Holy Crap — What A Beautiful Disaster!
Wow.
Harm Edwards has turned losing into an art form. For loss-aficionados, today was a thing of beauty. I wonder if Harm can take up painting because at this point, he might be able to make serious bank at Lloyd’s of London if he can paint as well as he can lose.
21-10 with 1:13 to go. Final Score 22-21, Chargers. Its been a while since I have seen a team that looked so sure to win, dominating for three quarters, only to collapse and get shut out in the 4th. We led 21-3 in the third quarter!
- Will the Connor Barth believers please raise your hand? Thanks, now show yourself out.
- D-Bowe! You’re my man, and you took a big shot- but you gotta hang onto the ball son.
- Harm, what can I say. If we were trying to lose, that was a thing of beauty. It really was. I told my old man with 6 minutes left that I could see us losing this one. He agreed, and we couldn’t stop laughing as it went down. I mean really, at this point that’s all you can do is have a hearty Christmas chuckle at Herm and Company’s ineptitude.
All excuses go out the window at this point. Rookies, young team etc. Yeah we missed a few kicks, a few drops, a pick — whatever…that’s football. At some point blowing big leads has to fall on the coaching staff. That’s where the buck stops. Its not Tony’s fault, or LJ or Thiggy or D-Bowe – (well, maybe D-Bowe)…or Carl or Clark or the fans. It’s the coaching.
I want to take a win anytime, but at this point…why get upset over the loss? — outside of wanting to get rid of this cancerous loser Herm Edwards that is. Even when he is winning he loses! Tampa, 21 point lead, this debacle today…all we can do is laugh and hope Clunt comes to his senses.
I wanted to get this up and let people vent on the comments before we get some post up tomorrow trying to look at the bright side. There is no bright side to this loss, aside from keeping and bettering our draft position. My God, what is it going to take before we can get you homers to call for Herm’s head?
My advice to Clark, next week, take a good look at the empty seats and repeat “HARM” in your head 50 times because that’s how they will continue to look next season. Even when “the plan” takes effect, how is this coach going to maintain a lead? He can’t won’t and don’t. Please spend some of that jack you saved this year at our expense and hire Bill Cowher. I’m begging you, the fans are begging you and we are the ones paying the tab. Be like Nike and “JUST DO IT”
WIN WITH THE CHIN ‘09
Amen, preach it brother!
December 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pmI stopped getting upset at losses after the Tennessee soul-crush. Every “close” game after that has been a delight.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:40 pmPS: I wouldn’t have attended that game if I had free tix on the 50 yrd line 15 rows up, free gas, free hotel, and free beer. HD and comfort was fine today, thanks.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pmWhat the #@$*&, did we do to deserve this?
December 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pmgod this unreal..guys i feel like the wind and the life knocked out of me..i knew this was gonna happen man harms gotta go this loss rest squarely on the coaching staff!!
December 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pmMy only comment is simply this. Lets Go Out and get SAM BRADFORD and if we have to give the Lions our second rounder to get the job done, so be it!!!!!!
December 14th, 2008 at 6:05 pmI still believe in Connor Barth, I think that first kick was terrible but he is a rookie, i expected that, that second kick im not so sure was his fault, it was going straight until the very end and the announcers said the wind was swirling. We shouldn’t have been there in the first place, kicking that field goal.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:23 pmHow the HELL does a team look so good in one half and so bad in the other , Can this be attributed to just youth…
December 14th, 2008 at 6:29 pmI can’t believe people get mad or sad any more. I accepted that our season was over before it even started. What kind of expectations did some fans have?
Really, either a win or a loss is good now. A loss and we get a better pick and maybe rid of Herm. And a win is a win.
The only time I get mad is when people stand up for Herm. The only time I get sad is when Clark says he’s going to keep on Harm-ing this franchise.
Well said, Crane!
December 14th, 2008 at 6:56 pmWhir said it all – are we really surprised and should we get upset.
I see tons of talent – we just need a couple more positions plugged, and I gotta say, next year (assuming a terrific 2009 draft – and these losses help that out!) and the Chiefs should be a tough team to beat.
I’m not sure replacing Harm is going to make a huge difference until 2010. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Harm fan – but why can’t we get a 3rd and one…twice! C’mon!
December 14th, 2008 at 7:26 pmconnor barth is our kicker plain and simple, you cant get mad at the guy for missing, kickers do that plus he is a rookie, he is a whole lot better than any other kicker we have had since morten anderson and that 50 yarder was something that should have never took place.
herm definitely needs to go, or be knocked down to scout team
bradford will be a waste of time, at least for our offense, he just sits in the pocket, and our offense we run now definitely doesn’t need a quarterback like that, we need one that is mobile, he never has any pressure, he would do terrible behind an inexperienced line.
