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Flashback to Week 1 of the 2006-07 season:
After returning in Week 11 against the Raiders after a nine game hiatus, Trent went 4-3 as the starting QB in our final 7 games. He had 7 TDs and nine INTs in that stretch and lost three fumbles. His best game was, far and away, was the Cleveland game in which he quietly put up 4 passing TDs. Here is a quick rundown of Trent's stats after he returned:
- Oakland: 9/16, 102 yards, No TDs or INts
- Denver: 13/22, 161 yards, No TDs and 1 INT
- @ Cleveland: 24/32, 297 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT
- Baltimore: 15/27, 178 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs
- @ San Diego: 23/41, 185 yards, No TDs and 1 INT
- @ Oakland: 12/24, 148 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT
- Jacksonville: 14/21, 181 yards,1 TD and 2 INTs
In 6 out of the 7 games, Trent had one passing TD or less. In three of those games, he had ZERO passing TDs. No wonder there was a city-wide campaign to ditch Trent in favor of Damon Huard. At least with those stats, AP can claim that we should have stuck with Huard.
Unfortunately, we are looking at one of those Bledsoe-Brady situations (Yes, I know that Bledsoe came back to play for the Cowboys but doesn't that seem like a couple of centuries ago?) in which what was a great starter goes down and is virtually forgotten about because the backup plays so well. Does it suck for Trent Green that after years of fantastic, loyal service that he is pushed aside over the course of one season? You're damn right its unfair. But this is also the National Football League. This is also Kansas City. And this is also a city that is losing patience, year after year, with having a perennial "almost made it" team. So, when things are going well in the case of Huard starting in Weeks 2 through 8, people have a right to be pissed off when we bring back a QB that did not get the job done.
And thats what this whole list comes down to in a nutshell. Did the player that was hired to play a specific position (in this case an extremely important one) excel, survive, or bomb within the expectation we had of them? Trent Green bombed this year. He should have never come back as the starter and if he didn't, he would be nowhere on this list. But he did and he played poorly down the stretch of a playoff run and in the playoff game against the Colts.
Trent's place on this list pains me, as I'm sure it does many a Chief fan. But we can't hold on to favorites that aren't performing at a level needed to make a championship run. And so, Trent Green, despite your professionalism and fantastic play for the City of Fountains, you are most deserving of AP's Most Disappointing Chief of 2006-07. You had a steady job and the hearts and minds of the Kansas City faithful in your hands and you could not hold on to them during the most grueling and important moments of the 2006-07 season.