Another Chiefs’ Catastrophe

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE

The sky is falling.

Your fears are legitimate. Your anger is acceptable. Your hopelessness is understandable.

Your Kansas City Chiefs are 0-2 and have a Week 3 Superdome showdown with the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Kansas City has dropped two games by an average of 17 points. Don’t be deceived by that statistic though. The Chiefs trailed the Falcons by as much as 23 in the opener. The Bills had a 32-point lead at one point on Sunday. Junk touchdowns late in both games made the final boxscores look less mortifying.

It’s time for a “come-to-Jesus” meeting at One Arrowhead Drive. Kansas City has been routed two times, in as many seasons, by Chan Gailey’s Buffalo Bills. I think it’s clear how he feels about the organization that demoted and eventually fired him three years ago. He’s made it a point to humiliate this football team. Sunday was a “get well” game for the Bills. They began their 2012 season by surrendering 48 points in a loss to the New York Jets. What better way to get back on track than to get the team that surrendered 40, to Atlanta, in your house?

This team has no such game to look forward to. They’re headed for another difficult road game in New Orleans. The Saints are also winless, but they were competitive in both games. Kansas City hasn’t been competitive for roughly six quarters. This football team is in shambles.

The scariest part about all of this is that head coach Romeo Crennel seems to be short on answers. You get the feeling that he might be in over his head. In the post-game presser Crennel said, “I thought we prepared well during the week.” The Chiefs looked anything but prepared on Sunday. It took Kansas City nearly three quarters to get on the board with a Ryan Succop 33-yard field goal. Buffalo outclassed this football team in every phase of the game.

Kansas City lost its first three games to start the 2011 season. The naive will lay that at the feet of three season-ending injuries to key players. This team is mostly healthy. That excuse just won’t wash in 2012. The Chiefs are deeper and more talented this season. Scott Pioli’s scruffy scapegoat is gone. There’s no one left to take the blame for this futility. Every faltering piece of this operation was hand-picked by Pioli. Who takes the rap this time? Pioli won’t survive another in-season firing of a head coach. Captain “Yakety Sax” Cassel won’t fall on the sword either. Scott Pioli has shown us no indication that he’s ready to move on from his $63,000,000 mistake. The answer, is simply, to start winning football games.

Winning is a cure-all. If the Chiefs go into New Orleans and beat the Saints on Sunday, they’ll have reason to believe the season isn’t lost. Crennel won’t call this a must-win game. Make no mistake, it’s a must-win game. Another drubbing and Kansas City may fold its tent and begin a “Blow It for Barkley” campaign. Romeo Crennel has to get this team prepared to play their best football this year in the next five days. The most liberal Chiefs fans probably had Week 3 as a loss for Kansas City before the season began. That’s why a victory will give this team the confidence it needs to right the ship.

I pray the football gods smile upon the Chiefs and give me a reason to use alliteration (in a positive way) this time next week. I’ve got the C-section bookmarked in my trusted Merriam-Webster just in case.

Until then, Addicts!