Burning Question Number 5?

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Earlier this year I started a “Five Burning Questions” segment here on Arrowhead Addict. To make a long story short, I don’t remember the first three questions and I don’t recall writing about the fourth. That brings us to question number 5.

Have the Chiefs done enough in the offseason to contend for the Super Bowl?

My answer is simple-No.

Let’s face it, the Chiefs aren’t going to win the Super Bowl. Can anyone out there honestly make the argument that the Chiefs will be in contention for the Super Bowl come December? Honestly? Anybody? I didn’t think so. If they do then Walt Disney productions will surely be knocking on the door of Carl Peterson wanting to make a movie. Does this make me any less of a fan? No, it makes me realistic. Is it going to keep me from yelling and screaming at my TV every Sunday when the Chiefs don’t win? Absolutely not. Does this mean that all hope is gone and the Chiefs are going to automatically suck it up this year like so many have predicted? No.

I didn’t say the Chiefs didn’t have a shot at being better than what they finished up last year, they certainly do. Each NFL season contains a lot of variables, some good and some not so good and this year will be no different. This morning I read across the streamer at the bottom of the screen on ESPN News that Osi Umenyiora is gone for the season with a knee injury. Tell me that doesn’t effect the prospects of the G-Men returning to the Super Bowl for a repeat attempt. Just as easy it is for a player to be lost for a season, it is just as easy for someone to step up in their absence and become a super star.

The biggest need going into the offseason was rebuilding an offensive line that let’s face it was almost impossible to watch last year. The Chiefs will start this season with each position having a new face except for the left guard spot–the Chiefs saw the problem and addressed it. Will it be good enough? Only time will tell. I don’t have a crystal ball to look into, but I can’t sit here and tell you the Chiefs should have done more to fix the problem. They spent one first round pick, offseason free agent signing, promoted a player already on the roster and shifted a player to another position more suited to his abilities to assemble the OLine of ’08.

I could also make an argument that the Chiefs are better at every position group this year then they were last season. Unfortunatley some could make the argument that the Chiefs are in fact worse. Why? Simple really, the age of the players and their experience or should I say lack thereof. QB, WR, DL all the way down the line have been infused with youth and excitement. Herm and the gang are correct when they say over and over again that these young players are going to make mistakes. The question is can we as fans live with it? Can you?

Our only hope is that the mistakes these young players make don’t take place at critical times during the course of a game and we pray the players learn from them and grow as a player and become what Herm has envisioned.

Prediction Time

I made some predictions over the past couple months about this up coming season and I would like to compile a couple of them here and I ask that you please leave some of your predictions for this year in the comment section.

Derrick Johnson will be a pro bowler at the end of the year. He has improved every year he has played–I look for DJ to be a monster this year. The Chiefs may be short of linebackers going into the season but they aren’t short on talent. Gunther made the comment to Bob Gretz a couple weeks ago, something along the line of …”each of the starting linebackers (Jonhson, Thomas, Williams) all run a 4.5 forty–or faster.”

IF LJ has 1300(+/-) yards this season the Chiefs will have a winning record. That’s right, I said it. That’s a little over 80 yards a game. If this one happens then that means the Chiefs are playing the type of offense they want and they are winning games. Like it or not the Herm Edwards style of playing football games gives you wins. Well, when done correctly anyway.

Earlier this year we asked this question: “Will D-Bowe have more receiving yards or will LJ have more rushing yards?” I will tell you right now, if Bowe ends up with more receiving yards then LJ rushing yards the Chiefs might win 2 games. This means the running game wasn’t working and the Chiefs had to pass waaaaaaay too much.

Now with only one more preseason game remaining and let’s face it this one really has no bearing on anything what-so-ever it’s time for me to make my final prediction for the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs record.

6-10

Your thoughts?

woody

It seems like the Chiefs have had tackling problems for so long...and you can't blame Gun because it persisted with his absence...

I disagree about DJ, I think he will have a Pro Bowl CALIBER season but I dont know that he will make it. The reason is simple, the pro bowl has become nothing more than a popularity contest. Only players that have been hyped by the media all season make it and I certainly don't think any of our players will be hyped unless we do amazingly...

I doubt LJ gets those yards...

I think LJ has more yards than D-Bowe...Bowe has not looked good this preseason in that he has not been beating 1-on-1s at all...Now I realize it could be caused by a number of things including but not limited to: 1. he just knows the preseason is lame and will turn it on when he has to 2. he hasn't caught on to the new offense fully 3. he is in a legitimate "sophomore slump"...

(I agree about Tim Tebow, I dont see him making it as an NFL QB...)

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Epic23

5 wins tops-huge problem that needs to be solved..TACKLING!

Double D

The main thing I want the Chiefs to be right now is pissed.

Sudden

Great point about game 2 Adam. I think we really need to look at the games against the Raiders and Broncos this season as the measurement of our team. I had been very optimistic about this teams potential going into the season with a relatively weak schedule, but after witnessing what happened against Miami, I am abandoning predictions. I hope that in the long run, it will be good that we got the blowout/shutout out of the way in the preseason, and that maybe it lights a fire under some asses. What I really want to see this season is a team that competes in most games and keeps things at least close, regardless of the record. Also, I will suspend judgement on Croyle and the offense until he gets Albert back into the starting lineup and Herb can move into starting RT. Brodie might have had a tough outing on Saturday, but he didn't get much in the way of protection either. My biggest concern right now is our D. If Chad Pennington can scramble for 20 yards, we are in serious trouble.

