Chiefs 2015: Arrowhead must address the elephant in the room
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3. There hasn’t been as much progress as we all like to think.
We’re four games into this administration’s third season. The Chiefs stand at 1-3 and the biggest areas of concern are head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, a dearth of talent along the offensive line and a lack of reliable wide receivers. The organization in question has otherwise had roster and coaching staff consistency for three full offseasons and has still been chumped two weeks in a row by good NFL teams. Pretend for a moment you weren’t familiar with the situation in Kansas City. How much chance would you give the aforementioned regime to survive another offseason in that NFL city?
When there are that many foundational holes inside an organization, it might be time to start holding the guilty parties responsible for their crimes. Bob Sutton has proven he lacks the schematic faculties to get optimal output from elite defensive talent. John Dorsey’s biggest weakness, evidently, is identifying quality offensive line prospects both collegiately and at the NFL level. David Culley’s coaching up of gifted, young wideouts has left a lot to be desired. Andy Reid, to borrow an expression from fellow AA staffer Lyle Graversen, has made chicken @#$% of what might be a delicious chicken salad in someone else’s kitchen.
I’m not exactly ready for heads to roll in Kansas City, but it is time to start thinking about a Plan B for this football team. Reid’s not getting the job done as offensive coordinator. Sutton’s not getting the job done as defensive coordinator. Dorsey isn’t up to snuff as an offensive line scout. Something has to give or this administration should be gutted. If Reid can swallow his pride and surrender play calling, I think the Kingdom can stomach another few seasons with him at the helm. Sutton needs to be replaced, Dorsey needs an offensive line guru, and the Chiefs need a serviceable veteran at wide receiver until Albert Wilson and Chris Conley mature.
It’s hardly time to give up on the 2015 season, but we’re past the point of blind optimism. The kinder, gentler part of the Chiefs schedule has arrived, but it’s still unknown if better football is on the way. This team has the kind of warts that will persist under the current conditions. The Chiefs need answers and while some of those posited in this article are implausible until the offseason, I don’t think it’s ever too soon to start thinking about solutions even where they’re presently premature.
Am I overreacting or is it time for harsh truths about the 1-3 Chiefs? Is it possible for Kansas City to turn its season around with 12 games left to play? If you were Clark Hunt, what’s the first step you’d take to usher in change under the current regime? Use the comment section below to chime in. As always, we appreciate your readership and support.
Until next time, Addicts!