averaging 357.5 yards and 16.6 points then. They’re averaging 270.3 yards and 10.3 points since.

But it’s about to get interesting. One of the team’s most important decisions this offseason — after the front office, coach and quarterback, of course — is what to do with Bowe. He is making $9.5 million this year with the franchise tag, and that price goes up significantly if the Chiefs decide to hang the franchise tag on him again.

But seeing this offense without him, the Chiefs may have no choice.

Major changes are all but a certainty now, and how the (presumably) new decision-makers handle the offensive personnel will tell us plenty about whether they think it was the roster or coaches that ruined this season.

Then again, maybe they’ll see it the way most of us do and blame both.

[Hammock Parties]

stank ashes

[O.city]

The Pats got Talib for ****ing peanuts.


Be a player in free agency. You don't have to get the top of the line guys per say at every spot, but ****.


Go sign Byrd, grab a QB first overall, trade a pick to the Eagles for a CB, and have a decent draft and lets see what happens.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by O.city

The Pats got Talib for ****ing peanuts.


Be a player in free agency. You don't have to get the top of the line guys per say at every spot, but ****.


Go sign Byrd, grab a QB first overall, trade a pick to the Eagles for a CB, and have a decent draft and lets see what happens.

Insert the stats on most teams only hitting on 25% or so of picks per draft.

KC is ****ed for a few years. Proper ****ed.

[Messier]

The Chiefs need to take a lead from the Royals and make some gutsy moves. I say, after the GM and coach are gone, hire a coach first, and let him be the one with the power, and hire a GM who goes and gets who the coach wants.

[mcaj22]

ill take hitting 25 percent per draft. thats like 1 or 2 guys

we have hit on 0 percent in 3 of the 4 Pioli drafts.

0. Not one ****ing guy in 3 drafts can do shit on this garbage dump of team

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Insert the stats on most teams only hitting on 25% or so of picks per draft.

KC is ****ed for a few years. Proper ****ed.

With the draft and free agency, paired with what the Chiefs already have, it shouldn't take a whole hell of alot of time.


To build an NFL team you absolutely must have

A QB
A LT
A pass rusher.


The Chiefs have 2 of those, with an extra pass rusher. But we suck at QB and the other surrounding spots have been filled with absolute shit.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Messier

There are a lot of good players on this team, that, coached well, and given something to play for, could be important parts of a winning team.

Frankly, even the good players are lost on this team.

You've got very high level players in Johnson, Hali, Bowe, Winston, Flowers, and Charles.

You've got huge potential in guys like Berry, Houston, Hudson, Moeaki and Poe.

You've got solid players in Albert, Boss, Jackson, Breaston, et al.

This is not a team devoid of talent. This is why a lot of media picked them as a dark horse this year.

This is a team devoid of leadership and coaching. On both sides of the ball.

This is a team with perhaps the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.

This is a team with a GM who has created an environment of fear and loathing inside and outside of the organization.

Those problems are going to get fixed in 2013.

The team will rise up and rise up quickly with a new QB, a new coaching staff and a new GM.

This isn't a long term fix. This team is the Colts and Broncos of 2012. There are pieces in place to make this team competitive right out of the gate in 2013, especially considering the division they play in.

Draft Geno and do your due diligence and find a competent GM and coaching staff and this team, in 2013, is a better team than anything we've seen in nearly a decade.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

I am on board with a 3 year rebuild if its like the Colts rebuild where a new regime comes in and completely cuts/purges 3/4s of the roster no matter who it is.

I don't see any reason why this team can't be very competitive by 2013 if Geno plays very well and the coaching staff is very good. The idea that the Chiefs need an overhaul is an overreaction, probably from people who think a team needs to have 53 pro bowlers on the roster.

The Chiefs have ability to get a new coaching staff, draft an elite QB, and cap space and draft position to add a few upgrades in key positions. This is not a 3 year project.

[Hammock Parties]

Would have been nice if Sam had included the full stat line on NoBowe:

9 quarters, 320 yards, 0 points in the last two seasons without him.

He is better than anyone knows.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I don't see any reason why this team can't be very competitive by 2013 if Geno plays very well and the coaching staff is very good. The idea that the Chiefs need an overhaul is an overreaction, probably from people who think a team needs to have 53 pro bowlers on the roster.

The Chiefs have ability to get a new coaching staff, draft an elite QB, and cap space and draft position to add a few upgrades in key positions. This is not a 3 year project.

even if they draft Geno and the current roster you still win maybe 6 games at best next season.

[O.city]

I do think that this team has pretty much given up. Hell I think they did that a while ago.

I will say I'm a little more optimistic about some of the players here than others, but I understand where others are coming from.

For instance, Berry. I think he's finally getting healthy, same with Moeaki. I also think some of the guys that actually are talented are being misused. Look at Houston. Dude doesnt' need to be in coverage as much as he is.

But, like mcaj22 has been saying, on the offensive side, we have shit at alot of places.

Dexter is shit. Baldwin is shit. Newsome etc.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I don't see any reason why this team can't be very competitive by 2013 if Geno plays very well and the coaching staff is very good. The idea that the Chiefs need an overhaul is an overreaction, probably from people who think a team needs to have 53 pro bowlers on the roster.

The Chiefs have ability to get a new coaching staff, draft an elite QB, and cap space and draft position to add a few upgrades in key positions. This is not a 3 year project.

We don't need 53 pro bowlers. We need at least 33 NFL caliber players.

KC has maybe 13.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

Would have been nice if Sam had included the full stat line on NoBowe:

9 quarters, 320 yards, 0 points in the last two seasons without him.

He is better than anyone knows.

But....But...he's a selfish overrated player.

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by Fairplay

Yep, let's start fresh and add new blood to start the 3013 Chiefs. We need serious change here.

Thats serious long term planning. Maybe we will have even won a Superbowl by then.

[Demonpenz]

Reminds me of this cow that we had on the farm. It got stick in the ice on the pond and it was dead as ****. We could have wasted a day trying to get a bobcat to get the dead ass cow out of there, but we were like **** it, I just rented streets of rage. Lets beat that shit.