Adam

I'm thinking it will be more like 38-7, but I could be lowballing it.

Yeah but if we lose to NE by 87 points, I'll be pushing it at 1-15.

I would wait until game two. We aren't going to see very many bright spots during the first game.

Having 1-15 as a possible extreme is not exactly setting the bar high. I refuse to be held to a firm win-loss prediction until after I see what takes place in that first regular game.

For better or worse, "our main guys" will be playing for a good part of the game on Thursday. Herm has said as much.

It's not just pessimism or negativity...A.) I'd rather error under than over to avoid egg on my face and the homer label; and B.) When you set the bar low you and others don't get disappointed.

And I think a win is a coin flip on Thursday. For all intents and purposes, the preseason is essentially over for lots of our main guys.

Meant to say "never set the needed tone."

I frankly don't see how anyone can make a projection based on the Miami game which I assume must be where most of this negativity is coming from. A significant number of our starters in that game either aren't, won't be or have only been in their role for a week or two. Of at least equal importance is the fact that we still don't know what our playcalling will look like or how aggressive/successful our defensive schemes will be. I say if you want to have some idea of how our real first stringers will play, then look to the Chicago game because so far that's the closest we've gotten to seeing the real deal.

My 2 biggest concerns are right now are how quickly this team is able to come back together after all the injuries and whether they can mentally overcome the most recent setback. If all this must happen, then better it happen in the preseason than later. The most important thing that needs to happen right now is a convincing win this Thursday. If it doesn't, then the preseason will have to be considered a failure because we didn't meet our goal of winning and as a result never the needed tone.

TeamPriest31

Six wins.... Yeah I think we have a better chance in seeing the man himself. This would be GOD. I see us getting 3 wins. I just hope Miami's game will be a wake up call for all the player and Coaches included.

Hey, at least I didn't say we'd be a Superbowl contender. :|
I'll be more than happy to revisit this subject again after we play the Patsies - will revise accordingly. ;)

I'd be careful with that 10-6 talk, DD. Would hate to see one of my favorite commenters thrown in a straight jacket :)

I think even 6-10 is a stretch, but I can see where Steven is coming from. I'm starting to think 4 wins might be a stretch.

This team could end up anywhere from 1-15 to 10-6. The reason for that possibility is that neither we nor the players I would guess know who this team is - their identity and attitude have yet to be seen.

I think the first thing that has to be taken into consideration is injury situation and how much that has hampered the development of this team this preseason. Our starting DL has practiced together as a unit for a week - our 2 key guys, Hali and Dorsey have been hampered by injury. Our starting OL consists of 2 or 3 guys playing positions that we likely be held by someone else in the 2 or 3 weeks - Albert and D-Mac have most notably been struggling with injuries. With the exception of DJ, our LBs are banged up and patched together - both Williams and Edwards are having injury issues for example. Playmakers Brad Cottam and Jamaal Charles have been out. Kevin Robinson, another guy that has shown promise as a special teamer is yet another guy in recuperation.

We also really have yet to see how this team will fair under the playcalling/scheming of Chan Gailey & Gunther Cunningham. By all reports, both the offense and the defense will look considerably different from what we saw last year in terms of how they attack. Yes, we should nevertheless score when we have the ball on the 2 but that's a whole other issue. Point being, we aren't likely to see much of anything in either regard until we face New England. Deal with it.

The good news is that most of the existing injury concerns should be gone by the start of the regular season. What remains to be seen is once everybody is healthy, whether they've had enough time together to play as a team and really, whether they're angry enough to go out and win.

stevenh

Tim Tebow will never make it as an NFL quarterback. WR? Maybe. IF the Chiefs fail this year, I don't think Brodie will be the biggest problem. I'm still concerned about this OLine.

Rihavens

Oh by the way... Tim Tebow '09

tmmctee

I can't wait to see how much of an impact Albert has on the line once he is healthy. He was a great college player, I'm just worried about his durability. Hopefully things will end up well for him, and he will be ready to go week 1. It was interesting I was reading in a magazine that put the Chiefs at a 3-12 record this year and the Raiders at 8-8! Now as a die hard Chiefs fan I hate the Raiders more than anyone, and with the recent injuries they just suffered I definitely don't see that kind of turn around.

A top 5 pick would be great to for us to have, I just hate to have another season of crying on the couch, losing my voice from screaming, sleeping on the couch because my wife is mad that I threw the cat across the room, and having a sore back on Monday! Hopefully things will go our way!

I am with you on the 6-10 prediction, but I am at the point with the large draft class we had this year I could see winning or losing this year as good. Look, no one wants to see their team lose. But if we get a top 5 pick again we have a shot at more talent and maybe another amazing draft class. Mix that with the Class of '08 and I think when "The New Arrowhead" opens their gates we may have something huge to look forward to.

As Chiefs fans we got spoiled with success. But all those wins where did it get us? We where just a couple players away from getting a football on a stick, but alas it never came. Now we are in full rebuilding mode and the bittersweet irony is CP could be closer then ever to losing his job.

All that being said, I see the Chiefs finishing 4-12 with a 2 game swing either way depending on how our new craft class plays.