A Simple Question

When Larry Johnson was able to run for many yards there was a reason. We had two perpetual Pro Bowl linemen opening the door. They have since retired and have not truly been replaced.

Our defensive line has not been able to get pressure consistantly anywhere; up the middle, from the edges, anywhere.

Pass blocking, run blocking and pass rushing and run stuffing has to improve. It all starts in the trenches. The guys that push people around make the rest of it able to happen.

Have the Chiefs done enough? Well, frankly, no. But the needs have been so great that I don't think it is possible to get done in one off season. After the house cleaning of the veterans from the previous regime left us with little help last year, it's nice to see some veteran acquisitions to help all the young guys. At this point I don't think there is much help to be had beyond what we got. We just need to do the best we can and build for next season.

I'm not writing this season off, I think that happened 2 seasons ago and we are still paying that price. The real upside to all this is that we are headed in the right direction.

Nice to see some more posts on here lately. Last year this was my first stop for news, this year........not so much. Amazing how many responses a few lines of post gets. No need to write a novel to put up a post just give us something to discuss. Thanks.

As to the pessimist optimist debate. At this time of year I am ALWAYS an optimist with my fingers crossed.

I have never played a down of football in my life and didn't even watch it until I was out of high school so I sure don't have any knowlege of player evaluation. I know when the score sucks lol. I have to hope that the new brass has seen more potential in a lot of players than was reached last year.

I was never on board with the hiring of herm and was glad to see him go. As to the new coaching staff I think the way to look at it is to hope it is the right mix at the right time. How many times have we seen a player leave one team a bust only to go somewhere else and be a star or at least an impact player. This is not only limited to players. Coaches do it too. Right coach gets with the right mix of players with the right assistants and voila. Not overly impressed with the results of each of the coaches individually but the dynamics are totally different. Better or worse?? remains to be seen. Optimisticlly crossing my fingers.

Ok as to have the chiefs done enough this year final opinion is that I hope they have. I have to look at the youth of last years team as the whole team is a lump of coal.........apply the right amount of pressure and you end up with a diamond in the rough.......knock off a few chunks here and there..........you end up with a stunning 22 carat diomond that can pretty much get you any girl at the ball.

Guess I should have made chapters in this post lol

sgt: I'd take the division, if it were in reach, even if a measly 7-9 did it. With a home game on wildcard weekend? Yeah, I could live with that.

I agree that the Chiefs appear to be pretty thin at WR. I'm willing to wait-and-see on that front, based on Haley's track record (and cap room). I REALLY don't expect WR to be a weakness with this outfit for very long, if at all. 3 years in personnel, followed by an ascending career from WRs coach on up? Successful everywhere he's been?

That's our ace in the hole right now.

Having said that, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Chiefs come out initially as a power running team, with a fairly conservative passing game (especially after minicamp reports!).

I just hope we can make it to the bye week without too many injuries or key player injuries. I will call it a success if we can get to the bye week with 2 wins and few injuries.

I guess we can't play the Lions, Rams, and Raiders all season, but damn what a brutal schedule.

A quick turn around isn't going to happen here. Miami din't play the Ravens, Steelers, Giants, Eagles, Redskins, and Jaguars all almost in a row in one season.

Having said that, though, with the Chargers getting moldy, Broncos in a flushing swirl and Raiders... well being the Raiders, the AFC West could be ours. They all have to play the NFC East as well. And if the Cowboys don't show up at Arrowhead we could take them. Win both the Raider games, split with S.D and Denver, beat the Bills and the Browns and we are 7-9. That might just be good enough to win the division if the Chargers stumble.

And having said THAT, it would suck to win your division at 7-9. So are we going in the right direction? We almost can't help but win more games than last year with the changes made. No, it's not enough. But it's a start.

Maybe in 3 years Washington will allow Orakpo to be traded when they get done not using him properly.

Hard to kill the team without them having played a single down yet. I'm pessimistic. We lost TG, our OL is not as strong as it could've been (Jason Brown), I still don't know what to think of our draft, and I would like to have seen a few more viable defensive upgrades. I'm not complaining on what we picked up, just would like to have seen a few more additions made. And I still think we need another receiver, no question.