If we found a gem i say we keep it, thigpen has done nothing but grow every game, it would be the most moron move to even bring someone else in when there are holes on the defensive side of the ball that desperately need to be filled. The kid loves the game and is becoming a leader for this team, don’t fuck it up herm.
keep thigpen and get something on that defensive line, we are going to be the worst team since 1981 colts in rushing the passer with fewer than 13 sacks in one season
Hell jared allen had like 15 on his own last year, unbelievable.
any coach will do
i thought maybe norv turner was the worst, but i was proven wrong, why did i ever have any doubt?!
December 14th, 2008 at 7:29 pmhaha, im going to go against the angry crowd here…
Player execution. A coach calls a play or makes a decision and the team does it. We have a good football team, a team that will win alot of games but right now, its just their lack of execution that costs us a game like this. They played very well, but thats the difference between us and the championship teams. When plays need to be made, they are made by the players.
Everyone puts everything on Harm, but would that mean that the great first half performance was attributed to Herm’s coaching??? I would say so! How many what ifs can we run through that would of given us a win… All it comes down too is players not executing for a full 60 minutes.
But im very happy with the performance, alot of positives.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pmi thought you guys would be happy that you’re getting a better draft pick now.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:40 pmAll of you people in this angry crowd… pull your panties out of the crack of your ass and you will feel better. I see alot of ‘better play’ coming out of this young team. Really guys, have just a little more patience with the program. The way the young Chiefs are playing now, they deserve that patience. Just calm down, and work at those panties. I know you’ll feel better.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:55 pmPull the panties out?
How about DEMAND SUCCESS
Demand coaching that works which in turn forces execution. A little more patience? How many years do you want to let someone keep burning your house down, build you a crappier one and burn it down too?
Tim, the coaching is what gives you a lead but in turn you have to be able to coach players with a lead to be a good team. You can’t get conservative at the end of a game that goes against the the reason you had the lead in the 1st place.
And Igor, I go commando.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:01 pmtim, tim, tim… will you get with the program here? Start drinking Adam’s kool aid and repeat after me….. what goes wrong is the fault of herm and carl. When things go well, it’s because of chan, the players, etc. anyone but herm and carl. It’s fine to laugh at the team and the fans that take losses hard.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:04 pmOn a serious note, tim. You keep on representing. It’s hard this year. This has been a long year and this latest game really hurts. Things will get better.
Im not mad, Im not sad. I just hate to lose like a chump! Come on now, the coachs have to be throwing the games. 4 and one on the fifty and we punt. Please!
December 14th, 2008 at 8:17 pmClark Hunt, you should be ashamed of yourself!
December 14th, 2008 at 8:18 pmYears? I only know of one year at rebuilding… what part of the beach have you been hiding your head in Crane? also, that last part was TMI.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:22 pmI can’t remember the last time I was this pissed off about a game. Actually I do…It was when Trent Green was sacked at the end of the Dallas game a few years ago. I’ve been pretty supportive of Herm and the staff. And to be honest with you I think they do a pretty good job of coaching these guys during the week. But the fact is that the game-time coaching has been terrible, plain and simple. Yes it has everything to do with player execution, but at some point the coaching staff has to be responsible for what happens on the field. This defense played with an attitude today that I haven’t seen in years from the Chiefs. But every time their back is against the wall, they could just as well go out there in pink skirts. I am a pool player, and in big matches it is one thing to run off all your balls, but it is a whole other thing to sink that 8-ball at the end. Someone has to teach these guys to sink the 8-ball. So far this coaching staff hasn’t been able to get that done. By the way, how many other people have a broken remote control tonight?
December 14th, 2008 at 8:28 pmI’m not that angry about this game. I’m not even that disappointed. I thought this was one of the most inspired defensive performances all year, short of only the home game against the Broncos. Our defense played a solid game until the last two minutes. We had a pass rush. Can you believe that? I thought I was looking at the wrong TV at first. Our offense failed to convert a few in the red zone early. Our defense gave up a couple minutes too early. But this team is heads and shoulders better than what we had in the first half of the season. And the fact that this team is getting accustomed to playing tight games will serve us well next season when we figure out how to win them. This team is maturing and I am kosher with giving Herm another season. If there is anyone who needs to be considered for termination, it is Gunther and Krumrie. They have failed more than any this season.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:01 pmI am with Tim and Igor…The PERFORMANCE today has little to do with the coaching staff…It’s so frustrating when people try to dismiss the legitimate reasons for a loss with “that’s football” and blame whoever else…The fact here is that when you say “that’s football” it actually does more to defend the coaches, because they coached a solid game, and obviously the coaching of the players was present because they executed the majority of the game…But not when it counted (Youth)…. The DECISIONS lie with them but there weren’t really any I would have changed except the silly challenge and the punt on 4th and inches…
I am not that upset about this…we are improving alot…it’s good news…The ONLY thing we lost here was motivation that comes with a win….Everything else was gain: progression, draft pick, etc….
