If the season continued to progress like it has so far, with blowout first halves, followed by embarrassing, three-ring circus second halves, ending in single-digit-output, forty-plus-point-allowing, injury-laden, seemingly coach-less cinematic hellscapes that fans of 31 other NFL teams call “professional football games,” then our decisions are easier.
Fire Haley, draft a quarterback of the future, release all aging talent and bring in a new coach. That would be the logical decision. It would be a decision with full fanbase support. The decision would be as easy as it would be popular.
But that is not, nor has it ever been, the history of the Kansas City Chiefs. We take what should be mundane, obvious personnel decisions and turn them into franchise-wide fiascos.
So prepare yourself, because I know this: the Chiefs are not going to get drilled all season long. They’re going to lose some heartbreakers, they’re going to be outplayed, they’re going to lose more guys to injury, and they’re going to win a handful of games (I’m guessing four) that they have no business winning.
Most importantly, I believe the Chiefs are going to complicate everything by going on a last-month binge, playing super strong football. Cassel will look like the Cassel of 2010, Baldwin and Houston will start making noise, and the injury-riddled Chiefs will show some life to them.
If that happens, nay, when that happens, our decision won’t be as simple as it is now. Will getting rid of Cassel be the right thing to do, or did he show enough promise in those final months for the team to reconsider? What about Todd Haley — what if the team simply didn’t come out of the lockout well, but otherwise started to figure things out as the season went on?
All I’m saying is, things will get more complicated in a couple months, and decisions we thought were obvious in September will require more debate in December.
We know that is the wrong thing to do.
This is my official position for the rest of the season:
Todd Haley has done more than allow his team to look out of shape and undisciplined. He is incapable of getting this team to play passionately. No matter what happens for the rest of the season (barring the Second Coming of Kurt Warner), he should be a dead man walking for all intents and purposes. His coaching has proven that he is in over his head and must be replaced.
Matt Cassel is incapable of making his teammates better or leading his squad. He cannot move the offense with his play or his leadership. No matter what happens for the rest of the season (barring a miraculous turnaround of 2007 Eli Manning proportions, he is not a franchise quarterback and must be replaced.
I bring this up because, I hope you all realize, that this is the time to stake out your positions on the issues. Because as the team somehow looks less lost as the season rolls along, Pioli will ask the entire fanbase to forget August and September and give Haley/Cassel one more year.