Pendergast is better than Gary Gibbs, but DD is right, his career hasn't exactly reflected excellence. However, regardless of what we have or have not done, the potential for turn-around is there. Not to the extent of say Miami or Atlanta, but beating a 2-14 record is definitely doable. And I'd consider THAT a turn-around.

I'm going to say 6-10 this year and look for a young, rising team to take flight in 2010. Our division is crap and we have the "potential" talent to take it. Should Haley and the new system work out, the next few years could be a real treat!

Yeah, Jeremy. You're right. And quick turnarounds might be a trend. Who knows?

Coming off 2-14, with lots of staff turnover and scheme changes (on D), I'm optimistic, but I can't really take the high road before any games have been played and refute all the pessimists. They're right until and unless the Chiefs prove 'em wrong. I just happen to think they're wrong!

There is so much turn over every year, that it is extremely possible that the Chiefs have made enough move to turn this franchise around. It happens every year. one of the bottom dwelling teams, snap back.

2008 Dolphins and Falcons

What have they done differently than us?

Didn't they change the mentality?

Didn't they bring in new coaches and adminsitration?

Didn't they bring in a few choice players at certain positions?

Sounds like the Chiefs right? Am I wrong?

I like what I see right now. Just about every aspect of the team is improving and progressing.

Most solid areas:

-Defensive backfield

-Running backs

-Quarterback

Most questionable areas:

-Linebackers

-Defensive line

-Offensive line

In-between:

-Wide Receivers

Bottom line for me is that we can be competitive if a couple of our questionable spots are answered positively. If that happens, I give us a tentative 9-7 record.

Double DD,

Time will tell.

hammer,

Another prediction for you to think about - if things go the way I expect them to this year, I have this funny feeling that I will be able to deal with it in a much more patient and accepting way than you will. :P

Double DD,

I am going to continue to look, and when I don't like what I see, I am going to sound off. I am also going to continue to beat the drum for the Chiefs and their new coaches and players until such time as they prove to me they are unworthy of support which I doubt will happen.

Enough to turn the franchise around? NO. That being said, I'm optimistic about changes being made and I'm excited and looking forward to watching the games this season. Looking at the sked - I'm betting more on a 6-10 year than a 10-6 year but I hope you win your 20 bucks BOWEFAN.

You all make very good points and I agree with most, our management and coaching has certainly improved. We will get better as the season rolls along.

My biggest concern is what our confidence level will be given the fact we have the toughest schedule for a team that only won two games? WTF was the NFL thinking, give us break for God's sake......

hammer,

To borrow from you, "the Chiefs haven't played a down yet this season, and certain fans and pundits are" predicting substantial success. See how it works both ways?

If you don't like you see, don't look!

Haley hasn't written this year off, nor has Pioli, nor Zach Thomas, nor Vrabel, nor Dorsey, nor Pollard and on and on. If they haven't, neither have I. The young defense will start to make huge strides when they see that they not only can play and play well at the NFL level, but can even dominate.

The special teams will be much better.

The offense may take some time to pull together into a cohesive unit, but they will and Chan will get the most out of them. We are not that far from being a good team. Possibly a very good team.

All this willy nilly hand wringing "we are doomed" crap makes me want to puke. The Chiefs haven't played a down yet this season, and certain fans and pundits are writing us off.

Damn, some of these folks act like a bunch of cackling old hens. I for one, am going to stand up and be a fan and a man for the team. Give the guys, both young and old, the benefit of the doubt. Then, if you are unsatisfied with the progress made at mid season or so, bitch all you want.

There are a number of reasons why I believe this season will be painful and ugly to watch. 1. New, absentee owner. 2. First time GM. 3. First time HC. 4. New, relatively inexperienced QB. 5. Other than QB (arguably), no true impact players acquired during the offseason 6. Loss of main impact player in HOF TE without a comparable replacement. 7. No deep threat WR. 8. An OL that remains suspect. 9. A running game that remains suspect. 10. A relatively young defense transitioning to a new system under a new DC who (in my opinion) hasn't really been all that impressive during his career. 11. Attempting to fix the leadership deficit on D by bringing in old LBs (we've already been down that road haven't we?) 11. No new addition on defense that one could point to as a true pass-rushing threat. 12. Brutal schedule.