To demand success only one year after cutting the veteran deadweight and having 18 rookies on the team this year…oh but I guess “that’s football”…hmmmm nahhhh
December 14th, 2008 at 9:19 pmMerlin,
Actually, I am one of the few people who says Carl deserves to stick around more than Herm does. At least he’s shown that he can build something. Harm destroys everything he touches. The guy is a born loser…a real Munson.
And Chan Gailey can only do what Herm allows him to do philosophically. If Herm wants to be aggressive in the first half and then play not to lose with a lead, what the hell can Chan do except do what his boss wants? The only reason we’re in the spread in the first place is that an already desperate Herm basically had no other choice since he was stuck with Thiggy. You think Herm came up with this offense? When? When he was sleeping through film sessions? Chan told him it was the only chance to win and he begrudgingly allowed Chan to implement it.
I think it’s the opposite. Hermaphrodites praise this clown when anything goes right, but make excuses when anything bad happens.
Look at the Miami Dolphins and tell me this franchise is where it should be. That’s what I thought.
Oh, Tim, football is a game of two halves, not one.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:32 pmI dont ever praise Herm…I want him gone…but the majority of the blame does not belong to him today…The fact that the players are coming out and playing this hard in meaningless games is a testament to this…Coaches across the league are praising, even Peter King praised how hard the Chiefs are playing every week…Just gotta put them two good halves together lol…
December 14th, 2008 at 9:39 pmUpdate: Deion and Mooch just praised how hard the team is playing for Herm on Gameday…hmmmmm pattern much?!?!
December 14th, 2008 at 9:41 pmAdam:
December 14th, 2008 at 9:44 pmWhere are you getting the information that Herm is the one who wants to be agressive in the first half and go into a shell for the second half? Like you, I am very concerned about the lack of effective half-time adjustments on both sides of the ball. I am not sure that’s Herm or Chan & Gunther.
I get it now Igor, we have to actually label a year “Rebuilding” for you to call it that. Going 4-12 last year was what then, a fluke? Just a bad season?
I get “years” from the “years” Harm has been our coach, and how coincidentally-we keep getting worse. Adam is exactly right. Miami won one game last year and are in the playoffs this year. What is the difference? Coaching. Yes, Herm has gotten years plural to do something and hasn’t got anything to show for it. Well except for 6-31 the past few years I guess.
We have twice the offense Miami does and not even one-third the wins.
Merlin- Adam is getting the information with his eyes and a box score, are you kidding? “I am very concerned about the lack of effective half-time adjustments on both sides of the ball. I am not sure that’s Herm or Chan & Gunther.”
Who’s left to make the halftime adjustments, the hot dog vendors and the mascot?
December 14th, 2008 at 10:43 pmI’m OK with Herm being here next year. But there is no denying that there are some very disturbing patterns that need to stop before next year. I usually consider a sign of a good coaching staff is when a team plays better in the second half then the first half. That is definately not us. How many times are we going to punt it away on 4th and one, when the game is on the line? This defense does not believe in itself enough to put the game on it’s shoulders. You could see the confidence just completely dissapear at the end of the game. We have most of the players we need. They just need to believe in themselves. Sidenote: I’m higher on Tyler Thigpen than I was last week. He is the becoming the leader of this team.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:43 pmcrane:
So, your eyes watching TV and reading a box score can tell someone who is making the decisions. Just brilliant, crane. Personally, I do not know who is making those halftime decisions. They are not working and as dave said, it’s not a good sign. Sitting on the couch watching the game gives someone a limited view of what is going on. I admit that and work within it. Others, want to assume and then convict people on the basis of the assumptions. That is not fair at all.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:56 pmI just watched the highlights, didnt get to watch the game as i rarely do where i live.
5 min of Clips here
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80d4fba4&campaign=ec0009
Not to make excuses but its nice to see the team playing with heart and its a hell of a lot better watching this team where they are now than in the beginning of the season. Heartbreaking losses but i believe we will be a much better team next year with some key personnel moves and if tony g stays.
