The State Of The Chiefs: A Fan Quiz

As the final seconds of another disappointing game ticked away yesterday I wasn’t sure I’d be able to write my piece this week. I HATE being “doom and gloom” about the Chiefs. Life is stressful enough on its own. My view point has always been that I follow the Chiefs because it brings me enjoyment and is a good get away from life’s stresses. So why would I sit around and stress out about something that is suppose to be my escape from stress. That’s why I focus on the positive. That’s why I tend to be optimistic. That’s why I don’t like to write negative pieces, because I don’t like to think that way and I know some of you are like me and don’t want to read piece after piece that talks about how bad things are.

Which brings me to why I didn’t think I’d be able to write a piece this week. I don’t have much positive to say. Are the Chiefs only a game out of first place? Yes. Do I think they have a shot at winning this division at this point? Not unless the other teams fall flat on their faces. I thought about writing a piece about all the pieces the Chiefs have in place for next season. As I was thinking about that topic I thought to myself “I’d really like to know what most fans think about all these areas.” Then I remembered one of my first pieces here at AA. It was a fan quiz that determined what kind of fan you are (i.e. homer, hater, etc). So that’s the angle I’ve decided to go with today. The only difference is instead of figuring out what kind of fan you are, we’re going to figure out how close or how far you think the Chiefs are from being a legit Super Bowl contender.

Come take the quiz after the jump.

The quiz is made up of 10 questions about your outlook on the Chiefs in terms of where they stand at different positions in relation to what they would need to win a Super Bowl. You will rate each area on a scale of 0 to 10 points. For each question I have provided sample answers that I think represent 10 points, 5 points, and 0 points so that you have a guide to help with your scoring. At the end you’ll add up your total score from all 10 questions and use the guide I came up with to see where you think the team is overall.

Remember, you can rate yourself from zero to ten, but I have only provided examples for 10, 5, and 0. If your outlook is somewhere between the 10 point answer and the 5 point answer, you might give yourself a 7 or 8. You get the idea. Here we go.

1. What is your outlook on QB Matt Cassel?
10 – Cassel is a Super Bowl caliber QB. If needed, he can put the team on his back and carry us to a win.
5 – Cassel is a solid game manager. He’s not great, but doesn’t lose games either. If he has a great team around him he could do enough to win a Super Bowl.
0 – I’m ready to go to Ricky Stanzi already and would be fine with trading every draft pick for the next decade to get Andrew Luck.

2. What is your outlook on the Chiefs RB situation?
10 – When Jamaal Charles comes back next year the three-headed attack of Charles, Battle, and McCluster will be the best in the NFL.
5 – How JC looks when he comes back is a question mark. Battle looks solid, but the Chiefs need to draft or sign someone for next season.
0 – WE STILL GIVE THOMAS JONES CARRIES EVERY GAME!!!!! IS THERE A NEGATIVE SCORE?!?!?

3. What is your outlook on the Chiefs WR situation?
10 – Bowe is incredible, Breaston is solid, and Baldwin is a star in the making. The WR core is as good as anyone else in the NFL.
5 – Talented but inconsistent. One minute they look amazing, the next they drop a wide open pass.
0 – They won’t resign Bowe, Breaston is too small, and Baldwin was a HUGE reach.

4. What is your outlook on the offensive line?
10 – We’re set at all 5 spots for the foreseeable future. (Even Barry Richardson’s mom wouldn’t say this.)
5 – I’d be okay with Albert, Lilja, Hudson, and Asamoah starting next year but B-Rich has got to go.
0 – Move Albert to guard with Asamoah and scrap everything else.

5. What is your outlook on the defensive line?
10 – We have all the players we need to stuff the run AND get to the QB on a regular basis. (That was hard just to type!)
5 – Dorsey and Jackson are useful at stopping the run but we need a long-term answer at NT and have to find some more guys that can help rush the QB (or use Gilberry more).
0 – The defensive line needs a complete overhaul if we are going to be a Super Bowl caliber team.

6. What is your outlook on the linebacker core?
10 – We’re set at LB. We have two Pro Bowlers in Hali and DJ, Houston is an up and comer, and Belcher is a good NFL starting ILB.
5 – Hali and DJ are good, but we need more pressure opposite Hali. Houston either needs to step up or be replaced. Belcher should be upgraded.
0 – Hali’s not the same anymore. DJ is overrated. Everyone else is too horrible to even talk about.

7. What is your outlook on the secondary?
10 – Once Eric Berry comes back we’ll have one of the best secondaries in football.
5 – Berry’s knee scares me. We need another starting safety and could also use another reliable cover corner.
0 – Flowers is overrated, Berry is the next Bob Sanders (in an injured sense), and we regularly play Sabby Piscatelli (enough said).

8. What is your outlook on the coaching staff?
10 – Haley has done a great job with what he’s been given. The players play hard and are improving, they come up with creative play calls on offense, and Romeo is one of the best DCs in football.
5 – Romeo is good, Haley has some good qualities but also has made some major mistakes, and the offensive play calling is a mess.
0 – Fire them all and start over.

9. What is your outlook on GM Scott Pioli?
10 – Pioli has done a great job of rebuilding this team. He has drafted well, resigned our good players, and has been smart with his spending in free agency.
5 – Pioli is hit and miss. For every good move there is one that he either misses or fails to make at all.
0 – Fire him at the end of this season and hand the whole operation over to Bill Cowher.

10. What is your outlook on our owner Clark Hunt?
10 – He’s great. The new Arrowhead is amazing. He was a key player in the CBA getting worked out. He hired the best GM on the market and is staying out of his way. Even the website is pretty cool now (did you check out the newest video with Rob Riggle and Paul Ruud?).
5 – He seems like an okay owner, but the consistently low team payroll can’t be ignored.
0 – He is running one of the great sports franchises into the ground.

Okay, now total up your scores and find your total. Here’s the scale:

100 – 81: The Chiefs are Super Bowl contenders right now. (If this is you, it might be time to stop putting rum in your Chiefs Kool Aid!)

80 – 61: The Chiefs are just a couple key upgrades away from running with the big dogs.

60 – 41: The Chiefs are in the middle of the pack. They have a few really good pieces but also have a lot of problems or holes that must be addressed before they can contend for Super Bowls.

40 – 21: The Chiefs have a very LONG road ahead of them. Most of this team needs to be improved before they can contend.

20 – 0: This team is a complete epic failure from top to bottom. The whole operation needs to be blown up and started over from scratch. (If this is you, make sure you say hello to Bob Cratchit for me when you go to work tomorrow.)

So where did you end up? I really encourage everyone to post all their scores and total in the comments so everyone can see where you think this team is. Personally, I don’t think this team has any business in either the top or bottom category. The real discussion is which of the middle three categories the Chiefs belong in. I’d really love to hear what everyone else thinks.

Just to get the ball rolling I’ll give you mine.

Cassel – 4
RBs – 8
WRs – 8
OL – 5
DL – 5
LBs – 8
DBs – 8
Coaching – 5
Pioli – 5
Hunt – 5

Total: 61
I’ve got the team right on the fence between being a few pieces away and being in the middle of the pack in terms of Super Bowl potential. The problem is that some of the areas we need to improve in aren’t easy fixes (QB, GM, etc.).

Okay, Addicts, your turn.

As always, thanks for reading, and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!

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Tags: clark hunt, kansas city chiefs, matt cassel, Scott Pioli, todd haley