There are a couple of things I feel optimistic about - 1. For the first time in many years, offseason improvements to our Special Teams could make us more competitive in the highly important battle for field position.
2. The retention of Chan Gailey.

On the balance, though, my sense is that this will be the season where the Chiefs truly hit rock bottom.
Once we get through this year, I expect to start seeing some sort of real turnaround. And oh yeah, Go Chiefs!!!

No, we have not...I am feeling pessimistic...

Everyone asking where Adam is, he addressed that in This Old Chiefs latest entry in the comments...

Heh. Gettin' close to football-break time! That long paragraph in the middle up there? Heh. One sentence.

I think the training makes sense. I think the personnel moves made sense.

Haley sounded just like Belichick, today, talking about situational understanding. I'm not sure how long it takes to develop situational coaching to really take hold, but with all but 2 (plus one guy who got married the other day) showing up to the voluntaries and ALL showing up to the mandatory minicamp, with a rehab squad down to only 3 players (2, if you don't count Croyle, and he counts for less the longer he's on that stationary bike), I think that the players will be totally immersed well before training camp opens August 1st.

The one thing that hasn't been aggressively addressed in the offseason is WR. As fans, we can't help but wonder if they already have all the rough diamonds they need, or if they still need to go get some bling in FA. I think we have confidence that Haley knows WR talent and knows how to coach 'em up, but the lack movement on this front is a big part of why outsiders still see KC as a bottomdweller this season.

Nope. We are on the road to having a better team esp with improved fitness, better D and OL but this will take another year - prob two before we are a regular playoff team again.

adam best , where the hell are your comments?

Last year was a slaughter house on TV. I think this will be a good year to see how they recover from it all. I think the Chiefs have made key upgrades and inserted veteran guys where they will do the most impact. Last year I saw a young team who just got beat up. I think the biggest question is how quickly they can click, and if they can just learn to win. There were several games last year where the where just a few good plays (IE better players) from squeaking out a win. If they work together I think the talent to be a successful team is there. I am also not sure what you mean by turing the franchise around. Picking in the top 5? Not a chance. Winning the Super Bowl this year? Very improbable. The thing is I still feel the Chiefs had a good foundation put in with the 2008 draft. Herm is a talent kind of guy. As a Coach, he is horrible. I think Todd will bring this team to a singular one and get them on the right course.

I want to know what happened to Adam. Why will no one answer me. I feel like I'm in an episode of Lost. THEY TOOK MY BOY!!!

I feel they obviously upgraded the QB situation, I would have been fine with thigy starting but, why not have another talented QB on the roster....they will make each other better. My concern is the help around the QB I was hoping that the chiefs would go after Boldin or another big time rec. Bowe should be good this year but we still need either someone to step up or more help at the position. Goff is a good pick up on the o-line...but we need a couple more long term answers.

As far as defense. I am scared shitless!! I know we have new veteran leadership but everyone else is learning entirely new defense this year, not to mention they could not get the job done last year. Don't get me wrong, I like a 3-4 and I like Pendergast but this transition is a bit scary to me. Maybe someone like Julias Peppers would have made it smoother.

All in All - Turn around the franchise? NO. Right direction? We will see.....I hope so!

I see the OL getting upgraded with Goff and a couple of others , I also think the D will be way better. I for 1 like the 3-4 and Dorsey will play his part and get to the QB or atleast take some pressure so Vrable can. I also think DBowe will step up more this year. I know that some people like Thiggy but Cassel will be a more Steady QB and will be able to move around more so than the others.
I am sad to see Tony G go but he was the main rec. and now we can spread it out to others more in the future. All in All IMO 10-6
Atleast I hope I got 20 bucks on it with the guys at work!hahaha