:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1818497/20121020_kkt_sv7_435.0.jpg)
If you listen to the Twitterverse (or is it Twittersphere?), the move announced on Monday by the Kansas City Chiefs at quarterback doesn't make any difference. Once head coach Romeo Crennel stated that Brady Quinn was the team's new starter over Matt Cassel, the following responses quickly became par for the course:
QB Brady Quinn to start this week, according to #Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel. Good luck with that one.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) October 22, 2012
Brady Quinn now starting in KC. The ship be sinking.
— mike freeman (@realfreemancbs) October 22, 2012
At first glance, it's easy to agree. After all, it's not as if the Chiefs are trading Matt Cassel for a proven starter who can remake the team's offense. The first game under Quinn's belt as a Chiefs starter looked like more of the same against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6 with 2 interceptions and zero touchdowns that led to a 28-point loss.
But don't be mistaken by the laughter or ridicule. The move was necessary. The move was a sign that the fan's voice has been heard.
The fact is that Romeo Crennel is not in charge of the team's personnel. There are only so many changes that Crennel can make. Within the limitations of his head coaching position, Crennel decided to make a change at the most position of greatest impact and spotlight. That should not be understated.
It's easy to not like the options. Many franchises are aching for a dynamic starting option at quarterback. There's a reason why there are "races" called "Suck For Luck", like the one for the chance to take Andrew Luck with the first overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. They are simply hard to find.
So this isn't a matter of Crennel offering up the Chiefs' savior at quarterback. Instead, the change is an admission. Perhaps it's even a confession from the team that the trade for Cassel four seasons ago did not do what anyone hoped it would do. Structuring the offense around Cassel's abilities (and inabilities) did not work in the end.
Quinn may or may not win more games than Cassel for the rest of 2012, but that's no reason to ridicule the move announced today by Romeo Crennel. Whether or not Quinn is the better option is not the point. The point is that a new direction has been charted in Kansas City at the most important position on the field. Change is coming. Things are not working. And everyone is finally admitting that truth.