Why The Chiefs' Best Hope Is Not Even On The Team

When I first saw our schedule and started thinking about the year, I was figuring about 6-10 would be good. But as I’ve watched what Haley is doing with the team, the change of attitudes among many of the players, and what has been going on in the rest of the division I just decided to go ahead and go for a 9-7 prediction for the year. If the Chargers live up to billing this year that will be second and probably not make the playoffs. But I’m OK with that. If things go as last year for the Chargers, 9-7 will win the division and we’ll be playoff bound. The early schedule is a killer, but we will be better for having to gel against excellent opposition. Second half of the season may show a pretty tough Chiefs team emerging.

I think Schrager’s right that we won’t make the playoffs this year.

But (and this was the reason I FanShotted the article to begin with), I also think he’s right that our new administration is going to have this team back in the playoffs every year and returning to their rightful place as one of the most feared teams in the AFC.

the Chargers are overrated.
The raiders are a mess
the broncos are a mess

The Chiefs are now as talented as San Diego, IMO. Even if the media wont’ admit it until they win some games.

They are surely more talented and better coached than the other two

There is no reason the Chiefs can’t win the division.
none.

is in the early going before the bye week. That is when the new team and coaches will be getting the bugs worked out and may have the toughest time winning. If the Chiefs can win two games in the first part of the schedule, they could make the playoffs. After the bye week the Chiefs have four divisional games and some others that will be winnable. The Chiefs could conceivably win six (or more) of those games when they are really starting to get comfortable as a team. I am expecting the Chiefs to start slowly and after the bye week build momentum. There is a very real possibility we could make the playoffs in Haleys first year.

That rediculous 2006 season where we went 9-7 and got hammered by Indi put us back at least 2 years. (Of course the worst playcalling/half time “adjustments” didn’t help). I don’t think playoffs necessarily constitute a successfull season, I just want to see an improvement and this team trending in a good direction. After all, I have no interest in being a team like San Diego, a perennial shitty playoff team, I wanna win the Mother Freaking Superbowl!

The same thought occured to me when I saw his prediction. I still think the Chiefs are probably a 7-9 team for the season, but 9-7 is also a possibility from what I see of the record and that could be good enough to take the division. I’d still go Chargers, though, but I pick the Chiefs for 2nd place in the AFC West.

but let’s not get stuck in group think here. We’re not even close yet.

Points:
1. A lot of our hope is based on the sucktitude of Denver and Oakland. Now, Oakland is Oakland. However, the team is not devoid of talent no matter how badly they reach in the first round or how goofy their ownership is or how many fistfights their coaches get in. They surprised a couple teams last year with a fat punch in the mouth. They are not an automatic 2 wins for us. But they do look to be a non-threat for some time (years).

We’re also hoping that Denver is teh suck and I’m not convinced. McDaniels has made some shocking moves (Cutler/Orton) and they have some player issues (Marshall), but this team really underperformed last season. MickeyD has proven that he can command the offense. They might be bad this year, but who’s certain that the Orton experiment will fail any less than the Cassel experiment? What does Orton do on New England last year? Again, I don’t see us going 2-0 against that team. They might not be much better than us—but they aren’t much worse, either. I think they’ll be our main competition in a couple years.

2. This is San Diego’s year. Now, I don’t for a second believe that Norv Turner can take that team to the Super Bowl, but I do think that this is their window closing, much the same way our 13-3 season was our window closing. They have some flaws but are immensely talented and outclass us in every phase of the game. Who thinks we can beat them either game?

Now, like I said, I think this is the window shutting on whatever run Marty might have started for them. I think they’ll be an average to below-average team in a couple years.

3. One of the absolute worst things I see you guys doing is saying “that second half schedule looks easier than the first half.” Well, it does now, doesn’t it? The problem with that is there’s always a few games with teams that were supposed to be bad that become teams that make a run. There’s always a couple teams that are supposed to be good but end up being average. That Broncos-Bills-Browns-Bengals-Broncos gamut there in the last 5 weeks screams TRAP all over it. Now, are we improving by then? Are we improving more than they are? We’ll have to see.

4. We’re in a dangerous mode of groupthink right now. We’re dismissing early concerns about Cassel, we’re assuming LJ is going to get more than 900 yards this season, and we’re assuming that our defensive line has been improved. We’re all assuming that Chan Gailey’s offense isn’t the sham we saw last season (RUN RUN PASS PUNT) and that Haley will be able to fix it if something goes wrong. We’re assuming that whatshisface knows how to call a defense that isn’t haphazardly correct with random blitzing. Some of those are good assumptions, some aren’t.

5. Per Denny Green, this team is exactly what we thought it was. We have a pourous offensive line on the right side and an unproven defensive line with a couple guys out of position. Our QB situation is not automatically solved because he signed a $60M contract. Our receivers are ass-awful and our linebackers are improved but much thinner than acknowledged. Our coaching staff is new, and green.

I do believe this team will be DOMINANT in a year or two. I do believe that Oakland will be bad for years to come, that Denver is playing with fire, and that San Diego’s run is almost at an end. And I believe we are clearly on the ascent. But we’re not there yet fellas. We are vunerable at every single position and lack depth almost everywhere.

This team is a 5-8 win team. If we go to the playoffs it will be luck. Give it a year before thinking we have a shot at the playoffs. You’re just setting yourselves up for disappointment.

but how do you guys quote each other and it show up in a gray box like that? Teach me!!