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41-7. 48-3. 35-7.
These scores, if you can't remember, are from the 2011 season opener against the Buffalo Bills, the following game against the Detroit Lions, and the second game of last year versus Buffalo. All were games the Kansas City Chiefs were expected to win. All were games in which they failed miserably.
The first two were under Todd Haley's watch with the last coming while Romeo Crennel was coaching the team, or whatever the hell you call what Romeo did last year.
Kansas City opens this season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that finished 2-14 in 2012 and didn't do much to improve besides having what appears to be a promising draft. The Chiefs are more talented at (almost?) every position, but that doesn't equate to a win. Just ask our 2012 squad.
This is why Andy Reid was brought in along with all the other new additions. A good coach buys you wins versus good teams and saves you losses against bad ones with solid game plans. It's the steadiness that Clark Hunt sought. Reid's hiring should keep Kansas City from losing games that need to be won with his preparation and the subsequent execution of the plan.
So many times over the last few years the Chiefs have been blown out by inferior opponents because the game plan flat-out sucked. They just mis-judged it. That falls on the coaches.
Reid has to win this first game. I don't want to hear about a new coaching staff, and new players, and needing time to adjust. That's all garbage and excuses. If Kansas City loses this game, you can turn out the lights on the rest of this season. Hyperbole? Obviously. But the Chiefs have to beat teams they are clearly better than, home or away. This is one of those games.
The Chiefs have to give fans a reason to harbor legitimate hope. Winning on Sunday would be a positive step. Beating the Dallas Cowboys, a mediocre team, in the season opener would be another.
When Reid was hired, the checklist was to get the house in order, beat bad teams and win at home. By trading for Alex Smith, helping to bring in general manager John Dorsey, and installing his offense, he's clicked off the first check box.
Now comes the second box which must have fresh ink in it come the end of this weekend.