Not bailing out herm, just saying the players are playing their hearts out, and they need fan support at arrowhead, empty stadium? come on
December 14th, 2008 at 10:56 pmI didn’t watch this game, it’s hard to catch the Chiefs on any of the TV’s at the bars down here, and I cut off DirecTV after week two. My understanding of effective NFL coaching is being able to make the half time adjustments to put the team in a position to win, on offense and defense. Whether it’s the coordinators or not, that still falls back on the head coach. He hired’em, he ultimately controls what they put out on the field. The consistent flaw has been the second half self destruct we pull EVERY game. They’ve got a week to put together a game plan for the first half, and MOST weeks we’ve been in the game until half time. Look, I’m not saying I could do it any better, but for God’s sake, I’m not being paid to be a coach! I’m ultimately paying for this coach, which is why I cancelled DirecTV. If I was still in KC, I would send back my season tickets. If all that’s going to make this change happen is the fans standing up and walking out, then maybe that’s what we need to do. I grew up with this team, good and bad, but this isn’t even something to get excited about for next year or the year after, unless something happens at the top. You cannot tell me the Dolphins have better talent than us, but they have an identity, and a coaching staff and team hiearchy that would rather go for the win than play not to lose. That’s what I feel we are lacking. Anyway, that’s my rant. Cowher ‘09!
December 14th, 2008 at 11:11 pmMerlin-
Do you think the players or assistant coaches make the halftime adjustments?
Because apparently you think Herm, Chan and Gunther aren’t responsible for anything.
Who else could be making them Merlin? Please tell me because I want to be educated and in-the-know.
I assumed head coaches and coordinators make the adjustments, but hey I could be mistaken.
I just want to be “fair and balanced”.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:12 pmRegardless of this whole situation… There is one thing that we can all agree on. How good is it to finally get some sacks….
CHIEFS!
December 14th, 2008 at 11:45 pmHere here Tim … Ya gotta’ love those sacks !!
“G O C H I E F S ! !
December 15th, 2008 at 12:12 amYea, this whole thing is silly…if the final kick was like…5 feet to the right we would all be saying completely different things…There are good things to come of this…
December 15th, 2008 at 12:19 amI think we should throw shoes at Herm at the next press conference.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:46 amThe head coach and his coordinators should be making all the major halftime adjustments with input from the players and staff. I might not be Ron Jaworski, but playing and watching it my whole life I know a little bit.
Even Tamba gets it:
The coaches did call a lot of passing plays, except for the idiotic time when they ran Jamaal Charles on first and second and then brought Larry in. Gee, wonder what that play’s gonna be. Should have gone for it there on fourth, but my actual point is that half of our planned running plays (not including scrambles) in the half came on one three-and-out series. Why didn’t we continue to mix it up like we did in the first half? Why did we go to Jamaal when Larry was doing so well?
I want to see Harm get sacked. That’s the only sack I give a damn.
Outmismanaging Norv Turner late in a game is like outeating Jason Whitlock in a rib contest — how is that even possible?
I now think Herm is actually a worse coach than Norv Turner. I really do.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:55 amI think a few things bear mentioning here:
1. Phillip Rivers exploited the soft middle of the
Cover Two defense to win that game. Sh*tcan the
Cover Two.
2. The only sack where Rivers was flat on his back
happened when the Chiefs were in man coverage,
not the Cover Two!
3. If my teenage daughter can figure out
December 15th, 2008 at 9:38 amwhat is happening and how to prevent the loss
why can’t Herm Edwards and his incompetent crew?
What happened on Sunday, we’ve seen before – lots of times in fact. Different coach, different AFC opponent, same result. Chiefs are up by 2 scores against the Broncos with 2 minutes (or less) left on the clock. Marty is the coaching the Chiefs. We have the Donks down for most the game and somehow Elway single-handedly pulls a win out of his ass.
In spite of our record, we are a better team now than we were at this point last year. Notwithstanding, there is one huge problem (well, more than that really) that plagued us last year that continues to plague this year – we play well in the first half and dissappear in the second half. I believe the reason for that is a combination of things. Generally it’s been that our offense can’t run the ball and our defense gets gassed because the offense can’t stay on the field.
Lastly, if we’re going to start comparing ourselves to Miami, I think it’s only fair to consider a few important factors that distinguish the two teams and perhaps explain the discrepancy in records.
Miami has had, in Pennington, a veteran QB under Center, along the number 1 pick at LT to protect his blind side, since week 1. The Chiefs QB situation began with injury in week 1 behind a faulty OL and it did not start to get turned around until Tyler Thigpen became the regular starter.
