Evaluating The Process

The Kansas City Chiefs are 4-7.

At this stage of the NFL season, I think that it is safe to say that the Chiefs have been a disappointment to most of us this year. Despite the various reasons for their woes (injuries, coaching incompetence, missed opportunities, lack of execution, poor play calling, turnovers...etc), this team has under-performed and, as a fan base, we should probably find that completely unacceptable... right?

As other members of Arrowhead Pride have recently pointed out, the Chiefs are not completely eliminated from NFL playoff contention yet. The odds are not in the Chiefs favor. To even make into the playoffs, the Chiefs would probably have to run the table against this schedule:

DECEMBER
@ Chicago Bears	Sunday, December 04 2011	12:00 PM CST	coverage
@ New York Jets	Sunday, December 11 2011	12:00 PM CST	coverage
Green Bay Packers	Sunday, December 18 2011	12:00 PM CST	coverage
Oakland Raiders	Saturday, December 24 2011	12:00 PM CST	coverage
JANUARY
@ Denver Broncos	Sunday, January 01 2012	3:15 PM CST	coverage

That doesn't seem likely.

Personally, I will never count out the Chiefs completely, not until they are mathematically eliminated from the race. It is just how I am as a fan (in my mind, the Chiefs are still going to win the Super Bowl...Ha), I thought about taking everyone on a fantasy journey of how the Chiefs could fight back into this thing but Aiken Drum already did that a couple days ago, here.

So instead, maybe we should quickly diagnose this team. Ever since this regime began in 2009 with the hiring of Scott Pioli, we have been hearing about "the process." Along with that, we have been told on multiple occasions that every single member of this organization is constantly being evaluated in every aspect of their performance.

Does anyone else want to see those grade cards?

Evaluation can truly be a wonderful thing, but what happens if the people evaluating everyone are the ones in need of it the most? Perhaps, that is where we as fans need to step up to the plate with our own performance evaluation for this organization.

Clark Hunt and Scott Pioli -

When I look at Clark Hunt, I see a man that went out and hired Scott Pioli on January 9, 2009. The general consensus from those comments about Pioli was:

He Still Looks Like Tony Soprano

With glasses.

Herm Edwards will not be the Chiefs' head coach next season.

by UCrawford on Jan 13, 2009 5:12 PM CST actions

Okay, maybe that wasn't the general consensus, but people were legitimately pleased with the hire and it appeared that Clark Hunt was taking off his glasses and putting on his cape to save this city with a winner.

When you fast forward to now, the Chiefs are losing. Some media are calling for the coaches and front office to be cleared.

A lof of fans might say that Hunt wouldn't have hired Scott Pioli if he didn't want to win championships, they point to his success with the New England Patriots winning championships and quotes such as this as evidence:

Pioli: "I don’t know that I have articulated it clearly enough because I have made the statement of it not only being the best 53, but being the right 53. In those right 53, they have to be good football players, they have to be skilled and talented football players and it takes a combination. You can’t just bring a team out there that is a good bunch of guys and a hardworking bunch of guys and a tough bunch of guys and just expect that they are going to win. They have to have those elements. What we try to do, don’t always get it done, but to get good football players or very good football players that have the right make-up that are the right 53. Again, what we are trying to accomplish here is win championships. I have said it a number of times, individuals go to Pro Bowls, teams win championships. Our goal is to bring championships to Kansas City. Division championships, conference championships and whatever else is after that."

On the other side of that coin, many fans could believe that Clark Hunt may have simply hired Scott Pioli for appearance purposes only. While perhaps his only real goal was to hire someone with a reputation as a shrewd penny pincher, with the added bonus that he might actually win championships using as little monetary investment as possible. A hire that would appease both the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and his wallet.

That sounds completely ridiculous and it probably is, but if you have been reading Arrowhead Pride (or other Chiefs blogs) for any extended amount of time. Than I imagine that you have read some fan opinions that were similar to that last paragraph in the comments section or heard people making those comments on Kansas City sports talk radio.

How do we evaluate "the process?"

Truthfully, I don't know. Today, I put this chart together with some areas I feel need to be evaluated over the course of this new regimes tenure. Scott Pioli is suppose to be the man in charge, so I focused this with him in mind and it doesn't look good. Feel free to debate the grades with me...

Sure, there are injuries to account for this season. However, what disappoints me the most about this team is the in game decisions and the offensive scheme. From what we are told, this is suppose to be a team that is dead set on winning championships and competing at a high level. Yet, at times they do things that seem to go against that goal...right? Logically to me, it just does not compute.

Todd Haley -

Like Matt Cassel did for so long, Todd Haley gives me mixed emotions. On one hand I see a energetic youthful coach that gets fired up and grows burly beards to help win games. On the other hand, I see a coach that every makes very questionable decisions and is very inconsistent on NFL Sunday's.

Personally, I really believe in Todd Haley, I want him to be a great coach so badly and I know that he has it in him to do so. It is extremely easy to root for the guy and the players seem to love him (despite what the media portrays.) Down the road, I can honestly see him winning multiple championships with his style.

Though it is incredibly frustrating, because for every single reason the guy gives me to support him as the Head Coach of the Chiefs, a Sunday will roll around and he will give me several reasons to punt my TV like Dustin Colquitt (yes I am a lefty.) Maybe that is all just part of the fun of being an NFL fan, but isn't the ultimate goal to reach a Super Bowl?

Will this regime, with Todd Haley at the helm reach that goal?

Do you believe in "the process?"