Five Questions For The Chiefs Moving Forward

Good afternoon folks. Like many of you, I sat and took in all that Sunday's game had to offer. The good, the bad, the ugly and the heinous. Despite all of that, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to leave the hallowed grounds of Soldier Field with a hard-fought 10-3 win.

After the game, as I normally do, I jotted down some notes and questions. Sometimes I text them into one of the radio hosts around town, but sometimes they do not make it on and I sit there without an answer.

So this week I figured I'd ask my questions to you, my AP family. These questions are meant to stir some friendly debate as well as keep the dialogue fresh. You may disagree with my assessment or even a fellow APer but let's have some fun with it here. Follow me past the jump for some thoughts and questions.

1. How high is the ceiling for Derrick Johnson?

I was excited when DJ was drafted and was disappointed with his performance early in his career (like many of us). He has transformed himself (with help from the defensive staff and his teammates) into one of the premier inside linebackers in the league. He is becoming dominant now, but the question remains, how much better can he get? Because if he gets any better, coupled with the play of the outside linebackers (and the return of a healthy secondary), we could have on our hands a future member of the Hall of Honor (with Tamba). What do you think?

2. Aside from one tandem in the division, do the Chiefs have the best kicker/punter (and even long snapper) group in the league?

Asking this in Week 2 or 3 would have been unthinkable. Dustin Colquitt has long been a fan favorite here, but not long ago we were ready to send Ryan Succop packing. In return, Succop has not missed a field goal in a couple months and has single-handedly kept the Chiefs in games on more than one occasion. I don't know about you all, but before the Hail Mary play I was pretty content with a 55-yard attempt fro Succop (pretty much his max range) because he has gotten to be that reliable again. And I cannot leave out Thomas Gafford. I cannot think of the last truly bad snap the Chiefs have had. And on punts, you will see No. 43 at or near the point of the tackle almost every time. What do you think?

3. Despite the grief many of us (including me) have given Scott Pioli, is the "process" is coming into its own?

Take a look at the defense right now. Add in the injured players. How many pieces are missing? Do the same for the offense. The Chiefs are getting very very close to assembling a starting squad on both sides of the ball that can be elite. Are there missing pieces? (QB, O-Line, DE, LB, FS, depth) Yes. Absolutely. But after taking a good look at the roster and seeing how well the defense has played, we are getting closer than you think sometimes. Certainly the process is not going at the speed that we as fans wish it would, but even the most ardent critics should be able to see that the Chiefs are making progress toward being a perennial winner.

4. If the Chiefs replace the OC at the end of the season (which should be a definite), can we for a short time put to rest the "Haley runs out all of his OCs"?

If you know me here, you know I am a few steps below having Coach Haley walk on water (hyperbole), but this was clearly a poor choice by him. Will it hurt long-term? No. Many assume that a new QB could be here which would eliminate the "QB who has had four OCs" conundrum. I still maintain that while Chan Gailey is a superb offensive mind, if you have two differing philosophies, that does not equate running someone out. Bad timing? Yes. And until any shred of evidence comes out that Charlie Weis and Haley couldn't co-exist, we can not say he was run out either. I think a hard nosed coach, who comes from the Parcells/Belichick/Pioli school of thought would be a great match for the head coach. The one name unfortunately that fits? Yup. Josh McDaniels. Stay tuned, especially if Steve Spagnuolo is canned.

5. Will Glenn Dorsey be a Chief next season?

I am not a contract guru I will admit. But I have read War Room. And the bottom line is if you are not getting it done, you will be released. He has shown signs of the man we thought the Chiefs were getting but has often disappeared for long lapses. This question used to be about Tyson Jackson, but I think he has done enough to at least continue the progress he has made this year. I could be way off on this or maybe I am not. If the right trade is available (especially for picks), I think he is gone.

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Bonus Question!

6. Am I the only person here that was OK with the playcalling of the second half of the Bears game?

I have a feeling the answer is yes but hear me out. In a game in which the Bears could not do a thing against the Chiefs defense, what was wrong with the playcalling and not taking any gambles at all? Believe me, I do not like seeing three and outs. But the three and outs were taking valuable time off of the clock and were not putting KC at risk of turning the ball over. I agree that the playcalling has lacked much, shall we say, variety at times. But with the lead I felt like burning clock was far more important than anything else to secure the victory. Tyler Palko, when the Chiefs are behind, is the scary QB we have come to know. I think being conservative was the right call and coupled with the defense gave the Chiefs the victory. That is why I actually gave the victory an "A" in the poll. I know I will catch some flak on this one, but you can't argue that we took a good amount of time off the clock. Thoughts?

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These are just a few of the thoughts I came away with after Sunday's game. If I listed them all, nobody would care to even read it. So the questions for this week have been asked. What is your take APers?