Miami’s wins include St. Louis, Buffalo (twice), San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Oakland, Denver, and New England. Not exactly a murderer’s row there. What’s more, the Chiefs have in fact beaten 2 of the teams on Miami’s list and also come within one score of beating San Diego (on both occasions), Denver, New England, and the Jets. Miami’s only standout win came against the Brady-less Patriots in week 3.
Miami’s losses include the Jets, Arizona, New England, Houston, and Baltimore. Miami’s biggest embarrassment came against the resurgent Patriots in week 12. Our biggest embarrassment came against Buffalo in week 12. To make things even, we give both the Chiefs and the Dolphins a mulligan for their respective performances in week 12.
Based on those set of facts, what we’ve had to deal with both in terms of who we’ve faced and what we’ve had to deal with at QB, nobody is going to convince me that Miami has made some kind of miracle turn-around and that, by comparison, we are crumbling. To claim so is pure bullshit.
As fate would have it, this Sunday we will be presented with the perfect piece of evidence to resolve the question of which team has come the farthest this season. To that opportunity, I say “may the better, more improved team win.”
December 15th, 2008 at 11:15 amYou can sense the mood on the field from the stands and I have to tell you for the last two years our defense drags ass, they are just worn out in the second half. You can see it on the field and when they walk off the field. Who can blame them? Im with you on that Double. That being said, from the stands last year I saw no qb talent, if someone did catch a pass they couldnt run with it, running backs gained no yardage, and we could not make extra points to save our lives. When we got stopped dead in our tracks we couldnt make the three point attempts. We are much improved in all those areas. Still whatever we do Im not sure we can save the Arrowhead legend. Royals Stadium next door is a constant reminder of a destroyed legacy, its just sickening.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:02 pmI thought I heard somewhere that Cowher is most likely to be Cleveland’s next coach? With Marty coming as GM? Yes? No? Maybe?
December 15th, 2008 at 12:07 pmMSNBC cited Profootballtalk.com about a report that Cowher had been approached by the Browns and were willing to pay him between $8-9 Million per season
December 15th, 2008 at 12:23 pmWow DD you will do anything to defend Harm and the Gang.
Pennington didn’t even come on strong for them til the second half of the season. I also don’t think this garbage game at the end of the year is going to tell us if we are a better team than Miami, I mean after all who is likely going to the playoffs and who isn’t.
I will give you some credit on the noteworthiness of some of their wins vs ours, but in the end all that matters is that w/l record regardless of who it was against.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pmWe are talking a 7-win difference here. To even say there is a Chiefs-Dolphins debate is laughable. Good, well-coached teams beat the bad teams. They might win the AFC East, while we might finish dead last in the AFC West.
And what about the Falcons? Rookie QB. Look at the division they play in. They have nine wins, too, and handed us a beat down. There’s no debate whatsoever there.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:01 pmThis has nothing to do with defending Edwards or anybody else for that matter except for maybe the team itself. One thing we both know to be true is that winning has a way of breeding more success. Unlike the Chiefs, the Dolphins had a much lighter schedule and the kind of stability at QB that better positioned them to win a few games early on and then build on the confidence that that no doubt created. For the exact opposite reasons, we never got into a position to get the ball the rolling like they did.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:03 pmAlso, I doubt very much that Miami views Sunday’s match-up as a garbage game. The Phins pretty much need to beat the Chiefs to stay in contention and to build up a little mo as they head into the Meadowlands to face the Jets for their regular season game.
Adam, different situation with the Falcons. Unlike the Chiefs, they are, for the most part, a veteran team with several good players. What happened to them last season was almost entirely the result of the Vick debacle. The fact that they were in a position to select the very best QB available to address their most glaring need and then turn right around in the second round and get a pretty good LT certainly helped them a lot. However, I will also give to you that they played free agency more aggressively (and I would say indeed better) than the Chiefs did. I personally don’t think the Falcons are built for the post-season at the point but they’re taking steps towards getting there. I see them continuing to be force in the future.
I have the same expectation for the Chiefs. Just not this season.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:12 pm3 times since 1970 has a team come from a one win season to have the kind of season they (Dolphins) have had…Parcells has now been involved in two of those seasons…hmmmm (Others = 97 Jets and 92 Colts)
*Thanks Gameday…
December 15th, 2008 at 3:20 pm[...] good. The Browns appear to be falling apart, just as I feared last month. And the Chiefs out-bungled the Bungles last weekend, surrendering a double-digit lead in the final 73 seconds and losing 22-21 to the [...]
December 16th, 2008 at 12:42 pm